Roots
By David Hochschartner, Head of School and Camp
These days, juice and crackers on the Lake Hill are well behind us, chicken and potato harvest have come and gone, and Thanksgiving is on the near horizon. This important tradition brings our community together to share a homegrown meal. Turkey, potatoes, squash, green beans, onions, leeks, sausage, and more all have been grown and harvested on our own farm, cared for and cultivated in large part by children. Besides being a delicious feast, Thanksgiving dinner is also a celebration of longstanding beliefs and progressive roots. Every year at Thanksgiving, I address our guests in the Quonset. Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about promises. When a child arrives at North Country School or Camp Treetops, we make a commitment to that child and to his or her family. NCS founder Walter Clark got to the gist of it, when he wrote about life’s important matters: “It is most of all how you feel about yourself, your family, other people, other animals, your work, the place where you live, our planet, the stars, sky, and the universe.” Likewise, longtime Treetops Director Helen Haskell emphasized the sense of possibility in the simple offerings of nature: “farm animals to care for, sand and earth to dig in, trees to climb, grass to roll in, woods and fields to explore, flowers to pick or a garden to tend, wide stretches in which to play safely, a place to swim in the sun, to sleep out under the stars.” At NCS and Treetops, these ideas still guide our days.
Children engage directly with the world around them, indoors and out. Lessons are learned, hands-on. Personal choice and freedom are balanced with collaboration and responsibility. Farm-to-table living is practiced every day. The needs of the individual are acknowledged within those of the community. Taken together, the result is transformative. Over the past year, in preparation for North Country School’s NYSAIS reaccreditation, we have fostered a continuing dialogue around the meaning and purpose of progressive education. Despite varying interpretations, one thing is clear: NCS students learn by doing, whether designing geometric art in math class or rearticulating a skeleton from chicken bones or directing and filming a scene from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. In teaching children, we are not in the business of “filling a vessel” but of planting seeds that with proper cultivation will blossom into practical abilities, deep interests, and the mindset for life-long learning. So when I speak of promises, whether at Thanksgiving or at Treetops Visitors’ Day, I refer to the progressive vision first instilled by the Haskells and Clarks decades ago. With lasting resonance today, these roots and values provide the necessary foundation for a well-integrated life—where work and play, the arts and academics, the needs of the individual and of the community are blended in our every day activities and offer opportunities for further growth.
From the Editor Wendell Berry once wrote, “If you don’t know where you’re from, you’ll have a hard time saying where you’re going.” Now as seasons change, the brilliant light of summer has faded to the crisp bloom of autumn. Snow returns to the mountains. These natural rhythms arrive without comment or fanfare, and their passage invites a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
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Organic Roots Fall 2014
Gymkhana
By Karen Culpepper, Camp Treetops Director Gymkhana remains one of our most beloved traditions at Treetops. This summer I was reminded why. Riding bareback in a green taffeta dress, I found my heart pounding with exhilaration and fear. Playing “musical horses” to live music; carrying an egg on a spoon as I guided my horse through a series of obstacles; dismounting and searching for marshmallows hidden in a plate of flour, without using my hands—I enjoyed every minute. And while Gymkhana is all about whimsy and play, for an inexperienced rider it is also a serious challenge.
the care of animals comes first, even when a camper is tired or it’s pouring rain outside. Children who at first may be uncertain gain confidence and pride when they learn to pick hooves or lead a horse to pasture. And many campers end up developing a strong bond with “their” horse, as they learn what it takes to care for another living being.
Like so many of our campers, when I arrived at Treetops, I hadn’t had too much experience with horses. Although my riding skills may have improved a little, I’m still much more comfortable leading campers on a polar bear swim or hiking up Owl’s Head to forage for blueberries. But Gymkhana isn’t about showcasing the abilities of non-riding staff. It’s an opportunity for campers to use their riding skills to take part in exciting activities on horseback. The counselor ride, although entertaining and fun for all, shows campers that adults, too, may struggle when learning a new skill. Likewise, this reminds counselors what children new to riding may feel like each time they encounter a horse. The truth is it can be a little bit scary. And that’s exactly why Helen Haskell so strongly believed, as I do, that every camper should learn to ride and care for a horse. Overcoming fear and learning to handle these large animals, both on the ground and from their backs, gives children a tremendous sense of accomplishment. During barn chores children learn the responsibility of caring for an individual horse, morning and night. Campers complete their horse chores—grooming, feeding, watering— before their own breakfast or dinner, emphasizing that
From the beginning, the goal of the Treetops riding program has been to create safe and effective riders who can enjoy trail rides or performing in drill teams. In individualized lessons in the riding rings, campers learn basic skills, from mounting and dismounting to becoming comfortable on a thousand-pound animal. When campers are ready, they progress to trotting, cantering, and even jumping. They may go on to dinner trail rides and overnight trips to explore the property on horseback. This past summer, our riding instructors worked together to cultivate a positive and dynamic environment for children and horses alike. Head riding counselors Adam Rose and Ash Elliott encouraged a spirited sense of adventure at the barn, in the ring, and on the trail. Campers sang during barn chores and learned to support one another at lessons and on overnight trips. Experienced riders in Senior Camp helped teach lessons to Junior campers, fostering their leadership skills while deepening our sense of community. And under the gentle guidance of our riding counselors, children who arrived fearful or apprehensive of horses left with a newfound resilience and appreciation for the animals. Soon the pasture will be snow-covered. And before we know it, a new group of campers will step foot into the barn, where they too will discover the challenge and joy of riding for the first time. I certainly can relate.
In this issue, readers will travel to the Crag for a look at the evolution of climbing programs. The legacy of Richard Rockefeller lives on through Hock’s tribute to a dear friend. This issue also follows the journey of CTT alum Hilary Wilkinson from a young Treetops camper to inspired environmental advocate. We also celebrate you with the Annual Report for 2013-2014. Stay in touch.
Emilie Allen
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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New and Returning Faculty and Staff, 2014-15
Stephanie Durell
Emily Eisman
Peter Fish
Brandy Hobson
Jessica Jeffrey
Stephanie Durell Farm Intern Originally from Plympton, MA, Stephanie is a 2014 graduate of Williams College, where she earned her BA in biology and participated in the outing club. She has worked on a nearby farm after high school and has woofed on an organic berry farm and a micro dairy. Steph enjoys running, cooking, hiking, reading, and biking, as well as sewing, crocheting, and knitting. Emily Eisman Advancement Associate for Philanthropic Giving A native of Lodi in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Emily worked for the past 10 years in development and communications for the Finger Lakes Land Trust, a non-profit land conservation organization based in Ithaca. She earned her BS at Cornell University in plant science, which has a broader range of applications than one might think. Emily now lives in Keene, where she spends time cooking, hiking, exploring, gardening, and meeting new and interesting people. Peter Fish Level V English Teacher Peter graduated from Denison University in 1981 with a degree in English and has been passionately engaged in teaching ever since. He has taught English and history, most recently at National Sports Academy in Lake Placid. Outside of school, Peter enjoys house construction, reading, cross country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and spending time with his family. He lives in Lake Placid with his wife Diane. Brandy Hobson Assistant Business Manager A longtime Adirondack resident, Brandy returns
to NCS and Treetops this fall with 10 years experience in finance and business administration. Most recently she worked remotely for CRC Health based in Utah and for the local Adirondack Leadership Expeditions. Brandy lives in Saranac Lake with her husband Aaron, a photographer and graphic designer whose credits include Organic Roots, and their son Hugo; her older son Griffeon lives and works in Burlington, VT. She enjoys hiking, puzzles, spreadsheets, spending time with family and friends, and giving drumming lessons to NCS students. Jessica Jeffrey Weekend School Nurse Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Jessica has lived in the Adirondacks for 10 years. Previously she worked as a backcountry caretaker for New York State, as well as a ski patroller at Whiteface Mountain. An RN, Jessica earned her nursing degree at North Country Community College. She loves spending time with her husband and two-year-old son Wyatt, as well as skiing, surfing, and anything woods related. Becca Miller Program Support Becca and her husband Elie Rabinowitz came to NCS from Cape Cod, where she ran a CSA at an organic farm for three years. The two also helped start a community garden at St. Gregory School in Tucson, AZ, and have co-led student travel expeditions, including a camping and canoeing trip in the Florida National Parks. Becca has a BS in media communications from Syracuse University and an MA in higher education from the University of Arizona, where she worked in residential life and admissions for six years. Becca is passionate about growing and cooking food,
Trustee Transitions Becca Miller
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The Board is pleased to welcome new trustee Nick Hewitt (CTT 64, NCS 70), president of Professional Trucking Services, Inc., a small trucking company in Oregon, with perhaps the most environmentally conscious practices in the country. He attributes to NCS and CTT his work ethic, environmentalism,
Organic Roots Fall 2014
and treating every person with respect, values that permeate the culture of his company. Despite living in Oregon, Nick has been to 25 Friends’ Weekends in the past 35 years. He reports that it “re-charges me, renews my faith.”
New and Returning Faculty and Staff, 2014-15 travel, and the outdoors, and has a life goal of visiting all of the U.S. National Parks. Lisa Muñoz Level IV English Teacher Lisa is excited to return to NCS, where she has lived twice before: first as a student who graduated in 1991 and later as an eighth-grade history teacher from 2003-06. For the past seven years she taught ESL in the New York City public schools. Lisa holds a BA from the University of Vermont, a JD from New York Law School, and an MS in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) from Lehman College in New York. She enjoys exploring and spending time outdoors with her son (and future NCSer) Liam. Bart Patnode Maintenance Bart is a native of Lake Placid, where he still resides, as well as a graduate of Lake Placid High School. He studied art at SUNY Plattsburgh and previously worked as a caretaker for Adirondack great camps. He enjoys sailing, canoeing, furniture making, drawing, and playing piano, guitar, and harmonica. Shannon Portal School Nurse Shannon is pleased to return to NCS and Treetops, where she first worked as a Camp counselor and farm intern nearly 15 years ago. An RN with degrees in nursing and wilderness recreation leadership from North Country Community College, Shannon also holds a bachelor’s in child family services from SUNY Plattsburgh and studied herbal medicine and Chinese energetics at Naropa University. Shannon previously served as nursing director at a school for teens with mental health issues. Prior to that she was director of a youth center in Lake Placid and licensed wilderness guide for 10 years, during which time she co-taught 30-day backpacking and canoeing leadership courses for Paul Smith’s College. She enjoys school nursing for the opportunity to promote wellness by attending to the mind-body connection.
Elie Rabinowitz Spanish & ESL Teacher Elie graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a BA in psychology and in Spanish language, literature, and culture; he has taught Spanish and ESL for grades 6-12 in Arizona and Massachusetts. In 2011 he earned an MA in education from the University of Arizona. He has coached middle and high school sports (baseball, softball, and cross-country) and co-led international and domestic trips for students. He is joined at NCS by his wife Becca Miller and their two dogs Bean and Otter. Elie loves playing outside, whether hiking, biking, backpacking, or trail running, and is also passionate about all things food: growing, preparing, and eating. Fritz Sabbow Business Manager/CFO A Keene Valley resident for many years, Fritz previously served as controller for 13 years at an injection molding manufacturer in Plattsburgh. Prior to that he worked at the American Management Association in Saranac Lake and for Camp Dudley in Westport; he has additional experience in bank financial controls in New Hampshire and Maine. Fritz holds a BS from the University of Maine in recreation management and has served as treasurer for local not-for-profits including the North Country SPCA, the Keene Valley Congregational Church, and East Branch Friends of the Arts. He lives with his partner Rob Hastings in Keene Valley at Rivermede Farm, an organic small-scale farm much like ours. Corbett Wicks Level II Teacher Born and raised in Charlottesville, VA, Corbett is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BS in environmental science and biology. Since graduating, she has spent time researching avian ecology, teaching in Boston, and leading experiential farm education programs. Corbett spends her summers guiding backpacking trips through the southern Appalachians. She enjoys writing, backpacking, and long-distance running.
Lisa Muñoz
Bart Patnode
Shannon Portal
Elie Rabinowitz
Fritz Sabbow
Corbett Wicks
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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GRADUATION
2014
On Saturday, May 31, with white crab apple trees in full bloom, 18 members of the class of 2014 joined the alumni ranks of North Country School. Weekend festivities began Thursday and Friday with exciting routines by the drill teams, a musical recital, and rousing performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For the Graduation ceremony, Hock welcomed family and friends before introducing investment advisor and horse racing entrepreneur, George Bolton (NCS 77), who spoke passionately of the transformative quality of an NCS education. Jamieson-Roseliep Work Award winners Mary Reid, Gideon Peres Rothberg, and Emanuel Flores Garcia received a well-earned ovation from fellow students, teachers, family, and friends. The academic success of 2014 NCS graduates is reflected
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Organic Roots Fall 2014
in their acceptances to a range of well-rounded secondary institutions (see list, facing page). Their impressive artistic merits were evident in the drama production, a showcase for collaborative talent in acting, music, and visual art. Equally noteworthy are the vigor and enthusiasm many displayed in the outdoors program; several were among this year’s “Dirty Dozen,” the School’s top hikers. Not least, this year’s seniors exemplify North Country School’s long-standing belief in the importance of ruggedness, resourcefulness, and resilience. Their capacity to handle adversity in the coming years will be well served by these values, helping them to overcome the inevitable challenges and celebrate the triumphs that await them.
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Emma Brown Dublin School Sophia (Sophie) Byrne Stoneleigh Burnham Clare Cassidy-Gardner Brewster Academy Anabell Corwin Gould Academy Nellie Engle Urban Academy
Mercy (Deborah) Hammond The Grier School Chaeyoon (Ashley) Jhang Milton Academy Yizhan (Jerry) Li St. Thomas More School Trillium Macario Ausable Valley Central School David Ortiz Ayala Holderness School Patrick Quinn Kimball Union Academy Mary Reid Saranac Lake Central School Gideon Peres Rothberg Holderness School Joseph Stearns Squaw Valley Academy Tys Sweeney Blair Academy Serena Williams Unity Center for Urban Technologies Nailing (Linda) Yang The Grier School Yijin (Brandy) Zhang Blair Academy
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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Tribute to a Friend
By David Hochschartner
Richard Gilder Rockefeller • January 20, 1949 – June 13, 2014
With the death of Richard Rockefeller in June, the world lost a great philanthropist, and North Country School and Camp Treetops lost a dear friend. In late September, Don Rand [longtime music teacher], Dennis Aftergut [Board Chair], and I attended the memorial service for Richard in New York City. One leading authority after another paid well-deserved tribute to Richard’s impressive accomplishments as a physician, humanitarian, environmentalist, education advocate [see In Memoriam, page 23, for more details]. It seems fitting here to recall Richard’s many acts of kindness on behalf of North Country School and Camp Treetops, the gifts of time and attention that mean so much to a small institution like ours. Richard’s affection for this place dates to his childhood. He spent the summers of 1958 and 1959 at Camp Treetops before attending North Country School from 1960 to 1963. His service to NCS and Treetops continued from 1973 to 1976 with his tenure as trustee, and he has been a steadfast and generous benefactor for decades. In recent years, though, his commitment grew even deeper, with increased personal involvement in the life of Camp and School. Last October, Richard sat alongside Bill McKibben and Tom Steyer as a panelist on the climate change symposium presented by NCS and Treetops in New York City. In an evening filled with memorable lines and insightful observations, several people commented to me afterwards that Richard’s remarks on the effects of large-scale population trauma had been of most interest. What I remember best? Richard speaking as he has on other occasions, choking up with obvious emotion, about the enduring impact on his 14-year-old psyche of watching the sun set behind Round Lake. Later, during half a dozen events where we showed a condensed video of this panel discussion, I watched as alumni all across the country were similarly moved by Richard’s words. In spring of 2011, Richard came to campus to give the address at NCS Graduation. Again he was lavish in his praise of School and Camp, eloquent in his affection. He shared fond memories, continued on page 21 photos: Checking out progress during construction of Clark House, spring 2010; as a Treetops camper with tentmate Charles Bookman (CTT 56-61, CTT 86-92) in 1959
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Organic Roots Fall 2014
International Summer School at NCS By Matthew Beckwith Laube, NCS Math Teacher and ISS Director
Sixty thousand miles. That’s how far nine students from China, Japan, and South Korea collectively traveled, through 13 time zones, to arrive in Lake Placid in late July as the inaugural class of the North Country School International Summer School (ISS). Created by NCS Admissions Director David Damico, ISS is a three-week English language and American culture immersion program for students aged 10 -14. Rigorous academic classes in the morning (provided by expert ESL teachers Reid Jewett Smith from Stratton Mountain School and Lisa Troshinsky from the Knox School), exciting trips in the afternoons (overseen by yours truly), healthy meals made with fresh ingredients from our farm (served up by longtime NCS stalwarts Christine LeFevre and Karen Dunmire), plus all the little connections of family style living in Algonquin House (supervised by NCS houseparent and teacher Johanna Messer): This was the daily ISS routine, one that fostered connections among students and with their teachers, as together they experienced new things. Students gained language skills through classroom projects like reading and analyzing Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, writing poetry and persuasive arguments, debating climate change, creating maps, developing written instructions for assembling a tent, and more. On our afternoon field trips ISS students learned that knowledge comes not only from books but from experiences they share with others. We visited Whiteface Mountain and other Olympic venues, the Lake Placid Public Library, and Wilmington’s animal refuge center. At the Keene Valley farmers’ market, Andy struck up a conversation while purchasing honey and learned why there can only be one queen in the hive. We took the ferry across Lake Champlain to visit the Shelburne Museum, where students enjoyed the exhibits of colonial art, history,
and culture. Under the guidance of art teacher Noni Eldridge and her twin Katie Weaver, everyone learned to knit using wool from our sheep. Like their NCS and Treetops counterparts, ISS students connected with nature on a daily basis. Our changeable Adirondack weather provided their first experience with hail as they snapped green beans from the garden. Students enjoyed many hikes throughout the area, and at the campus Crag, NCS faculty member Mickey Hardt helped them explore the challenges of rock climbing. The program was a smashing success. Despite their diverse backgrounds, students quickly jelled into a cohesive and mutually supportive group, and they all took full advantage of the varied opportunities for learning. One student so enjoyed his ISS experience that he is now a Level III student at North Country School. For me, a true gauge of the program’s success took place during an unforgettable moment on one of our last days. Having climbed to the top of Whiteface, I took a seat in a small granite cave and heard something that caught me off guard. A group of students was discussing why their nations— China, Japan, and Korea—historically had not gotten along. Each explained what they had learned about the other countries and how what they were taught back home did not always make sense. The positive, balanced, and worldly conversation gave me hope that while sitting on the side of a mountain in New York, students from different nations can not only be children, free from the negatives of the world, but global citizens who practice mutual respect and empathy. As we drove back from the mountain the car was quiet, an uncommon occurrence for this energetic group. Turning around in my seat I saw a few of the students who earlier had discussed the relationships of their countries. Rather than sharing informed conversation, they now connected in another way—borrowing a shoulder for a quick nap. Photo: A visit to the Wild Center
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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As Long as There are Mountains Rock Climbing at Treetops by Emilie Allen
“We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us.”
Written by naturalist John Muir, these words evoke a deep visceral connection between the mountains and our human selves. For nearly 100 years, Treetops has fostered this bond in many ways. It begins simply—a gentle rising and falling of light over Cascade Mountain. Over time we come and go, but the mountains remain. And still they beckon to be climbed. Rock climbing at Treetops comes from humble beginnings, with Harry Eldridge as perhaps the first. In Barbara Morgan’s Summer’s Children, she captures him as a child rappelling off the large, iconic boulder known as Garden Rock. Years later, Harry would belay campers from that same boulder, which still greets us at the turn in the main drive. Following in Harry’s footsteps was Bill Localio. Even as a kid growing up on Park Avenue in New York City, Bill longed to climb mountains. He landed at Treetops at age nine and
Bill’s Bozos
by Bill Localio, CTT 55-59, staff 64-14 (various), parent 94-98, Trustee 85-91 Many years ago, two bozos decided to climb the Cascade cliff. They had no climbing experience at all. About one-third of the way up they get to a pretty good sized sloping shelf and cannot continue. One is too afraid to go down. The other somehow gets down, drives to Lamb Lumber in Lake Placid, and asks for a couple of hundred feet of clothesline.
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has returned year after year, including this summer past. Like Harry, Bill developed a passion for rock climbing that eventually became a focused Camp activity. In March of 1972, at 26, Bill was returning home from Germany, where he’d been stationed in the Army. His proximity to the Swiss Alps had made possible a two-week climbing course that gained him invaluable experience in some of the world’s most magnificent peaks. Soon “obsessed with climbing,” he returned to Treetops that summer with a request for Camp Director Colin Tait: to teach kids what he had learned in the Alps. By Friends’ Weekend in 1973 and 1974, Bill was offering climbing activities for friends of all ages. Amy Cohen, a parent of several Treetops campers, joined a day trip to Mt. Jo. Bill set up the ropes and began belaying folks up short
“What’s this for?” queries the clerk. “Oh, I’ve got to rescue my friend stuck on the Cascade cliff.” The clerk says, “Wait a minute,” and calls Harry [Eldridge] who comes over to Camp and rounds me up, knowing I have gear and a rope. With Harry directing the way, we start up moving to the left of the shelf. I’m leading so if I fall Harry can catch me. We get to a spot parallel to the shelf, about 60 feet to the left, and Harry sends me over, with strict instructions about what to do when I reach the guy. What I distinctly
Formalized activities gained momentum with Trevor Tait’s introductory courses, “Rocks I” and “Rock II.” At the same time, the development of TTW and TTX, intensive summer climbing trips led by Hock, Bill, Roger Loud, Ben and Susie Runyon, and others, took kids as far as the mountains of Washington State, the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, the French Alps, and Peru, where they greatly advanced their technical abilities. Dozens of campers have discovered a life-long passion for climbing at Treetops. From Will and John Whitney to Alex Tait, Eli Kramer to Nolan Dumont, the evolution of rock climbing at Treetops has been a collaborative effort involving a tremendous amount of work by many, including North Country School faculty Dave Steckler, Larry Robjent, and Hock, among others (see “The Story of the Crag,” next page). Now rock climbing trips are a regular feature of life at Treetops, in both Junior and Senior Camps. On campus climbing typically takes place at the inside climbing wall, the chimney of Clark House (which had a climbing route built into the stone), or the Crag. Off campus excursions—including overnights that may also offer some canoeing—frequent such places as Owl’s Head, Chapel Pond, Barkeater’s Cliff, Lake Lila, Hitchin’s Pond, and more.
climbs. Immediately, he recognized Amy’s talent. “She had good instincts,” Bill recalls, and the next summer at Friends’ Weekend, she insisted that Bill take her on a real adventure. They went to Chapel Pond and climbed Bob’s Knob—and she was hooked. Soon after, Amy generously donated funds to purchase professional climbing gear, a big step forward given that until then Bill had been using his own gear for Camp climbing trips. An equally significant advance came several years later when Amy donated the indoor climbing wall for Junior Camp and the NCS Main Building. Ever since, climbers at Camp and School have been able to develop confidence and basic skills indoors, in all seasons and weather, in a low-stakes environment before heading out for more challenging trips. The 1980s also saw huge growth for Treetops climbing.
remember is Harry telling me that sometimes people in this situation will panic and just grab onto you. “The absolute first thing you must do is put in protection for yourself. Only then should you tie him off.” This rattles me a bit, but I follow his directions. It takes me forever to assemble the rope so we’re both safe and I can belay him back across to Harry. Fortunately, the guy remains calm the whole time, does the traverse smoothly, and gets to Harry. I come across, and Harry has us both rappel the steep gully we came up. It’s the old fashioned way, just
Since 2012, Nolan Dumont has been the head of rock climbing at Treetops. He began as an inexperienced but curious kid who simply wanted to know: How do I get from down here all the way up there? Can I really do this? Over two memorable summers as a camper, Nolan gained basic climbing skills, but more importantly, a sense of confidence in his abilities. He pursued his passion beyond Treetops in a climbing club during high school, and eventually, at National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), which gave him the skills to direct the climbing program at Camp. Nolan’s approach to teaching climbing encompasses three stages. The first is learning the basic essentials of how to climb safely, which occurs in “Rocks I” and “Rocks II.” The second, most important stage is teaching children that climbing is fun. “I want them to try it in as stress-free an environment continued on page 21
wrapping the rope around your body. It’s easy and real safe. We all get down and off we go. What struck me was how calm Harry remained throughout. Confident, utterly knowledgeable, clearly in charge. I could do the climb, but that was only about 20 percent of what you needed to know to pull this thing off. Harry knew it all.
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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CRAG The Story of the
By Emilie Allen
It was early winter, nearly 13 years ago, when NCS math and science teacher Dave Steckler set out telemark skiing across the steep northeastern boundaries of campus. Dave had begun his tenure at NCS that autumn and soon developed a habit of wandering the alpine trails that wind through the property. On that particular day, Dave was skiing across what appeared to be a small ordinary ridge, when he found something arresting: the rock face below—partly covered in mossy lichen and snow, camouflaged by the harsh terrain—had an impressive rugged vertical with serious climbing potential.
At the time, science and theatre tech teacher Larry Robjent was also relatively new to NCS. An experienced climber, Larry, like Dave, enjoyed exploring the far reaches of the property and thus was skeptical about the existence of the newly discovered crag. It seemed impossible that such a gem could remain hidden for so many years on such welltraveled land.
skepticism about the large rock face.
Hock also had recently returned to campus as Head of School and Camp. One of the first climbers in the world to attempt an ascent of Denali, Hock was (and is) deeply passionate about rock climbing—and he shared Larry’s
At first, the Crag’s full potential wasn’t immediately visible. The rock was overgrown with moss and debris, but Dave and Larry were eager to explore its routes. One morning, Hock left antiquated climbing gear in the pair’s
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Both were thrilled to be proved wrong. Camp and School didn’t own the property at the time, but as luck would have it, soon after in 2002, the neighboring owners contacted the institution about selling the property. The land was purchased along with the coveted rock face.
Organic Roots Fall 2014
ramp lockers, a sign the two young teachers took as permission to climb the Crag for the first time. Aptly named “Hock’s Blessing,” that maiden climb remains a popular route to this day. Over the next five years, Dave, Larry, and others spent a tremendous amount of time and energy to create the 30some routes today’s climbers enjoy. They cleaned and manicured the face, clearing it of moss, loose rock, and other debris, and bolted the rock for climbing. In 2010, they supervised Level V students, who dedicated weekends and out-times to clearing and prepping the land for the construction of a cabin.
‘Get Some’
By Anabell Corwin, CTT 07 , NCS 14 One day at the Crag, Larry wanted me to challenge myself and try something hard. I looked up and said, “How about this one?” “It’s called ‘Get Some.’ You can try.” He didn’t sound very confident that I would even be able to get up the first half. But that was his way of encouraging me. Larry never stopped me from challenging myself. I showed him wrong and got up the bottom half almost like I had done it a hundred times before. But then I was stuck. I thought to myself: There is no way I can do this. Of course, I didn’t show that on the outside. So I went for it. I shoved my hand in a crack and tried to pull myself up and grab for the next thing. I fell. After that, I tried again and again. For two days, I tried my hardest. I was determined. I even went back about a month later for about an hour, but I just kept falling. One day this summer, I decided to try again. I hadn’t been back to that one climb since September 2013, almost a year before. I walked up the ski hill telling myself that today I was going to do it. But once I got to the Crag, I was not very motivated to do anything. I was tired from climbing around the ADKs all week.
Larry and Dave produced all of the timber framing, and the following year, the class of 2011 devoted many hours to building what’s now known as the Crag cabin. Recently young teachers and staff like Carly Dominick-Sobol, Mickey Hardt, Matt Mitchell, Carter Rowley, and Emily Virzi have taken the reins as well, helping to guide the next generation of NCS climbers. Since its discovery, the Crag has provided students and campers with unique access to beginner, intermediate, and advanced climbing routes. “It’s a tremendous gift to have a crag that is so varied in style and difficulty,” Larry
says. “It allows students and campers to be introduced to climbing while also pursuing greater heights, as they gain an ever rising feeling of accomplishment.” In many ways, the story of the Crag represents shared ideals of School and Camp—a sense of adventure, love of the wilderness, and the resilience to overcome obstacles. As Dave notes: “Campers and students who climb the Crag are also striving to overcome their fears, working together to solve problems and face challenges while embracing the natural beauty of the 200 acres we call home.”
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
At some point I realized that this would be my last chance to climb with NCS staff for a long time. I got up, put on my harness, and tied in. I felt good. I started climbing. Once again, I did the bottom half with no problem. Then I got to the part where I had struggled so many times before. I fell again. I asked to be lowered down and started over. I repeated these steps for a while before taking a break. Once more, I tied in. I climbed the bottom half again, and fell. I was lowered. I started going up. When I came to where I always fell, I started shaking. But this time it was different. I felt good about my hand placement. With my hand in the crack, I pulled myself up and made it to the top! I was so relieved and excited. It was a dream come true. I had got some.
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Friends’ Weekend 2014
Friends’ Weekend 2014 was a tremendous success, with more than 230 community members in attendance from August 20-24.
The weather was picture perfect for plenty of hiking, gardening, riding, canoeing, swimming, singing, and crafting. Throw in the traditional bonfire, cookout, and square dance, and Friends’ 2014 was its usual wonderful time for celebrating together shared values of School and Camp.
photos clockwise from top left: Jill Werfel, Rica (Bauxbaum) Allannic; Stan Smith, Linda Bernays; Stanley Isaacs on horseback; Sue and Bob Console, Bill Savage, Betty Eldridge and Eric Fetz; Elizabeth Harlan and the Benner family carry a beam for the new garden shed
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Organic Roots Fall 2014
Highlights included a festive celebration of the Treetops Senior Camp Main House renovation and addition, the raising of a timber frame garden shed, and installation of 10 aeroponic grow towers donated by Tracey Westbrook and her father David Stein (NCS 52) in memory of Allison Stein Robbins
(NCS 74), on the occasion of her 40th reunion. Mark your calendars now and join us for spring skiing at Friends’ Weekend at Alta Lodge in Utah from April 15-19, 2015 and for Friends’ Weekend here on campus from August 19-23, 2015.
photos clockwise from top left: CTT group from the 1980s; Chuck Schwerin gets ready to kayak; Victoria Alekhine, Josh Harlan, Danika Moses and family, Benji Smith and son Charlie on Cascade; Matt Salinger, John and Karen Culpepper, Hock, Brian Eng, Nick Hewitt at the celebration for the CTT Main House addition
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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Friends’ Weekend
continued
Our Home in the Mountains Text and photos by Gioia Kuss, NCS 74, CTT parent 10-14 Clear blue skies graced the days for Friends’ 2014. A gentle rain one night left foggy dense clouds that slowly lifted through the morning to reveal the still miraculous vistas surrounding campus. It felt like going home. I have ties to both North Country School and Camp Treetops—my daughter just finished her fifth season at Camp, and I returned to celebrate a 40th reunion from School. Five classmates assembled from the NCS class of ’74. We shared memories, emotions, regrets, and triumphs from those years together and were regaled with stories from former and future campers and students. In addition, I went trail riding, took an all day canoe trip, swam in Round Lake, set tables, watered horses, made a clay pot, and leaf printed on dishtowels. My daughter hiked Saddleback and Basin, and my husband helped construct a solar shed and hiked Balanced Rocks. Forty years is a long time, but by sharing a time and place the span was easily covered and embraced; reconnecting with my classmates and other NCS and Treetops enthusiasts was delightful. By the ramp lockers, we closed our eyes and agreed that if we were transported there from anywhere, we would know exactly where we were just from the smell. The feel of stairway slides, the sound of a meal bell or Roger Loud and Don Rand leading a square dance, the taste of food from produce picked that morning—the place is more vibrant and alive than the memory. Sights, sounds, and smells all engage the senses and bring back the emotional safety of the camp and school nestled in its Adirondack dale. One evening at bedtime, my daughter told me that even though she loves our home in Vermont, Camp is home, too. Seedlings take root in rocky Adirondack topsoil and develop surely; they learn how to work around stones, gain strength from harsh elements, and enjoy time in the sun. Home is where the heart is, and I learned again that I am not alone in experiencing home during Friends’. page 15
Organic Roots Fall 2014
From the Advancement Office
Thousand Friends by Friends’ The response to the Thousand Friends by Friends’ Challenge for the Annual Fund was astounding. Three generous trustees issued a challenge—if we grew our giving community to 1,000 donors and achieved $1.1 million for the Annual Fund by Friends’ Weekend, we would receive a combined gift of $125,000.
DONORS (2012-2013)
832 1,102
(2013-2014)
DOLLARS (2012-2013) (2013-2014)
1,010,000 1,233,000
We met and exceeded the goals of the Challenge: 1,102 donors contributed more than $1,233,000. This is a remarkable accomplishment, and we are grateful to everyone who helped by giving more than ever before or by making calls, sending emails, and writing notes. The generosity inspired by this Challenge made the implausible possible. Thank you a thousand times over!
sustain. transform. flourish. Thank you to the 2,580 community members who have given nearly $17 million towards our goal of 2,800 donors giving $25 million. Campaign accomplishments • Annual Fund now over $1.2 million • A total of $6.5 million in Capital Funds • Growth of the Endowment Fund from $7.7 million to $10.6 million. See the second page of the Annual Report for more details and updates on this historic campaign. If you have questions or for more information, please contact Kurt Terrell, Director of Advancement, at kterrell@ncstreetops.org or 518-837-5446.
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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Alumni Spotlight: Hilary Culverwell Wilkinson CTT 79-80, staff 89-92, 98, NCS staff 90-91 Footprints: From Adirondack Wilderness to the Pacific Northwest (And Back) By Emilie Allen
Far above the Lake Hill, northern lights illuminated the August sky. With Treetops campers packed up and gone home, counselors had gathered on the Lake Hill to celebrate summer’s end. Somebody’s cassette tape crooned from a boom box. It was the early ’90s, and the sky’s ethereal colors presented “a dumbfounding, life changing moment,” Hilary recalls. “Looking up and seeing natural forces that I didn’t understand, playing out before me in such a massive and beautiful way, shared with a group of amazing friends—I’ll never forget it.” Her time as a Treetops counselor was a formative one for Hilary. Still in her 20s, she was finding her way in the world, figuring out who she was, who she wanted to be, and where she wanted to go. “I fell in love with hiking, camping, and canoeing all over again as a counselor,” explains the former Treetops camper, “but I had more education, experience, and maturity to understand what was happening in the bigger world in terms of environmental destruction.” She credits this time at Camp as having the greatest influence over her adult life, inspiring her burgeoning career in environmental restoration and protection, which eventually blossomed into running a successful consulting company, Veda Environmental. Those years were also “the best five summers of my life,” Hilary says with certainty. “Being a counselor at Treetops left a big footprint in my heart.” It all started much earlier. The third of four siblings, Hilary spent her childhood in Virginia, Texas, and in Seattle, where she attempted to flatten her slight southern drawl by imitating radio hosts on NPR. But wherever the family lived, Hilary heard stories about Camp and School. In the 1940s, Hilary’s mother (Sally Powell Culverwell) and her mother’s twin (Susan Powell) sister went first to Camp Treetops and then to North Country School as their parents sorted through a difficult divorce. The girls grew tremendously close to Walter and Leo Clark, whom they came to regard as parents, lifelong mentors, and friends.
photos top to bottom: Hilary backpacking on Cascade; with husband Scott and daughter Hannah
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Hilary remembers a favorite Walter story that her mother loved to tell. By the 1950s, aerial chemical spraying had become a common practice in the Adirondacks. A notorious pacifist, Walter nonetheless told officials from the State of New York that if they tried to drop any of their poison on North Country School and Camp Treetops, he personally would shoot their planes out of the sky. Walter’s vigilant dedication to the natural world made an early and important impression on Hilary.
And even before she enrolled as a camper, the view of Cascade Mountain towering over horses grazing in the pasture left its mark, when she and her parents dropped off and picked up older siblings Allan (CTT 78-80) and Wendy (CTT 77-79, TTN 80). At 11 years old, when it was finally her turn, Hilary discovered that experiencing Treetops on her own was even better than she had expected. She made instant and close connections with a tentmate and her counselor, though an allergy to horses meant the barn was out. Swimming, hiking, camping, and canoeing were in—and are passions that remain today. And although Hilary was never a particularly “arty” kid, she fondly recalls making a canoe paddle with Tom Clark. “I really struggled making it. I remember the patience Tom had helping me. It’s not very pretty or very good, but I have that paddle to this day, and it remains one of my most treasured possessions.” Hilary sought to re-create that same kind of experience as a young counselor at Treetops, where she learned how to “connect with a child in a meaningful way, how to help him or her make better choices and have successes.” It also led her to try her hand at teaching. She co-taught seventh-grade English with Kristin Adomeit at NCS and served as a support houseparent in Algonquin for a year. Later, while teaching high school civics, Hilary explored major policy issues around the environment, and in turn, recognized her true calling. “I realized that I wanted to spend my career protecting the natural world; that was where my passion was, and that came directly from Treetops.” She returned to graduate school at Indiana University, where she earned her master’s in environmental science and public policy. From there she began working on salmon recovery issues for King County, Washington. Later, she was hired by the state to help with large-scale ecosystem recovery efforts in Puget Sound. Today, she lives and works in Bellingham, Washington, where she runs Veda Environmental with her business partner, Sarah Brace. “We connect what’s going on in the science realm with people’s day to day actions, so environmental issues become meaningful.” Veda works primarily with environmental scientists, decision makers and the public, serving as facilitators and coordinators of longer-term protection and restoration efforts. Two major focus areas are oil spill prevention and response, and advancing green building practices, like green roofs and rain gardens. “It is a big, uphill battle,” Hilary says, “but we feel incredibly fortunate
that we are engaged in the fight.” As women business owners, Hilary and Sarah have benefited from living in a “progressive part of the country, with policies that encourage the hiring of women-owned firms.” But it has not been without challenges. Veda Environmental began three months before the economy collapsed. After a couple of rough years, “We’ve come back from the brink, and things are going well. We feel so lucky to be doing this work at this time in history in this part of the world. And there is no question that falling in love with the outdoors at Treetops is the reason behind what I’m doing today.” Hilary’s determination to facilitate positive change in the world has not been limited to the environment and public realm. Five months ago she and her husband Scott embraced ten-year-old Hannah as part of a foster-to-adopt program. Hilary describes it as an “eye-opening experience,” which has exposed her to “some of the greatest stuff I’ve ever experienced and some of the worst.” Hannah comes with some big issues and personal grief, but she has a lot of perseverance and survival skills. “I just admire her ability to continue through life despite what’s happened to her.” Hilary acknowledges the big changes in her life, but says, “It’s been really great to have a little being in the house. I’ve been a camp counselor, I’ve taught high school, but it’s such a different thing to have a young life in your hands for an unlimited amount of time.” Through it all, Treetops remains a presence. Hilary’s nephews are current campers, and through them she feels connected again to Camp. “I check the pictures online every week. And now we have this huge connection to them through Treetops. Reed in particular loves it. He has fallen in love with canoeing. It reminds me of myself as a kid. I counted down the days until the next year of Camp started.”
photo: Allan Culverwell (CTT 78-80, parent 12-14), Alison Rositzke (CTT parent 12-14), Sally Culverwell (CTT 45-47, NCS 51, NCS staff 60-61, CTT parent 77-80, grandparent 12-14), Lee Culverwell (CTT parent 12-14), Wendy Culverwell (CTT 77-79, TTN 80); Front row (kids) Reed Culverwell (CTT 2014); Will Rositzke (CTT 2014); Andy Culverwell (attending CTT 2015)
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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Farm & Garden
AeroPONICS By Katie Culpepper
Just over a year ago, we began an experiment with indoor growing. A modest aquaponic system, designed and built by students, enabled us to grow herbs for the kitchen throughout the winter. Small as it was, the additional growing space also gave students the chance to have a part in growing food when the gardens and greenhouses were shut down for the season. At the end of this summer, we had the opportunity to expand our indoor growing capacity, thanks to a generous donation. In memory of her sister Allison Stein Robbins (NCS 74), Tracey Westbrook donated ten aeroponic grow towers on behalf of her family and business, Atlantic Beach Urban Farms. She also worked closely with us and Future Growing, the tower manufacturer, to develop a plan to best meet our unique needs. Aeroponics, like aquaponics, is a soil-less growing system. Every 12 minutes, a nutrient-rich water is pumped from the base of the tower upward, trickling over the roots that stretch out into the tower’s hollow center. Each of our towers holds up to 36 plants. Campers started the first round of seeds during Farm Fest, Treetops’ end of summer harvest celebration. A week later during Friends’ Weekend, the towers were installed. Mustard greens, lettuces, tatsoi, zucchini, and mini cucumbers have taken off, and each tower is now covered in vibrant green
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Organic Roots Fall 2014
growth. Our first harvest yielded more than 20 pounds of lettuce and mixed greens. Throughout the school year, students will be in and out of this indoor growing space. Each morning, a small group feeds the fish (for aquaponics), records the air and water temperature, and makes observations. Edible Schoolyard classes will start seeds, test pH, harvest for the kitchen, and create dishes made together in class. Both aquaponics and aeroponics are finding their way into urban settings all over the globe. These systems are in no way meant to replace our more traditional growing methods, but we are committed to providing examples of a variety of growing techniques. Especially for students who live in cities, it is important to see farming methods relevant to their home environments. And having fresh herbs and greens in February is pretty nice, too.
Campus Greening & Renewal
LIVING ROOFS By Emilie Allen
This past August, I hitched a ride with John Culpepper on the back of our ATV Yamaha Grizzly 4x4. In his position as Director of Sustainability and Facilities, John initiates and oversees sustainable practices and clean energy initiatives across campus, from the use of an electric maintenance vehicle and photovoltaic electric production to composting, sustainable forestry, and high efficiency biomass heating systems. With the coming addition of a third living roof on the new garden shed, I jumped at his invitation to venture along the perimeter loop to the lake to check out the living roofs presently thriving there. After fetching a ladder from the boathouse, I was able to climb up to the roofs of both the life jacket shed and the Super Girl’s cabin (now appropriately called the Sod Pod) to get a closer look. Both structures were carefully designed and built to withstand more than 10,000 pounds of soil. Once the soil was laid on the roofs, Farm Educator Katie Culpepper worked with campers to place grass seed and cover it with hay. They also included seeds from native plants they had collected, like lupine, dandelion, mullein, and hawk weed, all of which adapt to harsh conditions. All together, an amazing 30 to 40 species of plants are making a home on our living roofs. There was something delightful about standing in a green patch of living earth, so far above the ground. Below me, campers were busy swimming, sailing, and playing on the sandy beach. Impressed by the growth beneath my feet, I called down to John to ask if he did any maintenance on the roof’s plant life. His reply: “No. In fact, other than planting the seeds, our living roofs have not been cultivated in any way.” For John, this is one of the most exciting aspects of the whole endeavor. He explained that plant succession—the process
whereby plants take over areas, only to die away and be outcompeted by other species—happens all around us, all the time. Take for example, he explained, the former pine forest. After three major windstorms toppled more than 600 trees, we cleared the area and planted 600 new trees and shrubs of about 10 different species. Some will survive, some won’t, but tens of thousands of other species of herbs, shrubs, and trees are fighting it out—succession. Back on the living roof on the life jacket shed, I spotted several crimson clovers. These plants, John told me, were not among the seeds placed by Katie and the children. How they got there, he wasn’t exactly sure. The living roofs are more than just aesthetically pleasing. Among the practical benefits is longevity: while a traditional roof has a lifespan of about 20 years, a living roof can last from 75 to 100 years, or even longer. Also, unlike other roofs, a sod roof absorbs rainwater to help reduce erosion. It also helps lower air temperatures, by offsetting the “heat island effect”—a phenomenon associated with conventional roofs whereby they heat up and radiate warmth back into the local environment. By next summer, visitors won’t need to trek across the Lake Hill to see a living roof. Just beyond the main drive by the garden rock, you’ll find our third living roof, installed on the new timber-framed garden shed raised during Friends’ Weekend. But don’t worry if the grass is dying up there. It may not be evident, but John assures us, “an epic battle for survival is taking place.” Although we play a part, allowing nature to unfold on its own is just another practice of greening and renewal at North Country School and Camp Treetops. For now, I look forward to hunting for crimson clover atop the garden shed roof next year.
camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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continued from page 7
Tribute to a Friend including his Lake Hill “epiphany,” as he called it that day, referring again to the sunset’s astonishing natural beauty and the expanding sense that he was part of it. What I also recall vividly? Richard’s evident pleasure in the excitement of our new graduates, his heart-felt optimism in the power of their futures. The year before that, Richard spent a day and a half on campus with us. On the night of his arrival, my wife Selden, Betty Eldridge, and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner out with Richard, who regaled us with stories of teachers like Ham Corwin from his time at NCS. The next day he toured the biomass facilities then being installed, chatted with students at meals, and spoke candidly at Town Meeting of his experiences with cancer, Buddhism, and other highly personal life events. He was equally delighted by a seventh grade poetry recital and by Larry Robjent’s stream morphology lab (also known fondly as “Stream of Consciousness”) that took eighth graders outdoors for study and connected to Hesse’s Siddhartha. What I will never forget? The sight of Richard coming down the slide outside the dining room, grinning as he no doubt had decades earlier. The first time I met Richard was in late 1999 or early 2000, when I traveled to Maine for a breakfast at his home. As a new (and much younger) Head of School, I was somewhat anxious about meeting someone of Richard’s standing. But he was then as he remained throughout the years: down to earth, easy to talk to, considerate, and kind. The last time I saw Richard was in New York for the October 2013 environmental panel. A few hours before the event Dennis Aftergut and I had a far-ranging conversation with him at his father’s house in Manhattan. Richard shared his hope (and anxiety) that he would be able to add value to the evening’s proceedings. Those who were there, or who have seen the video, know that it was an important evening for this institution—and one to which Richard’s contribution was huge. In the weeks preceding his death, Richard and I had several email exchanges trying to set up one of our periodic dinner meetings. He was keenly interested in the goings on at NCS—more than once he recalled his time at School as “transformative”—and had even shared that he might like to rejoin the Board of Trustees one day. The lost potential in Richard’s premature death is nearly impossible to discern, for us and for the world. And the loss of such a devoted friend is difficult to bear. But how fortunate we are for the time we had.
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continued from page 10
As Long as There are Mountains
as possible,” Nolan explains, “so they can learn to enjoy it as much as I do.” The third stage is preparing campers for climbing after they leave Camp. This originated with a mentorship program that used to be run with Supers but has evolved into part of the guide skills program for hikers and canoers. Nolan judges the program a success when climbers make it through the first stage of basic safety skills. “I do get very excited when a camper becomes really interested and wants to dedicate a lot of time to climbing,” he notes, “but I realize that different people have different interests. All I can do is give them the opportunity to try something new.” In that vein, this past summer Nolan launched the firstever guide skills program for rock climbing at Treetops. In addition to basic camping skills, like lighting a stove and setting up shelter, campers also learned the necessary skills to lead a climbing trip and set up top-rope anchors, including advanced knot-tying, how to rappel, coil a rope, build an anchor, and use artificial protection. In this inaugural summer, Hailey Aronson, a Super, completed the requirements to become a rock climbing guide. Then she and Nolan co-led a trip to the Beer Walls near Chapel Pond (a spectacular setting captured in this issue’s front cover photograph, in which camper Nathaniel Oakes is climbing a route called “Fast and Furious.”) Hailey did most of the work setting up the ropes for climbing, while Nolan made sure everything was done safely. “She did an amazing job,” Nolan recalls. “It was very cool for me to finally see the fruits of this evolving program, and to see how much Hailey had learned throughout her time at Camp.” Nolan plans on heading the Treetops’ rock climbing program in the summers to come. “I want to ensure that rock climbing remains an integral program that will be around for a very long time,” he says. For as long as there are mountains to climb.
Annual Report 2013-2014
www.nct.org
518.523.9329
page 2
Greetings from Lake Placid Dear Friends, We are pleased to share the Annual Report for September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014. As we close another fiscal year, we are humbled by the extraordinary generosity of this community. Thanks to you, we had an historic year—from holding our largest-ever, public event to setting an Annual Fund record and balancing our budget for the 12th consecutive year. In October, we hosted in New York City From Alarm to Action: What Works, a panel discussion on climate change and energy policy. We were fortunate to have Amy Davidsen of Climate Change, USA, moderating the discussion with world-renowned experts Bill McKibben, Tom Steyer, and the late Richard Rockefeller. Sarah Davidson skillfully hosted the thought-provoking question and answer session that followed. Thank you to the several hundred friends who attended. Also this year, you made our Annual Fund’s Thousand Friends by Friends’ Challenge a resounding success: more than 1,100 donors gave over $1.2 million to the Annual Fund, and we proudly received the $125,000 challenge grant from our Trustees. So, thank you. Thank you for continuing to enroll your children in Camp and School and for referring us to new families. Thank you for investing your time, energy, and knowledge as a staff or faculty member or a volunteer. And thank you for your ongoing philanthropic support; it truly makes a difference. The traditional way this report measures success—through numbers, figures, and lists— is only one part of the story. Our real successes lie in the transformative experiences that take place here every day. From pulling a carrot from the ground or summiting a 46er to being surrounded by housemates and family for the Thanksgiving feast or by best friends at the July 4 bonfire—our biggest achievements are immeasurable. And they happen because of you. Best regards, Dennis Aftergut David Hochschartner Board Chair Head of School and Camp
page I - Annual Report, September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014 page 1 Organic Roots Fall 2012
From Our Campaign Leadership Dear Friends, The Strong Roots, High Peaks Campaign continues to climb to new heights while also growing a strong base of support for Camp and School. We are delighted to report that at fiscal year-end on August 31, 2014, the Campaign had received commitments of $17 million from 2,580 donors towards our goal of $25 million from 2,800 donors by 2017. That’s impressive. Thank you to all for your unwavering and generous support. Campaign contributions support three essential areas: the Annual Fund, which provides everything from tuition assistance to faculty and support staff; the Capital Fund, which improves facilities and infrastructure (see list below); and the Endowment Fund, which strengthens our financial position for future campers and students. This past year, funds from the Strong Roots, High Peaks Campaign completed the expansion and renovation of the Treetops Main House. In the expanded space, campers were able to enjoy thoughtful, unhurried mealtime conversation—the way Helen Haskell had intended from the beginning. The next three years represent the final phase of the Campaign. During that time, efforts will be focused on sustaining and growing the Annual Fund as our critical base of support while also raising $4.5 million for work on the Main Building, Woods House, the hike house, and much more. Through the lens of this historic Campaign, we can see that providing more tuition assistance, upgraded and sustainable infrastructure, and better compensation for faculty and staff will ensure that Camp and School remain thriving for generations to come. Thank you for your generous support of School and Camp. We will continue to be good stewards of your philanthropic contributions. Sincerely,
Barkley Stuart Campaign Chair
Matt Salinger Development Committee Chair
D. Kurt Terrell Director of Advancement
Campaign Capital Accomplishments New Construction
Renovation
Infrastructure
Clark House student-staff residence
Treetops Senior Camp Main House addition and kitchen rebuild
Burial of overhead power lines and removal of utility poles
NCS Admissions Office in Glass House
Installation of seven biomass heating units
Flushing Meadows waste water treatment plant Major barnyard additions and improvements
New windows and heating units for the ramp and circle locker room
Two living roof structures for Treetops
Addition of a kitchenette in the Mountain House faculty apartment
Improvements to roadway, drainage, and bridges
Remodeling of the library into a media center with 40 new Chromebook laptop computers
Extension of trail system
Reproduction of Doug Haskell’s Hanging House Main Building parking lot and revitalized green space at the campus core Timber frame garden shed
Installation of three solar energy arrays
Upgrade to water distribution system Upgrades to Main Building electric Masonry work on chimneys, foundations, and walkways
518-523-9329 | camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org - page II www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 2
Annual Financial Summary Dear Friends, We are pleased to present highlights from our 2013-2014 finances. You will see that we ended the year with a slight operating surplus, our 12th consecutive year of a balanced budget. In 2013-14, we provided nearly $908,000 in financial assistance to students and campers. Our generous community of donors made this aid possible, as nearly 90 percent came from gifts made to the Annual Fund; the remaining 10 percent is from the endowment. We also are grateful that your support has allowed us to continue to upgrade our facilities while keeping sustainability and green infrastructure a priority. Endowment funds managed by TIFF (The Investment Fund for Foundations) stood at $10.68 million at fiscal year end on August 31, 2014. This year, $310,000 was distributed through the endowment for Camp and School programs. Under the tenure of Betsy Smith, longtime and well-loved Business Manager and CFO, this organization and the economy as a whole have seen periods of nail-biting downturns and unprecedented growth. Throughout it all Betsy remained responsible, calm, and efficient—and she will be missed. We look forward to carrying forward her legacy by sustaining these positive efforts so NCS and Treetops may continue to support the exceptional people and transformative programs that benefit so many. Sincerely,
Fritz Sabbow Hope Knight Business Manager & CFO Board Treasurer
Operating Fund Statement of Activities
Year Ended August 31, 2014 Expenditures Program Services $ 2,052,736.53 Physical Plant 1,642,715.69 Fundraising 628,896.00 General Administrative 1,773,334.00 Subtotal $ 6,097,682.22 Financial Aid 907,875.00 Total Expenditures $ 7,005,557.22
Revenues Tuition and Fees Distribution from Endowment Annual Fund Gifts (includes designated) Other revenues Total Revenues & Gifts Net Change in Operating Fund Summary of Gifts Received Annual Fund Gifts (includes designated) Endowment Gifts Restricted Gifts Total All Gifts Received
page III - Annual Report, September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014 page 1 Organic Roots Fall 2012
$5,480,806.00 310,000.00 1,232,988.74 37,165.28 $ 7,060,960.02 $55,402.80 $1,232,988.74 348,725.79 970,059.30 $2,551,773.83
Institutional Leadership Board of Trustees
Administration
Dennis Aftergut, Chair Barkley Stuart, Vice-Chair Hope Knight, Treasurer Sandy Gray Nowicki, Secretary
David Hochschartner Head of School and Camp Karen Culpepper Camp Treetops Director
Jenny Ewing Allen Karla Ayala Lisa Beck Barry Breeman Peter R. Brest J. Matthew Davidson Guillaume de Ramel Brian Eng Laura Thrower Harris Nick Hewitt Caroline Kenney Roger S. Loud Jennifer Maslow Bob Parker Marty Rosenberg Pamela Rosenthal Matt Salinger Hume Steyer Manny Weintraub Bethany Dickerson Wynder Jun Zhang
John Culpepper Director of Facilities and Sustainability David Damico Director of Admissions John Nicholson Director of Communications Nick Perry Assistant Head Fritz Sabbow Business Manager & CFO D. Kurt Terrell Director of Advancement Mike Tholen Farm Manager
Honorary Trustees Joan K. Davidson Colin C. Tait Richard E. Wilde Trustees Emeriti David T. Kenney Rose Kean Lansbury Sumner Parker
North Country School and Camp Treetops is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and is listed as a charitable and educational organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Service Code. Our federal tax ID number is 14-1430542.
518-523-9329 | camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org - page IV www.nct.org 518.523.9329 page 2
High Peaks Giving Levels
Thank you to our community of alumni, families, employees past and present, trustees, and friends. Your loyal support makes a tremendous difference to our campers and students. To celebrate those who have given for the first time, in 10 separate fiscal years, and 20 separate fiscal years, we have marked your loyalty as follows:
Key to Symbols l
First time donors
H 10-19 years giving u 20+ years giving
*
Deceased
Marcy (5,344 ft) $50,000 and up
Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Barry Breeman Elizabeth Prince de Ramel ’60 u Guillaume ’89 and Molly de Ramel H The de Ramel Foundation Feather Foundation, Inc. Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Fullwood Foundation, Inc. Edie and Jim Garrett u Reginald * and Arleen Gilliam u Mr. and Mrs. David T. Kenney u Sandy Gray Nowicki ’57 u Catherine Oppenheimer H Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Parker ’41 u
Algonquin (5,114 ft) $25,000-$49,999
Anonymous (2) Keith and Peggy Anderson Lisa Beck and Mitch Seider H Peter Brest u Matthew and Amy Davidson u
Althea L. Duersten Eng Family Charitable Trust l Brian Eng and Renee Bourgeois Elizabeth Eng and Benjamin Botts H Kenneth and June Eng H The Gruben Charitable Foundation The J. M. Kaplan Fund, Inc. u Rose K. Lansbury u William and Allison Mankivsky l Jennifer H. Maslow u Stefan Nowicki Diana Oehrli Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Dr. Richard Rockefeller ’63 * u The San Francisco Foundation Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor Barkley Stuart and Ann Glazer u
Caroline Kenney Lake Placid Education Foundation u Anna and Andrew Levine Michael E. and Carol S. Levine Foundation u Sara Levine Brian Orter and Michael DiMartino Pamela Rosenthal and Samuel Wertheimer Matt Salinger u Steven Saslow David and Linda Stein H Jan and Esther Stearns The Stearns Foundation Robin Thompson Tracey Westbrook l Dr. Jun Zhang and Ms. Bei Zhu l
Skylight (4,926 ft) Haystack (4,960 ft) $10,000-$24,999
Dennis Aftergut Jenny Ewing Allen H John Allen H The Baldwin Foundation Isabel Huffman Belden H Gerald and Elizabeth Cohen The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida l Chris Cooper u Brad and Lynne Davidson H Sarah H. Lambert Dolan ’86 H Reggie Govan H The Glazers Foundation Josh N. Grosse ’83 * H Paul and Eileen Growald ‘66 u Growald Family Fund Josh Harlan Laura and David T. Harris u Nick and Ruth Hewitt u
page V - Annual Report, September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014 page 1 Organic Roots Fall 2012
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous (4) Iona Costello l Ian Desai Rohit and Katharine Desai u Rohit and Katharine Desai Family Foundation Vanessa Desai Blake Dubin l Mr. Ke Feng and Ms. Lu Wang Susan Gardner and Martha Cassidy Jewish Communal Fund Jeffrey Jonathan u Hope Knight and Steven Umlauf Eric and Simone Lang H Monika and Steven Lang ’53 u Mimi Muray Levitt ’57 u Roger and Pat Loud u Lucretius Foundation, Inc. l Happy McInnes Ken Okin H Bob and Margaret Parker u
High Peaks Giving Levels Bill Savage H Christine Semenenko ’62 u Serge Semenenko Family Foundation H Shames Family Foundation Allyson Shames and Curtis Argo H Mr. and Mrs. Ervin R. Shames u The Shelby Family Hume R. Steyer The Stuart Four-Square Fund Manny Weintraub H Timothy Wennrich and Jessica Griffiths Thomas and Jeanne Wickwire l
Whiteface (4,867 ft) $2,500-4,999
Anonymous (5) Bill and Pat Barton David and Samantha Bernstein The Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Foundation, Inc. Dr. Shiu-Kai Chin u Robert Davila and Carmen Nigaglioni Benard and Constance Dreyer Joe Edmonds ’84 Peter M. Gilbert H David Hochschartner and Selden West u Tessa Huxley and Andy Reicher u Meimei Ma ’70 u Jean and Jerry Marchildon u The New York Community Trust u O’Donnell Iselin Foundation Victoria Read u Phyllis W. Reicher u Schwab Charitable Fund Helen Stein u Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
Wright 4,580 ft $1,000-$2,499
Anonymous (8) Adirondack Foundation Apple Matching Gifts Program l Henry and Nancy Armstrong u Jonathan Bell u Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation H Lynda Bernays and Stan Smith H Ralph and Gertrude Bernstein Wing Biddle ’75 u Wolcott R. Blair H The Boeing Company Mr. and Mrs. Perry J. Bolton u Alex Brown Alice Brown H Melissa Brown and David Siegel Suzanne and Geoffrey Brown u Burnham Financial Services, LLC Camp Treetops 2014 Fund Lunch Juan Carlos and Kathi Silva l Mary O. Carr Tom and Karen Challinor H James and Jane Cohan Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman u The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Ann Cooper u Tony and Nancy Corwin u Amy Samantha Glantz Cranko H Sally Powell Culverwell u Jacqueline Davies Christopher, Emma and Louise de Mattos Kathy (Hordubay) Della Fera H Jenifer Hale Deming u Kevin Dennis and Rebecca Kellogg u Joel and Christine DeYoung H Bethany Dickerson and Chuck Wynder Jr. Claire Douglas H Dow Jones and Company Susan Elman and Joseph Ronson
Laurie and Joe Engle Deirdre Farley u Mr. and Mrs. Delio Fernandez H Don Gallo Gannett Foundation Tania Gee u Goldman Sachs Gives Elizabeth Harlan H Molly Hunt Heizer u Donald and Diane Hewat u Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hilles Hyde Fuel Company H Janet Spiegelberg Hyman ’49 u Eric and Elizabeth Jacobsen The Eric T. and Elizabeth C. Jacobsen Foundation Karen and Peter Jakes u Susan Jakes and Jeff Prescott Michael and Danelle Kelly u Bill Kinzer H The Louisa Kreidberg Family Foundation Randi Land H Thomas H. Land Jr. Jane Lang u Andrew Lerner and Maryam Banikarim Lolya Lipchitz and Harold Kasimow u Chris Lloyd and Vassie Sinopoulos u Susan Localio u Brigit Loud H Dick Maslow u Allison Leigh Maslow l Dwight and Sue Mason u Microsoft Matching Gifts Program H Jonathan and Kristin Adomeit Moore u Toshiaki Morishima l Claudia Murphy Brooke and Bernard Nadell l Helen M. Neilson Robert Opatrny & Susan Sutherland u Marian Osterweis u Ju Hyuk Park l
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High Peaks Giving Levels Park Avenue Charitable Fund Felicity M. Pool ’63 u Jan and Joan Popkin Henry Posner III and Anne M. Molloy H Meredith Prime u Rusty Schick Rolland u Marty and Mara Rosenberg Save the Starfish Foundation l Saxton Family Susanna Meade Schindler u Alan Singer and Beth Bronner Peter and Elisa Skinner H John and Susan Skovron u Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas N. Solley Sr. Sarah Stahl and Harry Foster
Philip and Marcia Steckler Kurt and Eden Terrell Edith G. Thayer ’50 u Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Toland Edward Tuck Michael Urfirer u John and Alida Vessey Louise D. Walsh and Charles L. Rupp u Sam Weinig Christopher Werler H Edward B. Whitney and Martha C. Howell H William Whitney Dick and Sara Wilde u Kevin Williams H Susan Welch Williams ’54 u
Marjorie Wright H Peter Yamin l Mr. Jun Yang and Ms. Min Zhou l
Saddleback (4,515 ft) $500-$999
Anonymous (5) Dinnie Thorndike Aldridge Cyrille and Rica Buxbaum Allannic H American Center for Philanthropy American Recycling Technologies, Inc. AXA Foundation D.J. and Ken Baker u
Donor Profile: Jessica Tuck, NCS 77 Jessica Tuck is a successful actor with roles in popular television series such as True Blood, Judging Amy, and One Life to Live. She lives in Southern California with her husband and middle school-aged daughter. Jessica has included NCS and Treetops in her estate plans, making her a member of our Balanced Rocks Circle. The following is an excerpt of our conversation. To read the extensive interview, please go to: http://northcountryschool.org/alumni/ alumni-stories/ In your opinion, what makes North Country School unique? One thing is that NCS sees every one of its students as just that—unique. The school does not have a “one size fits all” mentality in anything it does. That said, it also underlined the importance of community. There is constant encouragement to be your own individual self but also to work as part of a community or team.
[
NCS put me in touch with my potential.
]
I also think that the faculty at NCS is really special. They had as much influence on me as my parents did. That’s a huge responsibility. The faculty has the opportunity to have a profound effect on the young people at the School, and across the board, they do an amazing job. I can’t thank them enough for nurturing me and planting the seeds of so many important things in my life. They are cultivating young citizens who will march on to become great, thoughtful, mindful human
beings. You can’t put a price tag on someone’s good character. What lifelong lessons did you learn from NCS and Treetops? There are so many! Everything I learned at NCS is so woven into the fabric of my life I don’t know how to separate it from who I am. I learned about the cycle of life and nature at every meal. Not only did we have organic food, we also planted the seed, harvested, cleaned, put it on the table, and ate it. Then we cleared the scraps into our compost pile and returned it back to the field once it had decomposed and planted the seed again. In general, NCS students and Treetops campers have a connection with and a deep responsibility to nature. NCS instilled those values in me, and today I’m a big environmentalist—we have solar panels, compost, and a guerilla gray water system. There were also some very, very basic things I learned from my houseparents and teachers. I remember standing at the sink in Bramwell House on homenight and Jerry Marchildon saying, “You know, Jessica, this dish isn’t clean. You have to use hot water and soap or the grease won’t come out.” It may sound like a silly example, but I still stand at the sink sometimes and think about Jerry Marchildon. I think, bottom line, NCS put me in touch with my potential. I left with a deep, visceral sense of myself, and the world around me. It has shaped my community, informed my choice in friends and my life partner, and influenced the way I am raising my daughter,
Samara. I can say without exaggeration that my three years at NCS were among the most influential in my life. Where does the very personal nature of philanthropy fit in your life? There is often this uneasiness around the topic [of giving]. I think a lot of this unease comes from expectations. In my experience as a class agent for both NCS and my high school, people often feel that if they are not able to make a “significant” gift, their contribution is not valuable. But truly every gift counts, and we can only give proportionate to our means. I think the person who donates $10 should feel they are marching in the parade right along with the person who gives more. I recognize that my experience at NCS was supported by those who gave before me. It makes me feel good to know that with my donation I am supporting the experience of those who come after me.
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Photo: Jessica with daughter Samara and husband Robert Koseff.
High Peaks Giving Levels Paul and Iris Brest H Richard and Paula Brewer Brian Bronfman H William and Katherine Brown H The Canning Family Meg Bluhm Carey H David Carter Alexandra and Marcelo Castro H Charles Catlin ’54 H Cobblestone Capital Advisors, LLC l Karen and John Culpepper H David and Melanie Damico Sophie DeLaCour H DeLaCour Family Foundation H Joan Dinowitz and Scott Tashman David and Melanie Dumont u Lee and Ann Farnham H Katharine Knight Flebotte u John R. Goodman Graber-Adamsons Family Teri and Jeff Greene Yong and Lei Han l Mr. Oscar Harris l Bob Heays H John P. Herrera Eliza Hewat ’65 u Mr. and Mrs. Judson H. Irish Jr. u Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland Mr. Nathaniel Jones l Katz/Simmons Family Barbara Katzander Elise Keely u Kent-Lucas Foundation, Inc Dr. Ernest Knight and Marion L. Knight l Beth and Peter S. Kolevzon u Anna Kramarsky and Jeanne Bergman l Sally and Wynn Kramarsky u David Kraus H Tom Krouwer u Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lambert III u Lorna Livingston ’50 u
Bill and Jan Localio u Mary and Stuart Lollis u The Losam Fund u Roger Martindell ’63 u Marcia Mason McClellan u Lynn McKinley-Grant, MD H Abigail Mellen u Katy Miu Alan and Alice Model u Deborah Model and Joe Falkowski H Leo Mondale and Sarah Patton l Katherine Cromwell Moore u Samantha Naftal and Adam Snyder The Naftal Family H The Namm Foundation, Inc. (Andrew Namm ’42) u Francie Parker ’82 u Tracey and Thomas Parker l Frank and Mary Pellegrini Pew Charitable Trusts Random House Susan Read ’70 u Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc. Marjorie P. Rosenthal Judy and Jim Saks David Schorr and Judith Krones Ruth and David Skovron u Jim and Liz Steyer u Jonathan and Helena Stuart u Colin and Debby Tait u Cornelia and Joseph Tierney u Paul Titterton Jane Isaacs Toussaint u Helen Stuart Twiss Mr. and Mrs. William H. Waddington H Frank Wallace H Mara F. Wallace The Wallace Family Fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation BC Watson and R Izraeli H Wells Fargo Foundation Matching Gifts
Francis and Patricia Whitcomb u Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Family Foundation Melvyn and Cyvia Wolff H Mr. Shengquan Yang and Ms. Kun Xiong l
Rocky Peak (4,420 ft) $250-$499
Anonymous (5) Adirondack Foundation Sweeney Family Fund Rachel Adams l America’s Charities Amgen Foundation Karla Ayala Allegra Harris Azulay H Patricia Thrower Barmeyer Tina and Peter Barnet H Lionel and Deborah Barthold H Ellen Thorndike Brawley ’52 u Phillip Brest Jim and Marcia Brooks H Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher M. Brown u William Burden ’69 H Ingrid Caruso and John Christian Glen and Elizabeth Chidsey u Xu Chunyan l Seth and Eli Clare H Stephanos Cocoves Evelyn and Dion Cook l Michael and Sybil Corrigan
Key to Symbols l
First time donors
H 10-19 years giving u 20+ years giving
*
Deceased
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High Peaks Giving Levels Courtside Charitable Foundation l Jim Darby u Robert and Marilyn DeRight u Cassie Levitt Dippo u Mark Dumont and Lynn Mehlman u Carolyn Feinstein Edwards Angie and Ted Ewing u Lanie Lacey Fleischer Esty Foster u David and Daniella Friedman Alex and Larry Friedman H Michael and Rosalind Gillis Micah and Marla Goodman Noah and Micol Harlan Joseph E. and Rosemarie P. Harris H Sandra Hurd Hennemeyer H Bruce Hodes u Jan Hummel IBM International Foundation l C. Ryan Joyce Scott Syence Kennedy Jonathan Kerlin u Bradley F. Kerr Liza Ketchum u Jessica Koster Levin Family Mr. Weifeng Li and Ms. Yanhong Xing Yin Liru l Serge and Caroline Lussi u Gregory and Alicia Marchildon Cindy Marvell (Friedberg CTT) H Leslie Maslow Melanie Maslow-Kern and Chip Kern l Cathy McDermott Lauren McGovern and John Sweeney H Lisa (Ernest) Mierop H Charlotte Mondale l David and Leni Moore Family Foundation l Leni and David Moore Jr. H Richard and Barbara Moore u Alice Morey and Harvey Weinig H
Bonnie and John Morgan ’65 u Fred Morgan Nils and Kara Morgan Evie Morris Clary Olmstead and Kathleen Heenan u Oracle Corporation Cola Parker u Pat Farrell Design, Inc. l Jenny and Jon Pearlman Roger and Rebecca Perry H W. Lael Prock, in memory of Joyce Pearson Prock H James R. Pugh u Jeremy and Eva Radtke l Don Rand u Jennie Riesman H Sarah Rivkin and Mark Brennan l John B. Rosenmiller u W. Patrick and Stephanie Ross l Nat Rubin Schroder Investment Management North America l Jay Scott u Ordway C. Sherman H Steven Silverstein and Anne Manning Nicole Been Siskind H Dan Slutsky u Jenny Smith-Yuen ’84 H Yasuhiko Sotohama and Setsuko Egashira David Stewart Marilyn Taylor Amina Tirana H Lisa and Bob Tostevin u Constance Kane Tucker u Ms. Quincy Ryland Umphlette H EF Vanderstucken H Eric G. Wagner u Betsy Shaw Weiner H Janet Dunn Wentworth ’68 u Barbara and Peter Westergaard u Whiteleather Family
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Gao Yaqi l Adam Yarinsky and Amy Weisser l Lu Yufeng l
Big Slide (4,240 ft) $100-$249
Anonymous (24) Robert Abramowitz and Susan Stewart u George Adaniya l Peter Adomeit u The Allen Family l Timothy Amussen l Orman Anderson l William Anderson l Amy Arvidson and Matt Geyman Carolyn Arvidson u Kate Tuttle Asselin Todd and Pam August Katie Bacon H J Balcerzak H Baltimore Community Foundation The Bank of America Matching Gifts Stephanie Blakeney Banks Judy Bardacke H Charles Barnett and Maureen Pao H Pat Barnston u Teresa Bates Arthur Beecher Harold and Natalie Been u Drs. Laurie and Herbert Bergamini H Edwin and Fern Beschler u Charlie Biddle H Tish and Bob Biesemeyer Alexandra and Robert Bley-Vroman l Blue Heron Capital l John and Anne Booth u Eric Brest Jeremy and Lori Bromberg u David Bronfman
High Peaks Giving Levels Cali Brooks Martha Brooks H Avery Bross Jeanne Brossard Margot Parsons Brown ’51 H R. Dede Brownstein H The Chris Burden (’56) Family H Marie Burke Lisa Busch Heather Byrne Ed and Andrea Canapery Dan Cardozo u Mike Carey l Laurel Cassidy Linda Chappell l Kate Chasson H Anita Child Hope S. Childs u Michael Churchill H Tom and Alison Clark H Mr. and Mrs. Reg F. Clark Andrea (Cricket) Coleman David and Jane Condliffe H Kalle Condliffe Susan and Robert Console ’62 u Margaret Cooley Jeff Cooper Stephanie Copelin and Mark Abboushi Gino Crocetti Alexander and Moira Crosby l Robin and David Crowell l John Crowley-Delman Katie Culpepper Bill Culverwell l Robert and Carrie Curry Julie Curtis and Keith Gerstenmaier Carolyn and John Curwen Laurie M. and Samuel W. Cushman u Xian Daiming l Elizabeth Davis Frances Davis u
We are very grateful to the 39 community members (as of August 31, 2014) who have included North Country School and Camp Treetops in their estate plans, thereby becoming members of our Balanced Rocks Circle. If NCS and Treetops are included in your estate plans and your name is not listed here or if you would like more information about the Balanced Rocks Circle, please contact Kurt Terrell at 518-837-5446 or kterrell@ncstreetops.org.
Josh and Jennifer Davis Owen K. Davis u Tom Davis H George B. de Brigard H Laddie de Paur and Denise Pellegrini David deCourcy u Penny Dieffenbach Alida Chanler Dierker Sarah Reed Dlugokencky l Robert Doat Oliver and Lisa Dow Dimitra J. Dreyer H Dr. and Mrs. Allan E. Dumont u Mary Lynne and Robert Eakin H Chip and Lyn Edmonston u Elmina Edmonston H Bliss Eldridge u Jonathan Engle l Zhang Enshu l Kitty Fair H Stafford “Corky” Farmer-Lee Greg Farrell H Eric Fetz Payton Fireman ’72 H John and Alison Flanigan Linda Bird Francke H Mio Fredland, MD H Jessica Freireich Jim Friedlander H Linda Friedlander Trish Friedlander Robert D. Frost Doug Gallant u Dr. Jane Benjamin Gatta Tess Ghilaga and Todd Aydelotte l Danikka and Matthew Giarratani Suzanne Glickman Sheri Gold l Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Goldmark Sophia and Mateo Gonzalez l Nina E. Goodman H
Anonymous (4) Dennis Aftergut Jenny Ewing Allen Alice Gresham Bullock Sally Powell Culverwell Amy and Matthew Davidson Claire Douglas Suzanne Glickman Reggie Govan Elizabeth Harlan Laura Thrower Harris Bob Heays David Hochschartner and Selden West Elsbeth S. Johnson Jan Johnson Robin and Peter Ketchum Philip Kneisl, NCS 75 Monika and Steven Lang, NCS 53 Rose K. Lansbury Bill and Jan Localio
Alan Grant u Davlyn Grant Florence Grieb u Susan Grosse u Siegfried and Clair Haenisch u Xu Haibo l Mercy Hammond Leonard M. Harlan u Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Harnden Jr. H Joseph Harris l Trish Harris Thomas H. Hartshorne Ruth Harzula and Samual Daunt Diana M. Hawes u Kitty Hay ’63 u Jim Hayes Jeffrey “Nubba” Herrman H Adam and Carol Hewitt H Kent Hewitt u Elizabeth Hilton Linda Hlavacek l Jody Hochschartner-Boyd in memory of Joan and Norbert Hochschartner Sarah W. Hoffman H Jean Hoins Lindsay Tam Holland Ellen Hornstein and Denis Cioffi u Ken Hornstein H Rich and Jan Hornstein H C Horowitz H Dorsey Horowitz Logan Hovie l
Key to Symbols l
First time donors
H 10-19 years giving u 20+ years giving
*
Deceased
Susan Localio Roger and Pat Loud Sandy Gray Nowicki, NCS 57 Brian Orter Meredith M. Prime Mrs. James C. Rea Jr. Susan Read, NCS 70, CTT parent 04-05 Jane Crowell Rieffel Maggie Rosenbloom Matt Salinger Jessica Tuck Matthew and Courtney Tuck Frank Wallace Jill Werfel Francis and Patricia Whitcomb Martha C. Howell and Edward B. Whitney
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High Peaks Giving Levels Alfred Howell H Hunt Howell ’58 u Charlotte Degener Hughes l Fran Huntoon David Husing IBM Corporation Joplin and Alison James u Floor Janssens Evan A. Jenkins Hu Jiamhua l Frank Johnson ’62 u Carolyn Jones Ralph Jones u Lennoth Joseph H JustGive.org l Ted and Julie Kalmus Denise Katz Mariah Kelly Heather Kendall Thomas P. Kenefick Elizabeth and Adrian Kitzinger Diane Kletz Robert and Laura Knipe Hirotake and Norie Komatsu l Hung Kong l Deborah Wing Korol ’61 H John and Meg Kotler H Meredith Kovach l Eli Z. Kramer H Ms. Karen Krieger l Susan Masters Kyger Gerald LaGrange Brian M. Lansbury H John and Kathy Lanza Randall and Karen Larkin Christine LeFevre H Kenneth and Laura Lerman l The Honorable Pierre N. Leval H Gou Liming l Lincoln Financial Foundation l Robinson Lu Margaret T. MacCary Thomas Mahon Albert D. Malmfelt and Brenda D. Frank H The Honorable Ellen H. Maloney u Peter and Linda Marchesi Liz Marshall ’80 Sammy Martin’s Family Hilary Maslow l Marsh McCall u Lauren McCarty Sarah McCoy and Jim Buchanan Jill Wilder McCullough H Edward and Libby Faron Mell H Hilary and Harold Meltzer James Menapace l Richard Mermin Theodore J. Metzger and Robin A. Fleischner Alice Miles l Dr. Charles E. Moisan William S. Moody l Lynne Spiegelberg Morgan H
Mrs. Jeffrey P. Mozal Barbara Mulvey Chris Muray ’59 H Derek Murrow l Adam Neaman and Bianca Santomasso Network for Good Frederick S. Nicholas Jr. H Laura Nicholson Isabelle N. Nicks Paul F. Obrecht III Arek Olow Dee Osborne Christopher Parker Geoff Parker H Matthew Parker l Robert Parker l Timothy Parker Sherman and Sherrie Peale H Roswell B. Perkins u Nick Perry David Pettengill Dale Ferris Phillips u Nina Pillard and David Cole u Abby Pines l Doralynn and Jeffrey Pines H Elmina Edmonston Placek Anne Preven The Prospect Hill Foundation, Inc. Lindsay Putnam H Deng Qiamqian l Amy and Andrew Quinn Maya Radiconcini H Cary and Nancy Rea u George and Joanne Reed u Alice Reich Aimée Reveno u Rexford Fund, Inc l Jonathan and Julia Rhoads H Ms. Adrienne G. Rhone l Philip Rickey H Dean and Ronnie Ringel l Hector Del Rio Jr. l Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Ritchie Jr. u Ella and Peter Robjent H Dana Rogers Eric Rosenbaum Michael and Maj-Britt Rosenbaum Carter Rowley Lisa and Peter Rowley Michael Rudell l James Russ H Peter and Emily Samton l Peggy Sand and Jonathan Kronstadt H Marilyn Sanders Karen Sanford Brittany Schultz Jay and Sonya Schumacher Robert and Gail Schumacher u Chuck Schwerin and Laura Bronstein u Joshua Schwerin Shelah K. Scott u Norman Seider
Caroline Selden ’69 Richard and Carol Seltzer Heru Setiawan l Jill and Jim Sheffield u Kate Shepherd H Peng Shuang l Fan Siliang l Michel Simon l Susan Slesinger l Douglas Sloane Margaret Sloane H Shari and Jim Smart l Favor and Dianne Smith Laura Smith u Mark Solomon l Kenneth Spencer and Elizabeth Pillard H Staritch Foundation, Inc. Dave Steckler Kathleen L. Steed H Isabella Steyer Louis Stokes l Brad and Liz Streeter Barry and Laura Strongin Sara Stuart / Stuart Four Square Fund H Nat (’62) and Margo Sturgis u Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan and Karen Sutton H Hon. Robert W. and Mrs. Adele Hall Sweet H Bob Tam u Tanaquil “Tania” Taubes u Russ Taylor and Margaret Elwood Randolph Thrower and Carolyn Thrower l Stuart and Susan Topper u Stephen Tracy Jessica Tuck u Miles Turner H William Tyson l Barry and Teri Volpert Foundation Teri and Barry Volpert u Robert and Shannon Warren Ed and Lisa Weibrecht / Mirror Lake Inn u Ms. Katharine H. Cushman Weimer l Claire Weisz Jill Werfel H Laurence and Irma Werfel Janie and Rise Werfel-Cuff l Hilary (Culverwell) Wilkinson Sarah and Martin Williams Daniel C. Wing ‘62 H David and Nell Wing H Edith Wislocki and Alfred Darby u Carol S. Wolfe l Blake Potato Woods John Wood ’73 H Kai Xing Lorraine and Eli Yamin l Rebecca Yamin Beth Zadek and Joph Steckel Jiang Zhidong l Di Zhigang l Jan Rasmusson Zovickian, Mark Rasmusson, Kathy Rasmusson Moran and our families l
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High Peaks Giving Levels Cascade (4,098 ft) Gifts up to $99 and gifts in kind
Anonymous (50) Lynda Lees Adams H Aetna Foundation, Inc. Date and Agbale Akayi l Emilie Allen l Emma Allen Ms. Katie Allen Ella Anderson l Lucy Anderson l Willy Anderson l John Arganian l Cynthia Ariev l Richard Arms l Brook Ashley, in memory of Celeste Crenshaw Lurline Aslanian Andrew August l David Ortiz-Miron Ayala l Meryl Baker Lisa Sands and Joan Balash Matthew and Kelly Baran Anna Barber Barbara R. Barnes H Sarah Blunt Barnett u Vickie Barney Vernon and Jeanne Barr Dr. Claire Basescu u Neil and Elizabeth Basescu Jessica Becker H Matthew Beckwith-Laube Colin and Jenny Bell u The Benevity Community Impact Fund l The Benner Family u Erica and Herb Bergamini u Henry Bernstein l Maxwell Bernstein l Mr. and Mrs. Milton I. Bickle Ed and Ridgely Biddle H Philippa Biddle l
Randi Bollenbach l Charles A. Bookman u Jean Bookman H Christie Maria Borden ’92 Elisabeth Bouché H Conway Boyce Anna Brewer l Hannah Brigham l Thomas Broderick l David Brownstein W. Fraser Brooks Alex Brown l Jim Brush and Donna Foley Benjamin Buster l Cami Buster ’68 H David Buttrick l Harrison and Judy Caner u Jerome and Michelle Cann l Joey Carey H The Carkners H Rachel Carter l BB/Casey l John Chambers Mary Ann Champagne H Jai Chandrasekhar Andy Chase u Johanna Chase Monie and Stuart Chase u Kay (Faron) and Denny Ciganovic u Garth Cilley l Mr. and Mrs. Joel C. Coleman H Theron Cook H Susan Cooley H Deborah and Robert Cooper l Anabell Corwin l Adam Creissen Paula Hawkins Crossan l Lee L. Cummings Patricia A. Cummings ’46 Dudley H. Cunningham H Ms. Leslie Daniels l
Colette Pellegrini de Paur l Dashl Pellegrini de Paur l Indigo Pellegrini de Paur l Peter Delman and Maureen Crowley H Joanna Dennett Thomas De Sausmarez l Sara and Patrick Devlin l Anne Marie Di Paola l John and Libby Doan Carly Dominick-Sobel l Todd Dowling Dylan Drake l Nolan Dumont Charles Wesley Dunn III l Elena Eder l Alan Eldridge H Betty Clark Eldridge ’53 Noni Eldridge Rebecca Emerson Jeremy Engle l Nellie Engle l Kim and Steven Erle Jake Erskine Gretchen Espe Ellen Fair u John H. Farrar John Fearey Claire Fellman Anthony Fernandez Pier Fetz Andrew Fincham
Key to Symbols l
First time donors
H 10-19 years giving u 20+ years giving
*
Deceased
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High Peaks Giving Levels Mary Lou Finley Sydney Fisher l Wayne and Kathryn Fisher Anne Fleming l Monica and Darin Forbes Will Forbes H Duncan Fordyce u David Forrest Edward W. Fox Jr ’57 H Robert Franklin l Grace M. Fraser l Gail French l Sarah Fuller Susan Gallant Julie Getzels H Calvin Gilkey l Robin Glazer Caroline (Cara) Golden Isadore Goldstein Lillian Goldstein Deborah (Churchill) Goodell u Jerome and Amy Gordon Lily Gordon Elizabeth and Tom Graves Michael and Kimberly Corwin Gray ’95 H Andrew Green l Sierra Grennan Melissa Grover l John and Dorothy Gutman l Patrick and Ann Hainault Piri Halasz u Mairead Haley l Danielle Ramati Hamlin Richard Hanau u Meredith Hanson Mickey Hardt l Helen T. Harrison l Virginia W. Hart u Nancy and Charles Hatfield u Alberta Hemsley u Larry and Ellen Hickey H
High Peaks Cyclery Frederick W. Hilles Jr. u Alex Himmelbaum Monica Hindmarch Richard Hirshen l Matthew P. Hoffman ’85 H Oliver and Robin Hoig The Holtzman Family l Laura Hombrook Jeanette Gaston Hooban H The Hordubays u Mary Hordubay-McKenzie u Rebekah Horowitz Luke and Andrea Hudak Tom Hughes ’83 Mr. and Mrs. William O. Humes u Peter and Joan Hunt l Tori Hunt Alex Hyde ’88 Jane Hyde u Donna Ignatuk Devon and Meredith Jacobs Lawrence Jay l Margo Rice Jay H Elsbeth S. Johnson u Rebecca Johnson l Rebecca Kolevzon Johnson Margaret Johnston Annie Jonathan l Sarah Jonathan Maryna A. Kaplan Peter Kaplan l Nicole E. Karaman William Karg and Reese Fayde l Andrea Kavanaugh and Djavad Salehi H Isabel Kellers u Lauren Kelly Michele Kelly l Rebecca Kelly H Kevin (KK) Kenner Edward Kenney
Larkin Kenney l William Kenney Dorothy Kenny u Erin Kiley l Marion Kinosian l Pamela J. Kirk DVM Anna Jane Klepper Samuel Kletz l Greta Konkler Andrew and Valery Knox H Annamariah Knox John and Sarah Koster Samuel and Linda Kramer H Sarah Kramer James Kramon Gioia Kuss ’74 H Jenny Ladd u Richard Langlois l Elizabeth Lansbury l Barbara and Woody Laporte H Karen Hoins Lauer Maria Lawson Greg and Bunny LeClair Christopher Len l Frances Littell David Loud H Rachel Lowenthal Elizabeth R. Macken u Russell Mairs l Barry Mallis Molly Malmfelt-Frank Joe Martella and Susan Baer l Patrick Martin Jane B. Mason and Brian Vaughan Joseph Mayer u Noreen McCarthy l Maria McClellan l Catherine Conner McGee Ewen McManus l Clare Tweedy McMorris Donata Coletti Mechem H
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High Peaks Giving Levels Don Mesec and Becky Rice u Johanna Messer Carlton and Elma Metzloff u Kyle and Elizabeth Metzloff Carlyn and Karl Miller Ellen (Craib) Mitchell u Matthew Mitchell Alex Morel l Danny Pinball Morel John Morgan l Willard Morgan and Jenn Barton H Evelyn Morris Leah Morris l Simon Mould Suzanne Moyer John and Patty Mueller Jenny Muil Carolyn Mullins l Emilie Munson Kimberly Narol Theresa Nessel l Lisa D. Nicholson u Carrie Niebanck Britt Nielsen H Leo and Debra Normandin Roger Nozaki Rick, Evelyn and Caitlin O’Connor Christine O’Loughlin l Oz and Kris Osborn u Joan Pachner H Paradigm Pictures Betsey Paredes l Iain Parrott l Paulette and Mark Peduzzi H Brian and Catherine Pelkey l Thomas G. Penchoen H Eugene and Judy Penn Justin Perry Pat Kramon Pincus Hilary Platt David and Barbara Plimpton Jonathan Poe l Laura Pologe Wendy M. Pomeroy ’68 H Joshua Popkin l Kate Kubert Puls u Rachel Puodziunas l Sarah Purifoy l Martha Lott Raby ’51 Lourdes Ramirez Janine Alpert Randol H Fred and Roz Rea u Nancy Reder and Peter Pocock H Jane Regan Daisy Emma Rhoads H Mark Richards Katherine and Coulter Richardson Betsey Huffman Riley Jacy Lynn Rinne l James Romm and Tanya Romm Marcuse Peter Ronson Adam Rose l
Per Rosenbaum l Paul Rosenfeld l Kellye Rosenheim l Michael and Alison Rositzke l Benjamin Rosof Joyce Roy H Sheila Rule Susie Runyon H Emelia Louise Ruud Matthew Saehrig l Kia Salehi Avery Salinger Gannon Salinger l Hortense A. Sarot l Heidi Scheuermann l Jean L. Schwartz u Daniel Schwerin Sharon Scott Ortner Seider William B. Seider l Mark Seltzer l Chris and Claire Severance Neil and Ilse Shapiro l Monica Bowen Sheehe Zachary Siegel Dan Silin Ame Wood Silver ’70 Jay Smart l Aleks Smith Betsy and Favor Smith H Mike Smith Robert and Sharon Smith Thomas and Katherine Smith Ted Sonneborn l Claire and George Stahler Frances Starn Robert M. Stein Jr. H Elizabeth Johnson Stewart l Chris Stoneman H Josey Stuart l Lyall Stuart l Charlie and Eve Sutton u Tys Sweeney l Karen Szvoren William Tait l George Tait l Samuel Targett l Sheila Tavares Mike Tholen Helen Thomas Helen Touster u Howard and Laura Trumbull Nai’a Turner ’09 l Tracy and Bill Ullman l Sylvia Smith Vaccaro ‘50 H Willa Vail Jennifer Vann ’77 u Mary VanVleck Santiago Vargas-Daniela l Emily Virzi l Carla Von Trapp Hunter l Roberta W. Waddell u
Theodore and Eleanor Waddell Carolyn Walker Judith A. and Jeremy A. Walsh H Caitlin Wargo Mischa Weisman Elizabeth Weisser (Aunt Lizzie) l Marty Weiss Judith Weitzman Colin Wells George and Susan West H Maggie Westergaard Herb Wilkinson u Penny Fujiko Willgerodt and William Cepeda Nathaniel Williams (Taylor) l Liz Wise Carol Witherell l Helen A. Witsenhausen H Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Wolfert l Chris Wood Stephanie Younger
Please note: This report includes gifts, pledges, and pledge payments made from September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014. Gifts received after August 31, 2014 will be listed in next fiscal year’s Annual Report. Despite our best efforts to avoid errors and omissions, they do occasionally occur. If you contributed and your name was omitted, misspelled or listed in the wrong place, please accept our sincere apology—and do let us know. Please call the Advancement Office at 518-523-9329, x5450.
Key to Symbols l
First time donors
H 10-19 years giving u 20+ years giving
*
Deceased
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Endowments We are grateful to the individuals and families who have made the extraordinary commitment of establishing named endowments. Thank you as well to those who have made contributions. These funds honor a friend or family member’s legacy in meaningful fashion while benefitting North Country School and Camp Treetops in perpetuity. If you have questions about a current fund or would like to discuss establishing a new fund, please contact Kurt Terrell, Director of Advancement at 518-837-5446 or kterrell@ncstreetops.org.
General Endowment Fund and Gifts in Memory Memorial gifts support the general endowment or a designated fund. Anonymous, in memory of Julia T. Jonathan George Adaniya, in memory of Josh Noah Grosse Brook Seawell Ashley, in memory of Celeste Crenshaw Atlantic Beach Urban Farms, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, David and Linda Stein, and Tracey Westbrook, (vertical farms) in memory of Allison Stein Robbins Ralph and Gertrude Bernstein, in memory of Jerry Lerman Kay (Faron) and Denny Ciganovic, in memory of Hugh Fleischer David and Jane Condliffe, in memory of Richard Rockefeller Dudley H. Cunninham Chip & Lyn Edmonston Lee and Ann Farnham, in memory of Richard Rockefeller David Forrest, in memory of Victoria Kaufman Forrest Grace M. Fraser, in memory of Thomas M. Fraser, Jr. Susan Grosse, in memory of Josh Noah Grosse Jody Hochschartner-Boyd, in memory of Joan and Norbert Hochschartner Karen Krieger, in memory of Julia Jonathan Martha Lott Raby ’51, in memory of Richard Rockefeller
Christine Semenenko ’62, in memory of Dylan Semenenko Clark Serge Semenenko Family Foundation The Shelby Family Christopher Werler, in memory of Julia T. Jonathan Dick and Sara Wilde, in memory of Richard Rockefeller David and Nell Wing, in memory of Teri Horn Osborn Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Wolfert, in memory of Marie Bernays Jan Rasmusson Zovickian, Mark Rasmusson, Kathy Rasmusson Moran and our families, in memory of Marie Bernays
Milton and Liesa Allen Fund For Faculty Salaries David and Peggy Bailey Fund In honor of the founders of Woodstock Country School Beck Seider Family Fund For CTT Scholarships
Leo and Walter Clark Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment Brion Crowell Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment Kitty and Carl (C.D.) Dennett Scholarship Fund For NCS Scholarships Dumont Scholarship Fund For CTT Scholarships Dr. and Mrs. Allan E. Dumont David and Melanie Dumont Mark Dumont and Lynn Mehlman Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Renaissance Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Harry K. Eldridge Scholarship Fund For NCS Scholarships
Lisa Beck and Mitch Seider
Bliss Eldridge James R. Pugh
Beyond the Mountains Fund For Faculty Development
Feather Foundation Fund For Gardens and Greenhouse
Bob Bliss Fund For Waterfront Improvements
Eric Feldsberg Memorial Scholarship Fund For CTT Scholarships
Bramwell Family Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Garden Fund For Program Enhancement
Mildred Brooks Nature Program Fund For CTT Salaries Suzanne Glickman
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Endowments Reginald Gilliam Mountaineering Leadership and Scholarship Fund For Mountaineering Program Support and CTT Scholarships
Peter W. Merle-Smith Fund For CTT Scholarships Kate C. Moore Fund For CTT Scholarships
Anonymous Brad and Lynne Davidson Oscar Harris IBM Corporation Mr. Nathaniel Jones The J. M. Kaplan Fund, Inc. Michael and Danelle Kelly James Menapace James R. Pugh Ms. Adrienne G. Rhone Louis Stokes Dick and Sara Wilde Bethany Dickerson Wynder and Chuck Wynder, Jr.
Cornelia and Joseph Tierney
Govan Family Fund For CTT Scholarships
Ken Okin
Reggie Govan
Tsu Hansen Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment Bonnie and John Morgan ’65
Harlan Family Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment Elizabeth Harlan Noah and Micol Harlan
Doug Haskell Fund For CTT Scholarships Anonymous
Helen Haskell Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Christopher Nicholson Memorial Fund For NCS Scholarships Diana E. Oehrli Fund For CTT Scholarships The Gruben Charitable Foundation Diana Oehrli
Okin Fund For Maintenance on Capital Improvements Olmstead Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment Arthur W. Parker Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Strong Roots, High Peaks Scholarship Fund For NCS & CTT Scholarships Catherine Oppenheimer
Margaret and Randolph Thrower Fund For Greening and Renewal Laura and David T. Harris Randolph Thrower and Carolyn Thrower
Frank H. Wallace Fund For Faculty Enrichment Joel and Christine DeYoung
Jerome P. Webster III Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Susan Powell Fund For NCS Scholarships Sarah Powell Culverwell
Herbert and Maria West Fund For NCS Intern Salaries
Prince de Ramel Charitable Trusts Fund For Faculty Salaries
Winter’s Children Fund For NCS Scholarships
Guillaume ’89 and Molly de Ramel The de Ramel Foundation
Kaye Clark Hoins Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Joyce Pearson Prock Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Adlin and Sherman Loud Scholarship Fund For NCS Scholarships
Strong Roots, High Peaks Faculty Support Fund For NCS Faculty Support
Fullwood Foundation, Inc. Francie Parker ’82 Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Parker ’41
Dick and Sara Wilde
Lindsay Johnson Fund For NCS Scholarships
Strong Roots, High Peaks Greening and Renewal Fund For Campus Renewal
David Hochschartner and Selden West
John O. Zimmerman Fund For NCS & CTT Endowment
Martha Brooks
Smith Family Foundation Fund For NCS Scholarships
Brigit Loud Edward and Libby Faron Mell
Sylvia Pool Sperling Fund For Visiting Artists Restricted Endowment
Anne Martindell Gardening Fund Restricted Endowment
Spiegelberg Fund For Scholarships
The Master Teacher Fund For Faculty Salaries
Elizabeth Claire Stein Scholarship Fund For CTT Scholarships
Janet Spiegelberg Hyman ’49
Bill and Jan Localio
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In Memoriam
Margot Adler (CTT 58-59), 68, died July 28th, 2014 at her home in Manhattan. A longtime correspondent for National Public Radio, Margot was also a recognized authority on and practitioner of neo-pagan spiritualism. She graduated from the High School of Music and Art in New York City and from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was active in the free speech, civil rights, and antiwar movements. She received a master’s from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. Margot joined NPR in 1979 and was variously a general-assignment reporter, the New York bureau chief, and a political and cultural correspondent who covered a wide array of subjects from the Ku Klux Klan and AIDS epidemic to the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Sandy, and the Harry Potter phenomenon. She hosted “Justice Talking,” a weekly public policy program, from 1999 to 2008. Margot was predeceased by her husband John Lowell Gliedman and survived by their son Alex Dylan Gliedman-Adler. Gil Barbier (NCS staff 71-74), 70, died June 17, 2014 in Denver’s Swedish Hospital from a brain tumor and lymphoma; his family was beside him. Gil lived in Steamboat Springs, Colorado after his NCS days, riding a bike in summer and cross country skiing in winter, and living a healthy lifestyle until his unforeseen illness. He is survived by his ex-wife Joanie, their children Ben and Brooke, his wife Ann and their two children Elise and Evan. A celebration of his life is planned for July in Steamboat. Emails of condolence may be sent to Joanie at minkymom@co-isp.com. page 22
signature strengths. Walter brought a sense of humor and passion to each day, and to all he was involved with. In the spirit of his exuberance and love of the performance arts, his family is creating the Walter P. Breeman Endowment Fund to support theater production at North Country School. Donations may be sent to the Advancement Office.
Walter Peter Breeman (NCS 10), 19, died September 7, 2014. During his short life, Walter was deeply loved and cherished for his natural warmth and openness and an easy going charm that offered humor, acceptance, wisdom, and joy to everyone he met. His handsome presence, sense of style, and beautiful smile lit up every room he entered. He leaves behind a heartbroken family that includes his mother and father, Pam (NCS parent 0710, CTT parent 10-13) and Barry Breeman (NCS parent 07-10, CTT parent 10-13, Trustee 08-present); his sister Marion (CTT 10-13); his cousin, aunts and uncles; his loving caregiver since childhood, Irene McKeown; and his lifelong friend, Matthew Rametta. At NCS, Walter was known as someone who would roll up his sleeves and lend a hand, whether in the kitchen, at the barn, or cleaning up the art room. Developing authentic and deep relationships— with teachers, peers, mentees, and houseparents alike—was one of his
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Josh Noah Grosse (CTT 80-82, NCS 83), 45, passed away on June 16, 2014. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he earned his BA in English literature from the University of Colorado Boulder. He was happiest outdoors, be it hiking, skiing, mountain biking, or taking in a Colorado Rockies game. As a trauma center radiology technician, he cared deeply about his work for its potential to help others and save lives. Josh settled in Colorado because of his love of the mountains, a passion that he first discovered as a young camper at CTT and student at NCS. Josh climbed all but a handful of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. When asked about his educational experiences he would always say that North Country School was the most important school he ever attended. Josh is survived by his mother Susan Grosse and father David Grosse, and the many whose lives he touched with humor, kindness, and friendship. He will be forever missed. Richard Rockefeller (CTT 58-59, NCS 63, Trustee 73-76), 65, died suddenly on June 13, 2014. A passionate physician, activist, and philanthropist, Richard played a pivotal role in one of the country’s leading families. He was at home in art, in music, and in nature, and was intensely curious about how things
In Memoriam work, from the physical world to the human psyche. His formal education came from North Country School, the Choate School, Harvard College, and Harvard Medical School. But his informal learning never stopped, nor did his drive to make the world a better place. Richard founded, led, or served many non-profit organizations—including Doctors Without Borders, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (the PTSD project), and Sargasso Sea Alliance—and gave generously to them in time and treasure. He also served as president of the
Rockefeller Family Fund and chairman of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Richard is survived by his wife Nancy King Rockefeller; son Clayton and daughter Rebecca; grandchildren Ozzy and Elsa and Wilder; Nancy’s sons Max and Griffin; his father David Rockefeller; his siblings and spouses, David and Susan, Abby and Lee, Neva and Bruce, Peggy and Barry, Eileen (CTT 63, NCS 66, CTT staff 69-71, parent 97, 99, Trustee 76-84, 92-98) and Paul; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins whom he adored.
News and Notes NCS Alumni/ae 1951 Sally P. Culverwell (also CTT 45-47, NCS staff 60-61, CTT parent 77-80, CTT grandparent 12-14) “I just had a wonderful birthday celebration in Sun River, OR, with my family, Wendy Culverwell (CTT 77-78), Allan Culverwell (CTT 77-79, parent 12-14), Hilary Culverwell Wilkinson (CTT 79-80, CTT staff 89-92, 98, NCS staff 90-91), and Alison Culverwell Rositzke (CTT parent 12-14). New trustee Nick (CTT 64, NCS 70) and Ruth Hewitt joined us for two days, and current trustee Brian Eng (CTT 84-86) also stopped by to say hello. We’re all looking forward to following Treetops activities of grandsons Reed Culverwell (CTT 12-14) and Will Rositzke (CTT 12-14) again next summer. Also, thanks to my class of 1951 for rallying around the cause!”
1954 John Byrne Cooke John has been living in Jackson, WY, for more than 30 years—writing,
playing music, acting, and making films. He also was Janis Joplin’s road manager in the late 1960s. His memoir of that experience, On the Road With Janis Joplin, was published in October by Berkley Books. The following excerpt is from Chapter 3, John’s account of the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967. For more, visit www.johnbyrnecooke. com/writing. The performance many of us will remember forever comes from Big Brother and the Holding Company. They take the stage on Saturday afternoon, four long-haired guys and Janis Joplin… The short set culminates with Janis’s show-stopper from the San Francisco ballrooms, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s “Ball and Chain,” which Big
Brother has recast in a minor key, the better to evoke the emotion in the lyrics. Their arrangement begins with four ascending notes wrenched from James Gurley’s guitar, a momentary Handelian silence, and an intro that shatters all the rules. James plays riffs from an alternative reality, and chords that no one at the Gibson guitar factory ever dreamed… … [Janice] doesn’t stay in the soft register for long. Her voice rises, pleads, screams. By the time she hits the first chorus, the audience is mesmerized. Can a white girl sing the blues? Janis’s answer is yes, in spades. She matches the intensity of James’s guitar while she explores the same outer realms, and . . . she can’t . . . but she does. . . . When she really pulls out all the stops she sings chords!
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News and Notes 1956 Alan Grant “I attended my 50th college reunion at Colgate this spring. We also celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary on June 2, 2014.”
1970 D. Anne Dickerson “I bought a 60-acre farm on a lake in New Hampshire. We call it Osprey Cove Organic Farm, not only because we are a MOFGA-certified organic farm but also because every time we came to look at the farm, we saw osprey on the lake. We now have the only osprey platform on private land in NH. We are still waiting for eggs to hatch.”
a director of plays at the Montessori school that her children attend.
Committee, the organization focused on Democratic House campaigns.”
1987 Lindsay Tam Holland (also CTT 87-88) “I live near San Francisco with my husband and two small boys. I recently quit my job as a high school teacher in order to focus on my writing—my debut
2003 Alex Morel “I’m living in NYC and was recently in the ADKs to accompany my brother Danny (Pinball) Morel as he finished his 46s on Dix in the fall. Congrats, Danny!”
YA novel, The Counterfeit Family Tree of Vee Crawford-Wong, was published last year by Simon & Schuster. In October, I visited NCS to speak with students about my novel. When I’m not folding laundry or making pb&js, I’m hard at work on a second book.”
2004 Joey Schultz
1972 Martha Brooks “I am leasing out my southern Oregon stables and will be moving up to the Portland area to help my daughter with our newest stable adventure.”
1975 Rodrigo Bilbao “I recently moved from New York to Miami. I like to read Organic Roots and keep in touch with NCS and its evolution. I have eight-month-old twin daughters I hope to send to NCS when they reach school age.”
1975 Karen Hoins Lauer “All is well in Alaska. Come visit.”
1976 Peter Marchesi “I always look forward to my copy of Roots; it takes me back to wonderful times!”
1978 Frances Pope Frannie is very happy to call Marin County, CA, home, 15 minutes north of San Francisco. She lives with her husband Robert and her two sons Oliver (13) and Elliott (10). After graduating from Boston University, she spent most of her young adult life as a stage actress in Seattle, WA. For the last 10 years she has been a mom and page 24
Joey visited NCS in October for chicken harvest. He and music teacher John Doan also entertained students in a battle of the banjos.
1993 Matt Baran Matt and Kelly Baran reside in Pottersville, PA, with their three children Lily (6), Eli (4), and Will (17 months). Matt and Kelly were in Lake Placid in September for the American Bugatti Club’s fall rally.
2000 Joshua Schwerin (also CTT 95-01) “I’m currently living in DC and working as the National Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Organic Roots Fall 2014
2006 Alexi Alizadeh Alexi is in the graduate screenwriting program at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. 2009 Kyle Curry Robert and Carrie Curry report that Kyle is currently a student at St.
News and Notes Lawrence University. A member of the Nordic ski team, Kyle recently won the AXTELL Nordic Ski Team award for the 2014 season.
2010 Anthony Fernandez Anthony enjoyed his first summer as a Treetops counselor, working in Junior Camp. He was joined by other recent
NCS alums: Alex Carkner (NCS 11, CTT 04-08, 10, CTT staff 13-14), Amani Lawson (NCS 11, CTT 07-08, 10, CTT staff 13-14), Ashley Miles (NCS 11, CTT staff 14), and Naomi Peduzzi (NCS 12, CTT 11, CTT staff 14) all worked at Camp as kitchen staff.
2011 Anna Brewer Richard and Paula Brewer are proud to share that Anna is traveling to Chile for six months in July and will attend Brandeis University as a member of the class of 2019. 2011 Ashley Miles
celebrate, the day before her return to Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine for her senior year.
NCS Staff
Malinda Bergamini Chapman writes: “I’m still helping older students learn Adirondack biology and human biology at the Ticonderoga campus of North Country Community College. This past winter I also enjoyed being a ski instructor with mostly very young students at Gore Mountain. I am a proud mom of four Adirondack-raised children who seem to be making the migration to Seattle to the Bergamini/ Chapman West colony. Luckily our youngest, Colvin, is 15 and helps make life interesting at home.”
Congratulations to former staff members Jane Mellow and Joel Lowsky, who were married August 17, 2014 in Lake Placid. Recent NCS students Kate and Emily Majewski served as bridesmaids for their
mother, and sister of the bride Libby Doan and Peter and Lisa Rowley also participated in the ceremony. Big Slyde provided musical entertainment at the reception. Communications Director John Nicholson (pictured above) received rave reviews for his stunning portrayal of Willy Loman in Pendragon Theatre’s production of the Arthur Miller classic Death of A Salesman. The show ran for three weeks in Saranac Lake in late summer and is traveling this fall to other regional theatres and schools.
(also CTT staff 14) Ashley recently graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School. After spending a gap year abroad in Costa Rica, she will attend the University of Vermont.
2012 Hannah Runyon (pictured right) (also CTT 05, 09) Hannah became an Adirondack 46er this past summer, hiking 38 High Peaks during her summer vacation. She finished on Colden in late August, with parents Susie and Ben along to help camptreetops.org | northcountryschool.org
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News and Notes CTT Friends Charles W. (Bill) Kinzer Camper 42-43 “My life has been good—made better by Treetops, one of my personal high peaks, a seminal experience never far from my thoughts.” Liza Ketchum Camper 58-60, staff 65-67, parent 85-87 “I’m still gardening organically, as I learned at CTT, in a new garden we’ve established in Vermont. I teach writing in a low residency program at Hamline University, and my next novel for young adults, Out of Left Field, came out this past summer.” Helen Cohen Camper 69-71, staff 78 A documentary filmmaker, Helen codirected a new film about Dr. Grace Dammann and her remarkable recovery after surviving a near-fatal, head-on crash on the Golden Gate Bridge. The film premiered in Boston at the Museum of Film Arts and has also been screened at the Napa Valley Film Festival and Santa Cruz Film Festival. Brian Bronfman Camper 72-78, staff 87
Trustee), Jim Pugh (CTT 62-64, staff 77). Left to Right: Roger, Jim, Brian, Bill. Jill Werfel Camper 74-80, staff 86-88, parent 05-07 “Our family sent Rise off to college at Keene State in New Hampshire at the end of August. Janie will be starting high school in September. Our horses are doing great, and the garden is highly productive.” Alida C. Dierker CTT staff 75-76 “Camp Treetops influenced my life in a huge way. I think it was partly responsible for my moving out West where there was a lot of National Forest. I still enjoy hiking, horseback riding, cross country skiing, boating, and everything outdoors. I love where I live because there are mountains all around me—just like at Camp Treetops!” Katherine Richardson Camper 81-84 “Coulter and I were thrilled to return for Friends’ Weekend 2014 with our whole family again!” Leslie Maslow CTT staff 86-87 Leslie received an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars in
Brian celebrated his 50th birthday climbing Big Slide with friends, including Bill Localio (CTT 55-59, staff 64-14, CTT parent 94-98, Trustee 85-91), Roger Loud (CTT 42-48, staff 54-92, NCS parent 70-96, CTT parent 71-95, page 26
Organic Roots Fall 2014
January of 2014. Her essays have been published in Tin House and short stories in Open City and other literary magazines. She recently gave a series of craft lectures at Appalachian State University, Oberlin College, and Bennington on the playwright Romulus Linney and his ideas about imagination and the writing process. She loves seeing her sisters Jennifer (NCS & CTT staff 82-85, CTT parent 10, Trustee 12-present) and Allison (NCS 82) and hearing about NCS. This year she started her first novel, adopted a cat, and got married, in that order. Matthew Topper (pictured below) Camper 87-89, TTW 90-92, NCS staff On January 14, 2014, Matthew, son of Stuart and Susan Topper (CTT staff 88-95), donated one of his kidneys to fellow Rhode Islander Todd Murphy. The surgery took place at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and was a complete success. Matthew heard about Todd’s need for a kidney about two and a half years before the surgery, but it wasn’t until Todd had exhausted family connections that he called on Matthew to be tested. Matthew turned out to be an unbelievable 92 percent match and was approved as a donor just days before Todd’s doctor pronounced him in dire
News and Notes need of the surgery. It was an amazing experience for both families to be a part of this gift of extended life. Jason Millard CTT staff 89-91, 09
Jason works as an organizational behavior consultant in London. In 2013, he purchased a 120-acre former homestead on the Oswagachie River near Gouverneur, NY. He aims to create a residential wellness center that will operate using renewable energy and practices of sustainable land use. To oversee the project, he has hired former NCS woodshop teacher Carter Rowley, who spent the summer and fall living on the property without electricity or running water. With help from NCS faculty friends Todd Dowling, Sierra Grennan, Leah Morris, Peter Rowley, and Emily Virzi, Carter and Jason have accomplished a great deal in a short time: clearing land for roads, trails, orchards, and garden beds, plus construction of a caretaker’s cabin, pole barn, and chicken coop. In addition, students and staff in Bramwell House spent the night on the property this fall and enjoyed contributing their efforts to the project. Follow progress on Facebook at the North Country Retreat.
Steve Lehman Camper 89-92 Sheila Lehman is proud to share that Steve just won this year’s Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. He’s a composer and plays alto sax.
Adirondacks for the first time since Super year.”
Jeffrey Herrmann CTT staff 91-94, 97 Jeffrey recently moved to Seattle to become managing director of Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Weekend 2014. Back: Harry Kimball (CTT 91-95, CTT Staff 02) and Kimberly Corwin Gray (CTT 89-98, NCS 95, staff 04-present, CTT parent 07, NCS parent 08-14); Front (l to r): Rebekah Horowitz (CTT 92-94), Catherine CrowleyDelman (CTT 90-95, staff 90-95, 97, 99-00, 02-03, 06-08), Stanley Isaacs (CTT 89-98).
Amy Gordon CTT parent 92-97, 02-07 “I’m still teaching yoga at my studio and in workshops around the country.* I’m the mom of three Treetoppers, Liana (CTT 92), Brigitte (CTT 92-97), and Lily Gordon (CTT 02-07, staff 10) *Available for CTT yoga workshops.” Daniel Morel Camper 01-07 “Many thanks to Treetops for helping me discover my love of the outdoors and for teaching me the necessary skills to enjoy the wilderness on my own. I happily finished my 46ers this past September, returning to the
CTT Supers 94 (pictured below) A small group of CTT Supers from the summer of 1994 gathered at Friends’
Kia Salehi Camper 02-03, staff 10-11 “I’m working as a lab manager for a neuroscience lab at Brown University. In my spare time I’m playing ultimate Frisbee, practicing meditation, and soon fostering kittens! Life in Providence is divine.” Donna Foley CTT parent 03-08, staff “I have moved from the Adirondacks to open my weaving studio/gallery in
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News and Notes Silver City, NM. If any Treetops alums plan on hiking Gila National Wilderness, please stop by.” Mischa Weisman CTT staff 03-05 “I’m working in a therapeutic community in Central Vermont.” Nolan Dumont Camper 07-09, staff 11-14 “35 years ago my dad David Dumont (CTT 68-70, staff 76-80, parent 0709, NCS staff 78-80), my uncle Mark Dumont (CTT 60-63, parent 02-04), and D.J. Baker (CTT staff 81-08, parent 97-03) led a Treetops North trip to Canada. As part of their training at Camp, they portaged a canoe up Trouble. This year, Willa Vail (CTT 97-02, staff 07-14) and I repeated their canoe-
hike up Trouble with campers at the end of the summer, replicating both their portage and photo.” Ash Elliott (pictured above) CTT staff 11-14 After Treetops 2014, Ash joined
Adam Rose (CTT staff 13-14) and Brigit Loud (CTT 90-96, NCS 96, CTT staff 11-14) on a trip to Hawaii to visit fellow counselor Shari Smart (CTT staff 11-14, parent 04-06, 11-14) and her daughter Sierra (CTT 11-14). Left to Right: Adam, Shari, Brigit (crouching), Ash, Sierra.
Organic Roots Fall 2014 Editor Emilie Allen Contributors Dennis Aftergut, Emilie Allen, Matthew BeckwithLaube, Karen Culpepper, Katie Culpepper, Emily Eisman, Kimberly Corwin Gray, David Hochschartner, Hope Knight, Gioia Kuss, Lisa Rowley, Fritz Sabbow, Matt Salinger, Barkley Stuart, Kurt Terrell
Photography Emilie Allen, Nancie Battaglia, Lisa Beck, Tom Clark, David Damico, John Eldridge, Kimberly Corwin Gray, Sierra Grennan, Aaron Hobson, Gioia Kuss, Larry Robjent, Peter Rowley, Ted Sonneborn
Cover Photo Nolan Dumont Layout / Design Aaron Hobson Editing Lisa Rowley Printing Benchemark Printing, Inc. Editor’s note: We regret that John Eldridge was not credited for his photography contribution in Spring 2014 Roots. We apologize for the error. His wonderful aerial photo graces the enclosed Annual Report cover.
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Organic Roots Fall 2014
Our Annual Fund makes a WORLD OF difference. Nearly 70 percent of Annual Giving is used to provide need-based financial aid and tuition assistance. The remainder supports Camp and School, and helps us take care of our facilities and campus. This year our Annual Fund goal is to raise $1.2 million from more than 1,100 donors.
You can renew your support today at www.northcountryschool.org/giving or www.camptreetops.org/giving or by contacting Emily Eisman, Associate for Philanthropic Giving, at eeisman@ncstreetops.org or 518-837-5450. Thanks in advance for your help.
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4382 Cascade Road | Lake Placid, NY 12946
Join us for Friends’ Weekend at Alta Lodge April 15-19, 2015. Details to follow soon.
For details, contact Kimberly Corwin Gray | kcorwingray@ncstreetops.org or 518-837-5407