Debby in NC

I was in Whispering Pines, NC last week visiting my mother who is turning 88 on 10/25. She still lives in her home and drives to the grocery store. Unfortunately, though, she is struggling, and my trip was to help her out. While I was there I had endure the pains of dial up computer use and an ultra small screen monitor. But I still managed to answer emails and check the blogs. Also while I was there I called Mark Hooper who lives in Smyrna, NC off the coast. We had not spoken since graduation and had a great conversation.

Debby

Dave and Kristi Milan

Hi Debby,
Well, I'm no longer a bachelor. I'm a very happily married man. Our ceremony was at a beautiful setting in a state park on a knoll surrounded by Coeur d'Alene Lake. The weather was gorgeous (as was the bride) and everyone had a great time. I've attached a photo of Kristi and me right after we exchanged vows. A happy couple if there ever was one. More good news is that I got a job with a consulting firm it Spokane. I interviewed with them on Tuesday, Sept 4, and they offered me the job on Thurs with a request that I accept by Fri, which I did. I'll be a senior engineer with a broad range of responsibilities. One will be to mentor young engineers and help develop professional judgement. Should be a fun job. I'll be moving up to Coeur d'Alene on Sat, Sept 22, and renting out my house down here in Boise. More good news is that one of Kristi's good friends is going to take a job with the Idaho Education Association as chief negotiator for the union. He'll need a place to stay, and I have a place to stay, so it looks like he'll be the one to rent the house. I was going to use a rental service, so I'll rent it to him at the net price that I would have received after paying the rental service their fee. I'm made whole and he gets a good deal. A win-win if there ever was one. He's a great guy and very responsible, so I won't have to worry about how the house will be treated. So I'm doing all the little things to the house that I should have done a long time ago but never had the time. That plus packing is keeping me very busy. I hope I get everything done that I want to do. The goal is to pack up the moving truck on Sat, Sept 22, and drive up on Sun. Well, I'd better get going. Hope the weather is more kind to you there in the midwest. You've certainly been bombarded by a bunch of bad stuff this summer.
Talk to you soon,
Dave

Dave Eckerson

I’m over my head, D-2 … getting last kid off to college was a last sad hassle; took on big time job here with iraq and Afghanistan, and traveling … have not seen web site, pls send coordinates

I can report I have incurred no further speeding tickets … but will head up the same damn Rt 15 to Army war College at Carlisle tomorrow .. will use speed control

eckerson

Charlene Owens Maguire

Had a wonderful phone conversation with Charlene. She lives in Kansas City about 4 hours from St. Louis. Our plan now is to meet in Columbia, MO which is about a 2 hour drive for each of us and also meet with Melinda Mussi Lockwood, who lives there. Charlene still goes back to Manlius to visit her mother and an older sister who lives there. She made it to the 20th reunions and is looking forward to reconnecting at the 45th. Charlene also thinks a Fall reunion would be great. She has agreed to help find people and has joined the search committee.

Debby

45th Reunion Tally

45th Reunion Tally updated

Reunion Tally as to what time of year to hold the 45th reunion.

Here's what people are thinking: 34 people have responded --

1. July 4th weekend 3

2. October/Fall 32

3. Anytime 4

4. August 1

5. Summer 5

6. Not on July 4th 21 out of the 42

Nancy Watson Rougeau

Hi Debby,
Here's a quick up date, I've been married for 39 years, and we have 4 children, and 5 grandchildren. We have been in the Chittenango area for most of those 39 years. I was a stay at home Mom for awhile. For the last 15 years, I have been working for Young Life, which is a ministry to teenagers in CNY, as an area administrator. My husband is a retired plumber, but stays busy doing extra jobs and working at the church.
I have had a chance to check some things out and am amazed that I pretty much don't recognize anyone - time has a way of changing us, that's for sure.
Thanks for all you do.
Nancy Watson Rougeau

Tom Weller in Alaska

Hi

Debby,
.... It was, without a doubt, the best vacation I have ever had. The cruise was an exercise in pampered extravagance. The weather was great the whole trip, which everyone said was pretty unusual. I didn't get a chance to do much camping in Denali though. The Rangers recommended against solo camping at this time of the year, with the bears trying to fatten up for winter and the moose just acting pretty insane, so I spent the time in the Denali Lodge and took day hikes. What an incredible place! Got to see the mountain (McKinley or Denali, depending on how politically correct you are) which is usually only visible about 30% of the year so I got some great pics of that. I'll put a few pictures together and post something on the blog in a few days. Hope all is well with you. I'll keep in touch.
Take care,
Tom

Dave Neary

Debby,
2011? You're way ahead of the planning curve!
I hope all is well with you. Please stay in touch as
I'd like to try to attend this event!
David Neary

Anita Cottrell visits St. Louis

Anita and Debby met at Westport Plaza near St. Louis for coffee and lunch. The class scrapbook was handed off from Joanne Cummins Gillette to Anita to Debby. Melinda Mussi Lockwood couldn't make the trip at the last minute due to a knee injury. We talked about searching for missing classmates, the 45th reunion, scheduling, events and old friends in general. We had a really pleasant time together.

Mark Hooper

Debby, Sorry I am not much of a communicator, I have attached a picture, probably not what you needed, this was taken in late August in the Bahamas, I was in charge of SCUBA diving for a cruise that involved blue water diving and submersible work. I had the opportunity to dive in the sub, Johnson Sea Link to a depth of 1700'. We also did a lot of blue water diving where we were tethered at 40-50' while diving in 2000' of water. The photo shows me a safety diver with the lines going out for the other divers. We worked on the reef as well and made a number of night dives there. I am home now and working to raise Bay scallops, I am currently working with a low tech hatchery to spawn the scallops, if successful I will raise the scallops to market size. Hope all is well with you, take care, Mark
I have enjoyed looking at the website, good to see pictures of my old friend, Rick Cook.
MARK HOOPER

Hi Everyone

I have managed to miss all the reunions but look forward to catching up with people here. It has been great reading everyone's posts. Deb, thanks so much for doing this.
I have been living in Los Angeles since 1972 but manage to get back to Manlius each summer to visit family. I really like the idea of having the 45th reunion in the fall. There is nothing in LA that can compare to early October in Syracuse.

Kate Wilber

Phil Evans

Hi Debby,
I did get a chance to go on the blog and see what's posted. Good stuff! You really did a nice job in putting all of that together! It was really a lot of fun to see Kevin Fitch and meet his wife Sheila here on Sunday, May 6. Such nice people. Kevin and I were in many of the same elementary school classes together in those early years of growing up in Fayetteville, and became close friends. They were in E. Lansing that weekend to attend their nephew's graduation from Michigan State, and it's only 90 miles further to Rochester Hills. Had brunch together here at our home, and then justed talked non-stop for the next few hours until they had to leave to drive back to Chicago. Wish they could have stayed longer, but hopefully we can hook up again sometime in the near future. Take care and enjoy your summer!
Phil

Flip Benham

Thanks so much for all of your hard labors Moose! You da best!

In Christian love,

Flip

Dyke Chapman

Hi Deb,
I echo Harriet's comment. Great idea. I missed the 40th after having been to the 10th, 20th and 30th. I had to take my son Michael for freshman orientation at Belmont University in Nashville. I will do everything I can to make a 45th if we have one! Ask John if he remembers the Mt. Tremblant ski trip? I have pictures! If I can figure out how to send them I will...Much to share with all of the fellow FM Class of 66 bloggers...I will visit again soon and send along more on what is happening with the Chapman Family.I look forward to learning more of what others are doing...
Hi to Harriet too!
Dyke Chapman

Guy Beck

Hi Deborah,
I am better at replying ono-on-one than to a general call for comments. That being said, I will fill you in and give my support for another Reunion (45th). I really enjoyed the last reunion and felt that I really connected with classmates and friends after so many years. It was also great to play the piano and remember the "good old days" through so much good music (real music!).
I (we) returned to New Orleans after teaching for 2 years at UNC Wilmington. I will teach again at Tulane, assuming that everything gets back on track after Katrina. Meanwhile I secured a large research grant for study in India (4 months) sometime this next academic year. I was also invited to teach a semester at Ole Miss (U of Miss) this Fall, so things are getting busy. I am trying to relax this summer by finishing up a few projects around the house and playing jazz piano gigs in the French Quarter on weekends. Things in New Orleans are getting back to speed in terms of food and music, tourism, etc.
Hope you are well, and congratulations on your hard work with getting the blog up and running. It looks great!

Hail the Green Hornets!
Best wishes
Guy

Steve Martin

Steve and Gerry Martin
summer 2006
newly married
Jack and Renae Mapstone
2007



Debby,
How have you been – it has been a long time. I’m sorry I missed the last reunion but I was busy getting married. I (we) won’t miss the next one. Jack Mapstone said you would like some pictures so I’m attaching a few here. Keep up the good work on the FM website. It looks like a tremendous amount of work – and I’m sure everyone appreciates it. If there is anything I can do to help with the website or the reunion please let me know.
Steve Martin

From Jim Myers

I think a website and blog would be fun. And probably, now that we’re all getting a little longer in the tooth, so to speak, we might have more time to post our stuff and share our thoughts and experiences with our oldest friends. I’m in.

Jim Myers

Bob Gwinn

Deb

Thanks for setting this up! The 40th reunion was a great time. Pat and I became grandparents for the first time in October (last year) and are planning to relocate from Corning , NY to Minnesota by the end of the summer. This blog will help us keep track of folks and what's going on...

Bob Gwinn

Jack Mapstone

Debby,
Thanks for thinking of me. I was waiting for Steve Martin to send the photos from this past weekend (I forgot our camera). Steve and his wife Gerry drove up to Tallahassee to visit Renae and I. We went canoeing and kayaking on a nearby river, ate out at a couple of local restaurants, went to a movie and played a board game late into the evenings.
Since I retired from public school teaching(35 yrs) I have been supervising student interns for Florida State at the local high schools. I love it and, I still get the same vacations, although the pay is abysmal.
I want to thank you for all the work you've done on the website. It is truly wonderful to see all the faces and read the goings-on. I think the fall get together is a great idea. It has been some time since I've seen true fall foilage.
Thanks again,
Jack

Permissions

Thank you to all of you who have given me such enthusiastic praise and permission granted for the use of your photos and emails.

Debby

Mark Hooper

Debby,

Sorry I haven't responded, just get caught up in the various things. I had to chance to look at the blog, it was quite fascinating, amazing how the names and memories come flooding back. I will give an update and if you could post it I would be great. I live with my wife Penny in Smyrna, NC, which is a small town on the central coast. I am a commercial fisherman specializing in soft-shell crabs, farm raised clams, and hard crabs. I am also the SCUBA Diving Safety Officer at nearby Duke University Marine Lab. I soft-shell crab in the spring, dive and sell calms in the summer. In the fall I am involved in a number of fishery research projects and I catch hard crab. My current project is to explore the feasibility of raising Bay scallops. My wife currently teaches Biology at the local Community College, prior to that she was a Studio Potter working from our home. We have two children, a daughter Catalina (we met on Catalina Island) who is finishing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a son who works in the golf equipment business. When not working we love to travel, just getting back from trip to Germany, Switzerland, and Czech Republic. My best to everyone,

Thanks,

Mark

Duke Leonard

Debby,
I'm not smart and you can't make me, so where do you find the invitation for this web site?Among other things, I have spent the last four years in Iraq kicking dirt around. I guess this can also be applied to my first sentence. This is a great web site and I see the guy's are getting grayer. However, the ladies are still looking good! Do you know what happened to Frank DeLong? We used to work together a long time ago at the Lodge in Manlius. I received a couple of emails from Tom Jones working at some university or college in PA. Then again, I do not know if I am buying that one.Great job on the site and I will look harder for the invitation.

As Ever,

Duke Leonard

Lynne Gibson Lovett

Debby,
I've just spent almost an hour looking at the Blogs. What a great trip down Memory Lane! Ricky Cook and Duncan Hamilton are about my two oldest/best friends from way before high school - it was so great to see their faces (and all the others) again. Thanks so much for your efforts.
All the best, Lynne

Larry Shipps

I think, advise wise, you're doing just what you need to do. Start early to get the best turnout for the 45th. I also like the idea of the Fall date.

Thanks again,

Larry

Camilla Zankowski Daniels

I went through all that you have compiled. Great work. My husband, Jerry has been working on sending pictures to you. Would you like, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade? Let's face it, we became the class of '66 when we blended together for the first time at Fayetteville-Manlius Junior High.

Thanks for all your work.

camilla