| Notes from the Editor Debra Minogue Duke, 1973-74 debramduke@comcast.netChange is in the air! It was a sad moment when Ross Povenmire resigned as editor of the Friends of Bluche Newsletter. We all have him to thank for keeping us connected for the past few years and sending out the smoke signals for the Woodstock (2003) and Crans(2004) reunions. Through these reunions and the newsletters we are still somehow connected keeping the flame of our friendships alive. Although Ross is not the editor he is still very active writing articles, tracking down lost alumni and basically keeping everyone enthused about being part of this Les Roches Community. Thanks for all of your hard work and please keep the stories coming!Last summer’s reunion in Crans is still a popular topic of conversation and the subject of many of this newsletters articles. We also have stories of days gone by in Bluche, who’s visiting who and where, recounts of what people have been doing since leaving Bluche, a very personal account of current life issues for one fellow alum and even a clever tale weaving the threads of politics, past and present and tying them into global present day issues and a “Les Roches” experience perspective. The plan for the newsletter is to publish on a quarterly basis. The next one will be February 2005. If anyone would like to be featured in terms of “what you have been doing since leaving Bluche” or who you have been in contact with, visited or just want to check-in and say hello informally we all want to hear about it, please email me. If you would like to submit an article, in French or English, it would be most welcome. I would like to thank the following fellow alumni for their wonderful contributions to this newsletter: Paul Wirth, European Correspondent (even though he doesn’t know it), Jean Paul Lewis, U.S. Correspondent (and interpreter for translations) Sue Ellen Lewis, Swagat Bam, Indian Correspondent, Ross Povenmire, Newsletter Advisor & U.S. Correspondent, Susan Povenmire, U.S. Correspondent, John Hairell (our most recently found alum) Susan Seipel Sturgis, Canadian Correspondent, Irene Neveu, Suisse Correspondent, Sharon Taylor Baumann, Worldwide Research & Marketing Agent (tracking down lost alum and staying in contact with everyone), Sarah Tappan, and Pradeep Kapadia, Treasurer. A special thanks to Hank Bonney, of Keystroke Studios. Hank is the mastermind behind the website that we all enjoy. Another special thanks to Ottavia, who is the “glue” that keeps us all together and the architect of “reunions”. Although the Lake Como Reunion is being hosted by Massimo Ciceri, Ottavia says that being Italian, she has a vested interest in making this one even more successful than previous reunions. You can be sure that you will all be hearing more from Ottavia in the next seven months. You may send your articles; emails, write ups and news to any of the above listed people for future newsletters. We look forward to receiving it all. We would also really like to hear from alumni that have not attended reunions; it’s not only about the reunions! Crans Reunion Photos Thanks Ross! To all alumni who’ve enjoyed the FOB newsletters for the past two years, we all owe a great debt of gratitude to Ross Povenmire (ross@povenmire.com) for his great work compiling alumni email addresses, collecting articles from all of you and adding his wonderful commentary and unique sense of humor to the FOB newsletter. Ross was our fourth newsletter editor after Margaret Mallon, Martha Fouts and myself and paves the way for Debra Duke to take over this fun project. Ross, you brought the newsletter from the brink of obscurity to the ‘must read’ that it has become to us news-hungry alumni. Thanks, man… A Tribute Many of us have written about the wonderful time we had at the reunion. I would like to add my words of gratitude to Ottavia, Giancarlo and Nati. Three months later, the memories of the four days we spent together are still powerful. Like a big hug from a dear friend who cheers for your success, the reunion was a collective celebration of who we are and from where we have come. Ottavia, your elegance, dedication and energy are an inspiration. Thank you for your commitment over the past year to organizing the reunion and for all your hard work. For many months, you were our leader always confident of our success. One night over dinner at Hotel Aida Castel, we were all supposed to briefly speak. Given the opportunity, I would have stood to congratulate you, Ottavia, for all your many accomplishments. I would have told you how proud we are of you and how grateful we are for your leadership. Giancarlo and Nati, you made such a precious gift for us by treating everyone to the most delicious lunch in a sky meadow on a perfect day. What thoughtful planning to center fresh wildflowers on the tables and to wrap up this magic mountaintop with a ribbon of Swiss flags! Nati, your dessert was heavenly and exceeded only by your gracious hospitality. Such ideal experiences as the one you two created for our reunion are rare in a lifetime. Thank you so much. It is perhaps ironic that from such a small town so long ago we have joined together to build a supportive network of friendship that literally spans the world. This Friends of Bluche is a treasure we give each other. It is a shared past and a common outlook. It is a uniting force that grows stronger as we turn toward the future. The Joys of Being Together After So Many Years “It’s amazing what such reunions can do to you. When thinking of all these years spent in PF and Les Roches, names come popping up, faces and memories to go with and you wonder what has become of them all. And all of a sudden, 30 years later, some of them just walk up to you and … time stands still! … Did it really? Listening to everybody talk about family, children, job and whatever has happened to them in the meantime, one realizes that the students of the past have become responsible adults. Nevertheless, there was the joy of being together, of sharing memories of the past, happy moments to remember. The life in Les Roches certainly left some marks on all of them. And that is what this reunion was all about. A great get together! Whether there’s a spirit to it or not, there’s definitely something magic about Bluche!” Many thanks to all of you who made this “happening” possible! Hope to see the ones that have been part of the 2004 reunion and many others in Como next time. I sure look forward to it! Take care. Ten Reasons Why I Really Enjoyed the Reunion 1. No problem being 47! 2. PF Girls are gorgeous 3. Petit Paradis : c’est toujours la meme 4. We got Outdoors on the brain 5. Even the rotten eggs of school days have turned out to be great people 6. M. Clivaz is Reborn 7. Denis Hill’s stamp of approval for the finished product (us) 8. Never enjoyed the Valais in mid-summer before 9. Ottavia: the soothing panacea for every conceivable ailment 10. School friends (unlike university friends) are neither competitive nor cut-throat NEXT ISSUE: 10 THINGS I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THE REUNION! Greetings From a Les Roches Spouse Greetings to my new found friends of Les Roches! I’ve been meaning to write a paragraph or two for quite some time on my impressions and thoughts of the Les Roches reunion in Switzerland this past summer. I have to say that you are all an amazing group of people and your families are wonderful as well. I was amazed how everyone came up to introduce themselves and to find out who I was at the opening reception. I never expected that everyone would be so open and friendly. Your children and spouses were incredible as well! I felt as if I had known everyone for years. I highly recommend future reunions to other spouses and family members. I very much enjoyed the activities that were planned and couldn’t ask for a better place to be at that time. Switzerland is my favorite country! This was my second visit to Les Roches and Bluche. I had visited Switzerland in 2000 with Jonathan. The Rhone Valley is one of my favorite parts of Switzerland. You are all extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend school in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I grew up in the Great Plains of Nebraska and my high school experience was quite different and sheltered. After we all toured the Les Roches school of hotel management, I was telling Jonathan that I want us to quit our jobs in California and move to Switzerland. That way we could live in the Rhone Valley where I could attend the school and get a degree in hotel management and he could find a job to support us. I so eagerly want to change my career from engineer to hotel manager everytime I visit Switzerland. The hiking excursion from barrage Zeuzier to the raclette farm was so awesome that I don’t know how to begin to describe it. On the path, I felt like Maria Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. The fields of wildflowers were quite a site. I feel indebted to the hosts forever for this experience and the lunch. The hike back on the trail from the raclette farm to Crans was another incredible journey. There is no better hiking than in Switzerland! Here are some of the experiences from that week that also left me with a lasting impression: (1) eating lunch at Le Petit Paradis with Steve Botzum and a couple of students from today’s Les Roches, (2) having cappuccino with Swagat Bam, Gray, Jonathan, and my father-in-law George in Montana at Swagat’s favorite café that he frequented in his younger years, (3) visiting with Susan Seipel Sturgis and her daughter and son on the funicular ride from Bluche to Sierre, (4) enjoying a drink with Sharon, Carl, and Aristidis in Montana after the Les Roches tour and lunch at Le Petit Paradis, (5) visiting with Ottavia’s aunt at dinner about her travels around the USA and (6) listening to Swagat’s story about the cake that Roberto brought him. Ever since the reunion, I constantly dream about the experiences we had in Montana, Crans, Bluche, and Zermatt. Whenever I become stressed out at work or am stuck sitting in my car on the freeway, I let my mind wonder momentarily to Switzerland. It helps me alleviate the stress. I am looking forward to the future Les Roches reunions and strongly encourage other family members to attend. Top Marks For Les Roches Hotel Management Grad It is a well know fact that the “New” Les Roches Hotel Management College is one of the most highly respected and recognized training facilities in the world. Most of the graduates of this institution are competitively recruited by the world’s top hotels and are ambassadors to their alma mater as they practice their trade in their own way in every corner of the world. This is the story of one of the graduates who took an unusual career path. Not much was known about Nati Felli prior to her meeting of husband Giancarlo Felli. They met at the 1994 Ecole des Roches Reunion in Bluche, which he hosted. We know they married and have a beautiful little daughter, and oh yes, wasn’t she a grad of the Hotel Management School? Who knows what Giancarlo was thinking when he agreed to host the 2004 Reunion, but being a veteran reunion organizer he knew he could do it again. Of course everyone was confident that Giancarlo could repeat another success. But no one knew about his secret weapon. His partner in this endeavor was Nati. Nati turned out to be a one person hospitality arsenal ready to mesmerize her guests. Saturday’s agenda read, Meet in front of the Aida Hotel for a surprise excursion provided by “Friends of Bluche”. Go figure!! What followed was beyond all expectations. After a short bus ride up in the hills behind Crans, along roads that in most countries would be inaccessible to motorized vehicles, we were let out at the trailhead. The hike was an easy one hour promenade in the most spectacular scenery one can imagine. At the end of our road was a field of bell ringing cows next to a small farm. Long picnic tables were set trimmed with Suisse flags. Every detail was considered, the cold drinks, the chilled wine, piping hot raclette being served, fresh cheese and tours of the mini cheese factory in the barn and of course a chance to meet the cows themselves. Nati and her well orchestrated crew worked tirelessly as the group relaxed and enjoyed every moment. Who could think of so many details of transporting everything up to this remote spot, or even finding such a picturesque location and executing the plan exquisitely? It must be a graduate of a world class hospitality college. Thank you Nati for being one of us! We have all enjoyed getting to know you and appreciate everything that you did to enhance our treasure chest of great memories with fellow Les Roches amis. If you thought that Crans was fun, wait until you go to Lake Como! La photo de notre chambre dans le Yearbook 1971
À l’époque, lorsque le yearbook 1971 était terminé, nous étions spécialement fiers d’un petit détail qui se trouve sur la photo de notre chambre. Regardes donc bien à la page 121. Mais attention : il n’y a pas de no. de pages dans ce yearbook. Tu dois donc compter les pages. Si tu n’en as pas envie, tu chercheras dans les pages après « soirées ». Alors, que vois-tu à droite en haut de cette page? Bien-sûr, la plus belle chambre du pavillon « Les Roches ». C’était la 1ère chambre au 1er étage de ce pavillon. C’était tout simplement la meilleure chambre. C’était un privilège de pouvoir y « résider ». Cette chambre don nait directement sur la grande terrasse depuis laquelle on pouvait admirer les Alpes Valaisannes et aussi la piscine de l’école. Malgré cette belle vue sur la nature, je dois avouer que nous nous en servions uniquement pour aller fumer. Nous étions : Jan GRAFF, Allemagne, section commerciale. Simon BRATT, Vénézuéla, anglo-american section. Moi-même, Paul WIRTH, Suisse, section commerciale,. Nous étions « Les Macs » (du moins nous le pensions), nous faisions « la pluie et le beau-temps » et les collègues écoutaient ce que nous avions à dire. Bref, nous avions les moyens de faire la loi à l’internat. Il va de soi que dans cette ambiance il était strictement interdit de consommer de l’alcool. L ‘alcool était l’un des grands crimes à commettre. Nous en buvions bien-sûr et, nous savions le faire discrètement et nous avions toujours une bonne réserve bien caché quelque part. Mais le risque de ce faire attraper était grand et surtout les conséquences pouvaient être très graves. Je reviens donc à cette photo. Encore une fois, que vois-tu sur cette photo? Regardes bien en-dessus de la fenêtre à droite. Ballantines. Eh oui, il s’agit bien d’une bonne petite bouteille de Scotch Whisky « Ballantines ». Le jour où le photographe devait venir, nous avions l’ordre de ranger notre chambre, de la nettoyer, de bien faire les lits, d’enlever la poussière et tout ce qui dérangerait éventuellement cette belle photo. Bien-sûr, nous avons obéis, bien-sûr nous étions fiers d’avoir notre chambre dans le yearbook. Bien-sûr, nous ne pouvions pas résister à marquer cette photo avec quelque chose d’interdit. Voilà le résultat. Il n’y a que très peux de camarades qui se rappellent de cette petite histoire peu importante. Mais je pense que ceux qui ont passés du temps « Aus Roches » comprendront le petit plaisir qui me prend chaque fois quand je pense à cette chambre. The Photograph of Our Room in the 1971 Yearbook During the time the 1971 Yearbook was completed, we were especially proud of one little detail that was on a photograph of our room. Look at page 121, but be careful, the pages are not numbered in that particular Yearbook. Therefore, the reader must count the pages. If you do not feel like counting, look past the “soiree” pages. Once you find the picture look at the top-right. Of course it is the most beautiful room in the pavilion-“Les Roches.” It was the first room on the first residential floor and it was simply the best room. It was a privilege to reside in that space. That room looked directly toward the grand terrace and from there one could admire the Alps of the Valais and also the school’s swimming pool. In spite of this beautiful view of nature, I must admit, we only really used the terrace to smoke. We were Jan GRAFF, the German, from the Commercial Section, Simon BRATT, the Venezuelan, Anglo-American Section, and myself, Paul WIRTH, the Swiss, Commercial Section. We were “THE MAC’s”, (at least we thought so) and we made rain and sunshine and our colleagues listened to what we had to say. In short, we had the means to make the law at the boarding school. Saying that, I still remember vividly that we had to turn off the lights at 22:00 hrs., and that we had no right to go out, neither to Montana, nor to “Petit Paradis,” and especially not visit “Pres Fleuris.” We were the “Big Men” and we knew that we were held like “Small Men.” Needless to say that in this environment it was strictly forbidden to consume alcohol. Alcohol was one of the great crimes to be committed. We drank it of course and we knew how to do it discretely and we always had a large reserve somewhere well hidden. However, the risks of being caught were great and the consequences especially grave. I return now to the photo. Once again, what do you see in the picture? Look carefully above the right window. Yes indeed, a little bottle of Scotch Whiskey, “Ballantines, is visible.” The day when the photo was taken, we were ordered to properly arrange and clean our room, make the beds, and dust and remove anything that would disturb the beautiful picture. Of course we obeyed and we were very proud to have our room in the Yearbook, but most importantly, we could not resist marking the picture with something that was not permitted. Here is the result. There are very few comrades that remember this little story of small importance, but I think that those who spent time at Les Roches will comprehend the little pleasure that I take every time I think about that room. |
 Friends You Can Count On By Ross Povenmire, 1969-72, Haverhill, Massachusetts ross@povenmire.comI was not really looking forward to the half marathon in Portland. We had made the plans early in the summer, before I got the big job. The job I had just quit. The week before the race, I wasn’t sure if I could finish anything, much less run 13.1 miles.It was supposed to have been the dream job for me, a chance to redeem myself in the eyes of the world, a job that combined all the years in school and all the career changes into a dazzling, synergistic, professional rebirth. I had worked hard to get it, calling in all the chips for references and buffing the old resume to diamond brittle brilliance. I had dyed my graying hair a youthful deep brown, and bought interview clothes in the hip, new style. I told myself that moving out of state to the new job would not be a big deal. I had to quit the job, of course. My wife wouldn’t move. My daughter was determined to stay in her high school. Both sets of ex-spouses were circling like sharks. The e-mails from home were rapidly turning icy and legalistic. Divorce seemed increasingly likely. I was not going to go through one of those again. Returning home was no picnic either, but at least it was familiar. I had to watch myself carefully, not letting too much of my own anger and disappointment show. I apologized with earnest contrition. I was determined to get my family back and pick up the pieces. Day by day things were getting better, but I was feeling pretty wrung out the week before the half marathon. Pradeep knew all of these things, of course, but he insisted that I show up in Portland. At first I resisted, but he made it easy by paying for the hotel room in advance. Andi Alexander had done her part as well, keeping us updated on the progress of her training throughout the summer, the uncertainty over the strength of her knees, the logistical considerations for the marathon weekend. I finally realized that I really needed to go to Portland, to see my friends, to run a difficult race. Pradeep, Andi, Andi’s father Jesse, and I met in Portland the day before the race. We took a quick tour of the picturesque harbor on my sailboat during the afternoon and had an excellent dinner later that evening. The next morning we awoke early, dressed quickly in our super light running gear despite the chilly weather, and stood shivering at the starting line at 8:15 a.m. Pradeep disappeared into the lead pack almost instantly. Andi and I trotted along in the back of the bobbing crowd, breaths and footfalls gradually syncopating into a workmanlike rhythm. Andi and I talked the entire 13.1 miles and 2.25 hours of running. We talked in sparse, rhythmic sentences, each exhalation freighted with emotion and meaning, each inhalation a reflective pause. We ran forward with measured, determined motion of body and thought. We reached the finish line rejuvenated, glad and gloriously weary. Pradeep found us and we all embraced joyfully. It has been several weeks since Portland. I am still running at the gym as winter closes in, and I am still struggling through the daily challenges of my life, trying to keep the pace. Each mile at the gym slides away, making me stronger. Each day of my life fades to another, making me older, maybe wiser. Somewhere out there I know my friends are running too, and in the same ways. We know this about each other and feel less alone. We count on each other to keep ourselves running. We count on rejoicing together at the finish line. The Ruptured Bridge The recent death of Pierre Salinger represented more than a slow passing of a bygone era, the Kennedy years of Camelot, but is also a reminder of how far Europe and the United States have drifted apart in the last four years. Pierre Salinger, former Press Secretary for President Kennedy became the archetype for that position in the White House. He represented and helped nurture the Kennedy administration’s strong convictions in maintaining a strong Atlantic (NATO) alliance to confront the Soviet Union. Pierre Salinger was half-European. He lived in Paris for nearly twenty years and was awarded the Legion d’Honneur for increasing understanding between America and France. He joined JFK’s presidential campaign and Kennedy appointed him as his Press Secretary. He became the voice for the new frontier and internationalism. Like many who attended Les Roches and Pres Fleuris, I am half-European and half-American and lived in Switzerland during the Vietnam War. We all lived in relative harmony among dozens of different nationalities, cultures and ethnic groups under one roof. We all learned from each other and became richer for it. Alas, Salinger’s demise is sadly symbolic of an ominous time in America’s foreign policy history. Salinger went with JFK to Berlin when he announced to the world in solidarity with the German people that he was a Berliner. Salinger was also present when De Gaulle called Kennedy to say that the French would stand by America during the Cuban missile crisis. Unlike now, it was a time when America, although a Superpower, knew they needed allies to fulfill its international responsibilities and protect its global interests. I met Pierre Salinger once at a Washington party. We were both heavy smokers and had to go outside to smoke. It was January 2001, the American presidential election was being decided in the Supreme Court and the country was divided on who had won. We were all alone and so we struck up a conversation regarding the Kennedy administration. He told me a few things that I found Intriguing. He spoke to me that in a second Kennedy administration, JFK hoped to bury the hatchet with Fidel Castro and have normal relations because he wanted a friendly neighbor rather than a pro-Soviet puppet state. He also told me that JFK wanted to halt the escalation of military “advisors” to South Vietnam because he knew that fighting a guerilla war in Southeast Asia would become a black hole and the United States would suffer internationally in the long run. Oh, the things that might have been. Today, American foreign policy finds itself moving in the opposite direction in what it stood for before and after the Vietnam War. We are now caught in a maelstrom in the middle of the Islamic world and we are standing virtually alone internationally while the country has never been more divided than during our engagement in Indochina. One of the last things Pierre Salinger told me was that if George W. Bush became president, he would leave the United States and move to Europe and spend his last days with his French wife at his bed and breakfast in the south of France. He said he could not live in a country that would be ruled by Philistines and dismantle fifty years of diplomatic links between Europe and America. Like many former students who come from mixed nationalities or Americans that lived abroad during that time, Pierre Salinger represented a bridge between America and Europe. And like Pierre Salinger, I feel this bridge should not be ruptured in favor of current foreign policies that may jeopardize this link. In my own way I will work towards restoring that sense of common destiny that Europe and America once shared and being part of this wonderful Les Roches community helps me feel that connection. Whatever Happened to John Hairell? I’m doing software work for NASA. I’ve been a NASA contractor since 1987. Prior to doing software I worked in various NASA satellite control centers, including 3 years in Hubble Space Telescope as an ops controller. After my year in Bluche I spent two more years back in Madagascar. I finished my 10th and 11th grades at a missionary school of all places (Ray Hood also spent a year there – 1971/2). After the revolution in Madagascar in 1972 our family came back to the U.S. I finished school in the U.S., going to two different high schools in two different states in my last year. In all I went to 12 schools in 12 years. In late 1972 after returning to the U.S, I came down with multiple and near-fatal bouts of malaria and I spent the next two years in and out of hospitals and being treated with experimental medicines. In my first bout I dropped 40 pounds in one week. I’m lucky to have lived past the age of 18. I later went off to college but that was interrupted by another recurrence of malaria. Eventually in 1977 I joined the Army to be a helicopter pilot. Due to a paperwork error in the Pentagon that plan didn’t work out and I became an air traffic controller instead. I spent 4 years in military tactical ATC, including 18 months in South Korea, where I survived a helicopter crash. I got out of the Army in 1981 and went with the FAA just when the ATC strike was starting up. I then got out of the FAA and went into a computer career, where I’ve been ever since, other than my 5 year interlude running satellites. After a long bachelor hood I got married in 1991. My wife Terri and I have two kids (Brian, 7, and Matthew, 5). Late marriage and later fatherhood – I now play the role of gray-haired daddy. Terri also works as a NASA contractor, also writing software. We both work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. We live in the Maryland suburbs of D.C., living the typical suburban life. I’ve metamorphosized from being a global nomad to being a minivan-driving dad. Outside of work I do aviation historical research, specializing mainly in helicopter technical history. I’ve contributed material and photographs to several books on narrow technical subjects, and also done research for TV programs on aviation shows shown on Discovery or the History Channel. I also do research for model companies. My other interests include 3D computer graphics, and after many years I’ve again taken up the electric guitar. And I still get an occasional but of malaria, but nowhere as serious as it used to be…. Where in the World is Sue Seipel? Now known as Sue Seipel Sturgis, married, mother of four, family home base in Houston and Citizen of the World: I cannot believe Rob and I have made our official 19th move in our 27 years of marriage. This is in addition to all the moves and countries I lived in previously. Most of them are known as “hot beds of terror” or infamous dictatorships such as Libya, Iran and Indonesia. I was fortunate though to balance it out with tours to Norway and Quatar. Recently, I finally made it to Canada. I sound like a Canadian because I say “eh” all the time. Thank you, my long lost PF friends, Carmen and Heather. It is taking a little out of me to go from all the glorious sunshine of Texas to the dreary fog and overcast weather conditions of Toronto. However, it has its redeeming graces. The two boys Trevor & Callum are students at Canada’s Appleby College in Oakville. Having been established in 1911, it is rich in tradition and formalities with uniforms and dining halls it reminds me of a quaint school in some small British town. It’s a welcome departure from the casual lifestyle that is so much a part of our busy modern day lives. It is also yet another opportunity to taste the flavor and culture of a country I knew very little about. This seems to be my primary life’s research project – experience the world by living in as many countries as possible, and what a great family tradition and gift to share with your children. We will probably be here for two years with Imperial Oil. While we are here, I’m making sure we get the full experience. This has led to a somewhat nontraditional lifestyle. We live in Toronto, so Rob can live his dream and walk to work, after many years of a typical commuter’s lifestyle. Now I am the commuter and drive the boys to school everyday, which requires more time in the notoriously dreadful Toronto traffic than anyone should have to endure. But the good news is that when I return home in the evening, Rob my wonderful husband has dinner ready for the family. We also have a place in Oakville – where we can spend quality time together. This is where we relax. Oakville is a small upscale, isolated picturesque community where you can walk everywhere. There are restaurants, coffee shops, theatres, shopping and all kinds of activities. In our typical family tradition, my other two children are living in different places. Roman my eldest and aspiring writer, lives in Washington D.C., he hopes to connect with fellow Les Roches friend and published writer Jean Paul Lewis. My daughter Lindsley, lives in Houston, maintains the family home there and is a junior in College studying Marketing. Lindsley, is great, she is smart, athletic, social and hardworking. Both Lindsley and Trevor accompanied me to last year’s reunion. They made lots of friends with both the adults and the other “second generation kids” in attendance. Trevor is reminiscent of our visit to Ottavia’s Neuchatel home, where the kids played ping pong on a crooked table and we shared many wonderful home cooked meals with her family. I am looking forward to next year’s reunion, and hope to bring my whole family, this is a place where I like to connect with the past and create a new tradition for the future. Also, what a fitting way to celebrate my 50th birthday! In my crazy hectic life, I feel very fortunate; it is always a comfort to connect with my world wide network of friends from my many years at Les Roches. My dear PF friend Heather Kindsly lives in Ottawa, only two hours from Toronto. I am planning a weekend visit to her home in the near future. I am also in touch with other friends such as Jana Moore, Ottavia, Katy Jackson Cantor and Jean Paul Lewis. If you find yourself in Toronto in the next two years please be sure to look me up! After that who knows where I’ll be! What is Mike Johnson up to These Days? I didn’t process these until I was back in the USA. Now I have had some time and have scanned these in from the original negatives. These are thumbs at about 40kb each but I saved them in a .tif formate at 9 meg or so for the BIG file if anyone is interested. If you want to post them on the bonney.org server you can find the same thumbs that are on my home page by navigating to my home page and selecting the link to “download page” then you will see a folder “LR Thumbs”. In that folder you will find the jpgs for download. I can also send you this on a CD. Just let me know where to send the CD and I will burn it along with the BIG .tif file in case someone wants to make a photos out of the file. When I find my photos of the Aspen reunion I will do the same. If they want to contact me directly then that is ok too. Mike S. Johnson Message from the Treasurer Thanks to recent contributions from Pichet Nithivasin and Jonathan Tappan. The FOB bank balance is holding steady at $2,113.02. The only expense is updating and maintaining the website. As we get closer to the reunion date, there will be other expenses, especially for locating lost alumni. I would like to build up the account to at least $3,000 so that we can have a little cushion. If you contributed in 2003 (most of the attendees at the Woodstock reunion contributed), then you don’t have to contribute until 2005. If you’ve already contributed in 2004, then you don’t have to contribute until 2006. All new contributors will be added to the 2004 list of contributors on the website. If you contributed this year and your name is not on the list, my apologies – just drop me a line at kespk@bestweb.net and I will correct it. Any contribution you can make, preferably in US$, is greatly appreciated. Typically, alumni contribute $25 to $50 per year. Pradeep Kapadia If I close my eyes and let my mind wander, I can still taste the raclette, smell the freshly mowed grass, and hear Carmen’s beautiful voice from this summer’s reunion. Take care, and see you all soon… Pradeep Heard on the Website: Debra Minogue-Duke Swagat Bam: Ross Povenmire: Swagat Bam: 1971-74, Delhi India Paul Wirth: |
