Class of 1979

Class Secretary: Wendy Kolb Harris, 3489 Whytecliff Way, Sun Prairie, WI 53590-9490, harris@terracom.net

Class President: Ronald J. Hemenway, 18 Neillian Way, Bedford, MA 01730-2306, rblueeagle@aol.com

Next Reunion in 2004. Got news? Tap out a note to magazine@bates.edu!  Kristen Anderson Eldridge, husband Paul, and daughter Zoe had a delightful house exchange in England. “A particular highlight for me was returning to my JYA neighborhood in Bath,” she says. They continue with a real-estate business out of their home in Meredith, N.H…. In Augusta, Bill Bogle went on a whitewater rafting trip down the Kennebec River with Jeff Wahlstrom, Dave Reinhart, Nick Kofos and Jim Hopkinson ’80…. After spending a year and a half at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, including a week in Seattle at the center of the WTO protests, Sharon Bomer Lauritsen returned to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in charge of the National Organic Program, farmer markets, and agricultural transportation issues…. Paul Brown says, “I finally ‘got done,’ as they say in Maine, with the ski industry after 20 years working at Sugarloaf and Sugarbush, most recently as a vice president.” He and Gayle purchased the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, the largest producer of apple cider in New England and one of the top three tourist attractions in Vermont…. Ann Bushmiller and her family live in Washington, D.C., where she was associate counsel to President Clinton “in the real West Wing quite a bit — nowhere near as much space to move around as depicted in the TV show.” Last year they had a great visit with Jeff ’80 and Kyle Thompkins Conrad on the West Coast…. Kurt Carlson recently ran in the Race for the Cure in Denver and collected more than 50 contributions in the name of his late friend, Joni Bozuwa…. Sandra Douglass Hambley runs her own business, Welcome Home Organizational Service, offering residential organizing. Most of her work has involved helping people pack and organize for a move, and recently she has been called to clear out several estates (e-mail is <BUGAADUG@aol.com>)… David Ellenbogen still writes math tests for two-year colleges and also works to help get the Progressive Party established in Vermont…. Joel Feldman and Susan are enjoying life with son Zachary…. For nearly four years, Dave and Allison Gaffney Skinner have been in Acton, Mass., the longest time they’ve ever lived in one spot. She is a happy homemaker and part-time caterer. Dave works for Liberty International and travels frequently…. Carlie Graves has been very involved in starting a community farm this past year. Providing organic produce to its members, currently numbering 140. The helpful Web site is <www.farmproject.org>…. Brian Handspicker is president of Wireless Commerce Automation, delivering wireless service automation applications to industrial manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Otis Elevator and Carrier. When not buried in business plans and financials, he still enjoys the wild life of Bare Hill Pond in Harvard, Mass…. Linda Hope Harris Lewis says, “Our children’s behaviors are now approaching the intellectually challenging. We are all healthy and happy with our lives and wondering how we’ll pay for college.”… Wendy Kolb Harris has been teaching high school math for 20 years…. After 20 years in the insurance and financial services industry working in information systems, Susan Kozik joined a high-tech company and became a part of the industry, not just a user of its services. She joined Lucent Technologies in Warren, N.J., and hasn’t looked back. Susan is the vice president and CIO of Corporate Centers, responsible for all the business applications that run Lucent globally…. Ed Leslie is a regional examiner with the Office of Thrift Supervision. He had finished a 16-month assignment in Washington, D.C., working on the Y2K problem for the banking industry. He and wife Lesli live in the San Francisco Bay area…. For the last two years, Robert “Turtle” Long has been editor of Capital Weekly, an Augusta newspaper with a circulation of 7,500. Almost every week he prints press releases about events at Bates…. In February 2000, David Lowe joined a Toronto-based wireless Internet services startup as vice president in worldwide sales. The world is going wireless and Wydom provides wireless access to web commerce, content and messaging. “Startup hours, startup headaches, but it’s a blast.”… Carol Mamber left New England five years ago, thanks to a job transfer and she has lived in various southern cities: Miami Beach, Sarasota, Savannah and now Atlanta. She is the executive director of a statewide managed-care program for mental health Medicaid. ‘The job is a perfect combination of my undergraduate degree in government and my master’s in psychology. It’s a great chance to impact public policy for mental health.”… Leslie (Joy ’82) and Mark Massa enjoyed the winter with their children at Okemo. They ran into Bill Ryan for the first time in 20 years and saw Jeff Melvin ’82 and his family…. Chuck McKenzie and his family now live on the rocky coast of Southern Maine. He left Fidelity for an opportunity to be managing director of Harbour View Asset Management, an Oppenheimer Funds subsidiary. “I don’t play as much golf as I’d like, but am thrilled my daughter is showing interest in the game — guilt-free rounds with the family are terrific.”… Michelle Miclette finds pleasure in her work as a K-8 substitute teacher, a schedule perfect for her family. She continues to work on her license for long-term care administration…. Stephanie More Vary and her family have lived in Windham for the past 12 years. She taught elementary school before her children were born, but she has been fortunate to be able to stay home with the kids. “Of course, anyone with kids knows that you are never home, so I often refer to myself as an ‘in the car mom.’” They have raised farm animals on and off since living in Maine. Stephanie is still quilting, filling scrapbooks with photos, reading, and keeping in touch with Bates friends…. Chris O’Leary accepted a position as senior vice president of Baker Street Technologies, an emerging B2B infrastructure company based in Toronto…. Mark O’Connell and family are in Northern New Jersey. He continues to enjoy his position handling broadcast and cable affiliate relations for NBC Television in New York. Mark finished his M.B.A. in June ’00…. After 14 years living in hotels and airplanes all over the world, running a global electronics business for DuPont, David Powell decided that a local job in Freeport sounded very attractive. His new business involves Internet retailing of specialty tools for timber framers, and building elaborate houses and barns on the coast of Maine. Boating, skiing, tennis, and community work with Young Life make life in Maine enjoyable and exciting…. Mark Price, in St. Johnsbury, Vt., writes: “I’ve been around long enough to see my old patients returning to me with their kids. If I can hang in there long enough, my problem patients turn 18 and I can move them on to adult doctors! Life is busy between church, work, and coaching the boys’ different teams.”… Diane Schachter Langley and husband Lealdon live in Sharon, Mass., with their two children. They both work for the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection and she is a part-time junior counsel for the air-quality programs…. Sam Sirkin has enjoyed his three years as deputy director of the State of Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. He is now CEO of FatEarth, a business that brokers environmental solutions. He and wife Erin Farrar completed their family with the adoption in June ’99 of Zoe Erin. Brother Jesse, also adopted, is pleased. “During a wave of interest in the subject, we became poster children for open adoptions out here with two TV appearances.”… Scott Stoner continues work, now as water quality standards coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Albany…. Pierce Sioussat lives and works in New York City and has his
own business in the natural products fields (dietary supplements and natural foods). He had worked for four years at Ogilvy & Mather advertising and eight years at Citibank (credit cards). “All this after leaving Bates to complete my degree in operatic voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. It’s been quite a ride!”… Ted Stein now works for American Express as a financial advisor and finds lots of clients who want to try to fund college educations and retire comfortably. (Sound familiar?) Susan (MacDonald ’80) had worked 17 years for Market Facts Inc. “Our three kids are starting to become interested in those same things we were — both good and bad.”… Robert Willsey and his family are settled in Glastonbury, Conn., after an 18-month stint in California. He has had his 20th anniversary at Travelers. “I’ve realized it’s the longest I’ve done anything in my life — pretty scary! However, the jobs keep getting more and more challenging and stimulating.”… Allen Weinberg and family live happily in San Francisco. He does strategy consulting for Internet startups…. At UVM Peter Weimersheimer is an emergency medicine attendant and also “banging on his guitar in a blues band and training for triathlons.”