ALUMNI NEWS
I had a nice note from Susan Lorino LaCoste. She was headed to Alaska and Vancouver for two weeks. She and her husband Bob went with two other couples. Susan is hoping to be able to make it to the next class reunion. Craig Rutten confesses that he may be having too much fun. He has turned one of his vocations into an avocation. Craig writes, “Designing true high-fidelity home audio with video systems has been a fulfilling job of mine since the ‘70s - well, not the video part until the mid ‘80s. What I’m doing now is scouring garage sales and thrift shops for ignored, quality audio equipment and returning it to the previous quality it was and then reselling it... and then telling about that adventure.” He has finished one project and has three more in the pipe-line. Craig is also doing that same thing with computers, with the help of another die-hard enthusiast - this time. Craig also reports, “We have two projects going with that side of the fun-neverstops division. My wife Glenda has a new family to support: a Yorkie and a Maltese (Bailey and Bella).” Glenda is also “finishing” the conversion of their tiny back yard into a calming refuge. Jay Jorns writes that he is a social media fool now. When not busy at JNJ Pest Control, his bug and lawn business, you can find him on Facebook: Jay Jorns and on www. facebook.com/jnjpestcontrol.com, on his YouTube channel or his blog http://katy-pestscription.com/. Jay encourages us to tune in for great bug stories and videos. He has a video called “Snap Trap in Action” that demonstrates the feeding habits of a rat. The video went viral within the pest control community. Jay says, ”Be forewarned it is violent and don’t tell PETA.” Jay has another video of Texas Leaf Cutting Ants defoliating a young Red Oak in Fulshear, Texas. He was on TV channel 2 last June when he identified a new ant in Katy called the Rasberry Crazy Ant. He also did a radio interview on Wall Street Radio. George Pierce and his lovely wife Cindy are very excited and happy for their son Allen Pierce ’07 who is engaged to Juliana Lynch, his college sweetheart. The wedding is planned for next May in Atlanta. This July it is five years since George was seriously injured in a fall. Cindy reports that George continues to hold steady and keeps a positive attitude. Our class thespian Rudy Cravens is again on the move. He is heading back to Prague in the fall to do Henry V, Troilus and Cressida and The Tro-
jan Women at the National Theater where Mozart conducted his operas. Tommy O’Dowd has a lot of news to share about his family. His oldest, Katherine Elizabeth, (Katie, about to turn 25) married Saturday, May 18th in the Mormon Temple in Oakland, CA. His second daughter, Stephanie Patricia (22), graduated from San Jose State in January and is studying for the LSAT. She hasn’t decided on a Law School yet but UT is in the mix. Tommy’s son Connor, who almost went to UT, decided on U of CA Santa Barbara. Tommy writes, “At the last minute he decided he’d rather have a surf board in his room than an air conditioner. He lives about 100 yards from the beach and, believe it or not, is over 6’2”, blond and makes straight A’s. And yes, he’s a surfer. He’s off to the U of Copenhagen in August, and will graduate from UCSB next June then medical school. His majors are Pre-Med and Religious Studies.” Tommy’s wife Vivian retired from her Judgeship and has a private law practice in Palo Alto. Tommy is still in Real Estate Investments and is also developing new houses in Menlo Park, CA. With Law and Medical School for his kids on the horizon, Tommy says that retirement is only a distant dream. He has also extended a California invite, “If any of y’all are visiting the SF Bay area, I’d love to have you for dinner and catch up on the news from Texas.” Madeline Maxwell, Professor of Communication Studies at UT-Austin, is celebrating the establishment of an undergraduate program in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies. The first 18 students have enrolled. As part of the program she teaches a course that awards the students a Mediation Certificate. Madeline says, “As Director of the Project on Conflict Resolution, one of activities I love is the summer symposium for high school students. Participants work with our UT students, faculty and community leaders on ethics and conflict management skills along with creative activities like video and photo essays.” They have had kids come from as far away as Vietnam but have never had a Kinkaid student. She is heading to Colorado after the symposium to visit her brother’s family at 9,600 feet and chilly nights before coming back to start a new semester in Austin. Rick Horsey writes, “Last year just feels like one non-stop adventure.” His engineering business is growing at an incredible pace with new projects in the U.S. and around the world. Rick and his lovely wife Marleen welcomed a new granddaughter and are in the planning stage for
Kinkaid Alumni Event
SUMMER 2013
April 10th
Atlanta Area Alumni Party
Director of Advancement Tom Moore hosted a dinner for Atlanta area alumni on April 10 at Mi Cocina.
Ellen Wooten ‘05, Ian Hollander ‘05, Caroline Hemingway Harrell ‘02, Lauren Lestin ‘07, Jordan Walker ‘97, Lauren Robinson ‘06, Annie Weathers Long ‘02, Monique Topper Lung ‘80, Clay Schwartz ‘03
John Harrell, Caroline Hemingway Harrell ‘02, Monique Topper Lung ‘80
Clay Schwartz ‘03, Director of Advancement Tom Moore, Jordan Walker ‘97
Ian Hollander ‘05, Ellen Wooten ‘05, Annie Weathers Long ‘02, Lauren Lestin ‘07, Lauren Robinson ‘06
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