Solebury School Almas - Winter 2010

Solebury School Alumni Department 6832 Phillips Mill Road New Hope, PA 18938 www.solebury.org

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Alma’s Update Winter 2010 NEWS FROM SOLEBURY ALUMNI _______

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Reunion Weekend 2010 April 30 – May 2 Classes ending in 0s and 5s are celebrating special reunions.

Class of 1935 Class of 1940 Class of 1945 Class of 1950 Class of 1955

Class of 1960 Class of 1965 Class of 1970 Class of 1975 Class of 1980 Class of 1985 Class of 1990 Class of 1995 Class of 2000 Class of 2005

75th reunion 70th reunion 65th reunion 60th reunion 55th reunion

50th reunion 45th reunion 40th reunion 35th reunion 30th reunion 25th reunion 20th reunion 15th reunion 10th reunion 5th reunion

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Tentative Reunion Weekend Schedule 2010 FRIDAY, APRIL 30 1:00 – 3:00

Registration, Founders Library School memorabilia will be available for sale

4:00

Athletic Events

6:00 – 8:00

Alumni Reception (heavy hor d’oeuvres and beer/wine), James Michener Museum Entertainment provided by Alison Simpson ’71 $25 per person Tour of Nakashima Reading Room (with alums, Mira ’59 and Kevin Nakashima ’73) Tour of Selected New Hope Artists with ties to Solebury School Exhibit: Hollywood Dresses State of the School Address with Tom Wilschutz, Head of School Reunion Dinners (enjoy the area restaurants of Doylestown, http://doylestownalive.com/dining/ShowDining.cfm?webna me=dalive)

7:00 – 10:00

Coffee House, Performing Art Center Students will be performing during the first part of coffee house and alumni are encouraged to join in as the evening unfolds. Come with instruments and strong vocal cords!

SATURDAY, MAY 1 Morning

Registration, Founders Library School memorabilia will be available for sale Student-led campus tours

10:00

Memorial Service, Alumni Memorial Garden (behind Founders Library)

11:00 – 11:30

Class Photos, Boyd Dining Hall

11:30 – 12:00

Reunion Buffet Lunch, Boyd Dining Hall Entertainment TBA No Fee

2:00

Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony, John D. Brown Athletic Center

3:00 – 5:00

Young Alumni Burgers and Beer Bash, Head of School House $10 per person

5:30 – 10:00

Solebury’s Annual Dinner & Auction, John D. Brown Athletic Center Lights, Camera, Auction! $50 per person, reservations required

SUNDAY, MAY 2 10:00

Farewell Brunch, Boyd Dining Hall No Fee

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FEBRUARY 2010 HOLMQUIST SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 1917-1949

Where Holmquist Began THE BARN Barbara Bull Parmer H’27 typed a 2 page, single-spaced memoir of Holmquist School which we’ve decided to print in full.

Polly Rosen Groff’s letter with her fascinating memories of Holmquist School in the twenties has certainly brought back to me similar thoughts, and I wanted to jot down these notes as they came to me. I was there at the same time as Polly, one of the happiest times in my life.

Because the school was small and unique we were able to make close friendships and the group was more like a close family than a school with strict academic rules.

Some of the teachers were really outstanding. Miss Montgomery of the black piercing eyes (scary) “Monty” to the girls was inspired – her English course my second year opened up so much about English poets, poetry and literature which has given me pleasure throughout life.

Miss Lamphrey “Eva B.” patiently struggled through Julius Caesar and Cicero with me. I was never good at languages. As there were only two girls in the class she really had to drill it in. And dear Madame Temple used to laugh at my terrible New England accent in French class but gave me good marks on paper so I got by. And Miss Hurley’s (Bah Bah Hurley Burley) informal discussions about history and politics opened up our eyes.

A few of us who didn’t ride (horses) used to help on Miss Hurley’s farm on free fall afternoons clearing up corn fields and such, and later sitting around in her ample Penn farmhouse kitchen drinking tea and chatting. One year, in the mill, we put on a very fancy marching and intricate gymnastic drill for the neighbors and parents.

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Miss Karline was a bit awesome. I was shy and tonguetied but she went out of her way to make friends with all the girls. Occasionally she would take individuals out on her little model T Ford for a ride around the marvelous Pennsylvania countryside, up and down the river, before it got so touristy.

Miss Karline had two dogs, Bruce a handsome collie and Puck, a feisty little smoothhaired terrier who went everywhere with her. After Puck died we all chipped in and gave her another puppy, but that dog didn’t fit the bill.

When I lived at the Barn we all sat at one large dining table for meals. For lunch and dinner Miss Karline appeared. She sat at the head of the table, served soup from a large tureen and did all the honors of a hostess.

None of us dared talk much – she finally gave us a little intimate talk about being “bumps on a log” and to our delight at lunch time began reading to us during the dessert course. We went through several books, mostly Jane Austen, as I recall.

We had nicknames for practically everyone – Miss Burr, the very busy sort of housekeeper, housemother, was Burrdo.

Louise Taylor was Spinach Taylor, Mary Fox was Fairy Mox and so on.

Our days were busy with school work. In the afternoon, most of us had riding instruction at the Elys – very popular – and in the winter I loved skating on the canal. Nancy Spitzer introduced a fad of wearing sailor bell-bottom trousers as casual wear, and we skated for miles in sailor pants and pea jackets up and down the canal. Except in winter, there were still mules pulling barges on the canal.

Other times we walked to New Hope and over the bridge to Lambertville to Botti’s for sundaes.

Once in a while the whole school was taken on a picnic.

I remember going to a farm on the other side of New Hope with an open pasture with a marvelous clear, large, natural spring-water pond – a place called “Little Will’s” and little Will greeted us - a special, beautiful place for a picnic.

Evenings we had study hall, and often some entertainment. I think I got my love for classical

music from listening to Miss Karline and occasionally Miss Lamson (Lanny) play the piano. They were both outstanding. We sat around informally; some girls on the floor, or even laying on the window seats at White Oaks.

The Glen was beautiful, especially in spring with the wildflowers and rushing brook. It was difficult to concentrate on studies in the Glen house with the bright, bright, sunlight streaming in and the sound of the waterfall splashing in the pond. It was a lovely background for outdoor plays.

pants (or not decorated causing a bit of a mess) the faculty decided to put on a contest for the most attractive room.

Renee Oakman and I had a small room on the third floor at White Oaks. We fixed it up with medium blue bedspreads, sheer gold curtains and we had a huge spray of forsythia on one of our desks. We won the prize – a pair of wrought iron candlesticks from the Morgan Colt Studio. I’ve brought one candlestick with me through seven moves and have it in my kitchen now!

Well, I could go on and on - I can’t think of anything I really The food was excellent, just like disliked about the School. It was a wonderful place for a first home, with home cooking for stop away from home during the small groups. I remember Willie’s cream of onion soup on roaring 20s.

Sundays, roasted chickens, etc.

Thanks for the memories, and Sunday mornings with Barbara. We encourage anyone those good sausage cakes (not to write in with their favorite scrapple). memories of their time at Because each bedroom was dec- Holmquist and Solebury. orated differently by the occu-

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Then the Sunday teas (heavily chaperoned) at Holmquist. A charming girl, Barbara Lovett, Wallace Taylor ’42 also wrote found me vaguely amusing, about his memories: which raised my status a bit.

And coming back from the tea These many years I have been and cookies Mrs. Shaw providreading Alumni Notes about ed for senior boys, Sunday marriages, children, grandchilafternoon December 7, 1941, to dren, colleges, careers, and be met by Ted Foster with: world travels. None of these “They’ve bombed us!” Next admirable things have entered day at Morning Meeting our my life; but now it seems appro- Headmaster Washburn – priate that as almost the last sur- Bostonian to the core – rose to vivor of a Class of perhaps a his considerable height and dozen (?) boys, I offer someannounced: “Gentlemen, we are thing. Therefore I shall write at war!” However school went what I fondly remember of on.

Solebury Circa 1940: A different world then, of green pasAt graduation a local celebrity tures and old stone houses. (she won’t mind that I have forgotten her name) concluded her I loved the feeling of the address to us with the famous Quaker farm that became the quotation “The battle of School. The House with its Waterloo was won on the playopen fires, particularly the huge ing fields of Eton!” With that fireplace in the Dining Room to guide us, we went forward with the very large Bucks into the world.

County landscape over it (much darkened by smoke). Winters So much has been said about and the School were colder the excellence of the teachers then, with deep Pennsylvania and the teaching that I will only snows. say I wish I had taken more advantage of it. However, I was We were required to wear jacket astounded a few years later to and tie at dinner and sat at find my name engraved as round tables, each presided over Valedictorian. It can only have by a Master, who endeavored to been by default. introduce civilized conversation.

Two fine old tall clocks that had I did, so love Solebury School – probably long ceased to regard the old and the new. time stood guard on either side of the doors into the kitchens.

SOLEBURY SCHOOL FOR BOYS

The remarkably good meals were arranged by Miss Betts, artist and illustrator, the distaff side of the faculty. Miss Betts also conducted the very small art classes. (In a 1925 Prospectus was the offer by a local artist of classes in stained glass. I have sometimes wondered about that; another offer by a local farmer of horses to ride seemed more likely).

There are paintings by local Impressionists, some of them given for tuition, and not nearly as valuable as they are now.

Some nice very old furniture stood about, particularly in the wing of The Barn that Herb Boyd built for himself. (One can see where my interests lie; they did not make for popularity.)

I was in no way athletic.

Charles Lawson tried in vain to teach me tennis; after that they gave up. But the vast Gym that was at the heart of The Barn did have style.

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FEBRUARY 2010 HOLMQUIST SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 1917-1949

THE ALMA CLASS OF 1940 George and Louanne Plough are alive and well and living in a lovely retirement community, called Seabury, in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Although it was a terrible wrench to leave their beloved old stone farmhouse and Bucks County, where they had lived for over 50 years, it was a wise decision.

Caroline Henry Royster H’38 enjoyed receiving a copy of The Natural Grace. The Holmquist Years. She reports that she didn’t recall seeing it before but does remember writing about Holmquist.

Barbara Silverstone Garrison H’49 filled out the Alma questionnaire highlighting her webpage: www.barbaragarrison.com.

Please check out her latest calligraphy and etchings work as well as some children’s books she’s illustrated. Barbara, if you ever want to donate a piece of your artwork for the Solebury School auction, please let us know!

Noëlle Kennedy Masukawa H’49 said that her e-mail is noellem@zoomtown.com and she’d like it to be in the next Almas. Here you go, Noëlle!

SOLEBURY SCHOOL FOR BOYS Harrie Lewis ’35 has resigned from lots of things at Crosslands pleading decrepitude. He was, however, picked to work on the committee planning to rebuild the 34-year old nursing care facilities, a multimillion project which is now in the hands of architects. When not holed up in meetings, Harrie and Jeana Levinthal H’39 enjoy traveling to attend musical events. In a February mixed musical and poetic reading event, Harrie was assigned a poem by Byron. Jeana rejected her assignment and instead read Phyllis McGinley’s poem that cites February as a ridiculous month for Valentine’s Day. Why not May or June? She was a smash hit! Jeana, we at Solebury concur!

George is involved in building walking trails around the campus for the residents, is a member of the workshop committee and is a master birdwatcher.

Louann is involved in various committees, including hospitality, library, dining, health, as well as book group, chorus, and tutoring.

The Plough’s also stay well by participating in exercise classes, working out in a fitness center and swimming in a pool.

For Louann’s 80th birthday last year, they blew the inheritance and went on a fantastic safari in Southern Africa with Janet and Jim Gold ’46. Last Fall they went on a fascinating trip to Egypt and Jordan. This past April they spent 2 weeks in Paris and Burgundy. They hope that to make George’s 70th reunion at Solebury in 2010.

CLASS OF 1941 Tom Cooper is alive and well and as crazy about railroads as ever. Always good to hear from contemporaries by phone, email or a visit.

Rrrailer@aol.com Henry Garlington wrote in saying that he had to give up tennis recently because of poor eyesight, but still visits the gym four times a week to stay in tip-top shape.

CLASS OF 1949 As reported by Bill Berkeley, the Mighty Class of ’49 seemed to have a most enjoyable 60th reunion last May. Four stalwarts showed up for the festivities – Tek Talmont, Noel and Laurie Crowley, Peter and Dilys Hoyt and – you guessed it – Bill. A significant addition was Eleanor Miller, Shaun’s widow, who was squired by Bill (with Karen’s prior permission, of course!). We all enjoyed a lively dinner Friday night at the Head’s House, where everyone

had an opportunity to meet and talk to new Head, Tom Wilschutz, and to meet with other generations of reunion classes. But, Saturday night was the most fun.

Eleanor invited all of us to cocktails at her extraordinary home opposite Phillips Mill.

When she and Shaun moved back to New Hope, they were lucky enough to have been able to buy the collection of Elizabethan-style cottages and sheds built by well-known New Hope architect and artist Morgan Colt. Thus we imbibed a bit and engaged in lively conversation in this Brigadoon-like atmosphere, before we walked a few yards to have dinner at the Inn at Phillips Mill for a delicious meal. Everyone was in fine fettle. Tek indulged his love for horse racing by continually checking the progress of the Kentucky Derby. Noel didn’t utter a word under ten syllables all evening, but fully half of them were very funny…as usual. Peter and Bill refreshed a friendship which goes back to before kindergarten – and reminisced about their childhood with Shaun. A fine time was had by all, but the pressing question remained – what do we do for an encore?

On a separate note: Bill Berkeley writes that ‘49ers might like to know of the recent publication of a memoir, A Hidden Life, by Johanna Reiss, Jim’s widow. You will remember that Jim committed suicide long ago when he was 37. At the time not much was known about the circumstances of Jim’s death, so, when I heard that Johanna had written about that sad period in her life, I wanted to read her book.

Jim, as you may recall, went along with me to Yale after Solebury. While I struggled mightily to earn my gentleman’s C, Jim remained near the top of our class during our entire four years. After graduation, Jim went into the Army, as so many of us did.

Following his service, Jim got an MBA from Harvard, then was awarded a Fulbright. Then Jim began his career in business. It is not clear from the book what kind of jobs Jim held. Curiously, there are references throughout the book to a succession of management positions with companies which were described as very

PAGE 6 marginal financially. Jim and Joanna were married. They had two daughters, Kathy and Julie.

Johanna had an interesting background. She was Jewish, from Holland, and had a childhood experience very much like that of Anne Frank. She was hidden from the Nazis during the War by a rural, nonJewish farm family in a tiny third floor room. She lived there for a year and seven months before she was finally able to escape to England.

In 1969, Johanna and Jim arranged to travel with their daughters to Holland to visit the family which had literally saved Johanna’s life. Johanna and the girls flew over first.

Jim had business obligations and would join them after a few days. He would stay a week, then return to the States.

Johanna and the girls would follow a few days later.

Everything seemed to go well on the trip, although Johanna mentions that Jim seemed more on edge than usual. Jim returned to the States and the day before Johanna and the girls were to return home Johanna received a telephone call telling her of Jim’s suicide (with a pistol) and of the curious absence of any note.

I found this a difficult book to read. I guess I had hoped for some easy (or at least definitive) answers as to why our good friend – with all his intelligence and talent – had chosen to kill himself. Perhaps the marriage had gone wrong, although there was no hint of that in the book. Johanna consistently describes Jim as a warm and loving husband. I called Phil Reiss Jim’s older brother whom most of you will remember from Solebury. I specifically asked him about Jim’s professional career, but Phil couldn’t offer any helpful explanation. Frankly, I was surprised that Jim went into the corporate world – I had always assumed that he would have chosen to make his mark in the academic community.

So, there you are. A mystery remains a mystery – but with a few more details revealed.

FEBRUARY 2010 CO-ED MERGER 1950-Present CLASS OF 1956 Faith Allman Viland I am still in the antique business.

Traveling throughout the West.

My son, Michael, who is a Captain in the Navy will retire at the end of 2009. They live in Colorado Springs, CO, his expertise is in the field of missiles. He travels the world.

Sarah Dawes Bailin had a wonderful local (Boston) reunion at her condo last year.

Lots of people came including Margaret Pigeon Orrick.

Sarah also has a home in Maine on land that has been in the family since 1888. Anyone coming to mid-coast Maine is welcome to drop by.

CLASS OF 1958 Kent D. McLaughlin I’m still hanging out in Bisbee Arizona trying to figure out how to survive in this crazy world. Right now I am involved in starting a Vulture fund to buy foreclosed properties - mostly houses.

There are some areas like Arizona that don’t look like they are ever going to come back. The problem is no one knows where the bottom is.

However there are some promising areas of Florida for example where houses can be bought from banks for 17-25% of the balance. Anyone got any good ideas about areas?

Anyway that’s what I am doing as well as enjoying the great weather here in Bisbee. Bisbee is 5200 feet so it doesn’t get as hot as other areas of Arizona.

Bisbee is a great little gem; about 4000 people, an old mining town: the second most mineralized place in the world.

Great place to visit.

David Wilson is downsizing.

He and his wife moved into a smaller apartment in Maine to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Sometime in 2010 they are taking a wonderful vacation to Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

CLASS OF 1959 Wistar Silver I’m a 43 year resident of Doylestown, I have three grandchildren. Brothers John Silver ’57 and Holly Taylor ’57 are doing well.

Mira Nakashima-Yarnall Mira was featured in an article

THE ALMA and on the front cover of Bucks County Magazine’s February-March 2009 issue about her career as a master furniture designer carrying on the famous wood working designing business that her father created around 1945.

Neil Cubberley wrote a nice round-up of his 50th reunion.

When my wife Nancy and I moved our family to Tennessee 32 years ago, two very close friends drove the 700 mile trip to help us move all our belongings. After the job was done, we gathered for dinner and one of the friends made a toast that has always remained close to my heart. “Friends may not always be together, but friends are always friends.” Today we are still friends, stay in touch and visit periodically.

Whenever there is a momentous life event such as a death of a family member, child marriage, etc. we are all together.

Our May 1st & 2nd Solebury Reunion was a rejoining of friends who have not always been together, but have always been friends. While I have attended several Solebury Reunions, this year was of special significance because it was the 50th year since we parted and went our own ways.

Unfortunately not as many of our classmates are still with us in this life, but will always be remembered. To name just a few: George Willard, Sandy Taylor, Barbara Richter and Deborah Wescott. That in itself was enough to make me want to continue visiting Solebury on the first weekend of May to be with my friends and I hope to see more friends next year.

“Friendships are fragile things, and require as much care in handling as any other fragile and precious thing.” Randolph S. Bourne, Author 1886-1918 CLASS OF 1960 Hannah Dinkel passed along the following news. This past Valentine’s Day more than 400 people packed the tiny St. Mary’s Church on Shelter Island to attend my dear friend of 50 years and husband of just shy of 30 years, Fred Dinkel’s funeral. He was, one could say, fortunate as he was going into the serious stage of diabetes just as he passed away in his sleep.

CLASS OF 1961 Sandra Mason Dickson Coggeshall gets to Devon, PA 2 or 3 times a year to visit their daughter, Lisa Dickson and grandson. She and her husband try to catch up with Peter and Star Grover, Jeff & Valerie Greene and the McCooks. Summers are busy with shows at both studios in Port Clyde, ME and on Monhegan Island plus gardening and kayaking at home.

PAGE 7 Peggy is one of 70 female ecoachievers spotlighted as part of the magazine’s Earth Day and seventieth anniversary celebration. Entitled “70 New Reasons to Live Green,” the article, in which Peggy and the other eco-achievers are featured, offers an inspiring look at some of the current efforts underway to protect our environment.

A friend and former Solebury student, Chuck Kruger of Thomaston, ME was elected in November as a Maine State Representative.

Barbara Slaner Winslow has co-authored Clio in the Classroom: A Guide to Teaching US Women’s History.

She is the Founder and Director of the Shirley Chisholm Project of Brooklyn Women’s Activism.

CLASS OF 1962

CLASS OF 1964

Sally Independence Bowie and her husband count themselves lucky to live in the same town as Tim Leshan and to see his parents David and Polly when they visit Philadelphia. The Bowie’s were in the area to visit their son Jesse who is a Philly Fellow doing urban farming.

Jessie graduated from Haverford in May, 2009 with high honors. Their older son, Dolph, is a struggling actor in LA. If you’re in film or TV and looking for a bright, talented, handsome young man, he’s your guy.

Alice Landis Hawley learned everything about writing at Solebury, not at college. Alice has written a young adult novel – Melissa, Pass It On. If you’d like to buy a copy, follow the link. Alice, how about sending us an autographed copy for our library?

Here’s the link: http://www.lulu.com/content/pa perback-book/melissa-pass-iton/7438921

Toni Peters and her husband plan to spend the better part of January and February in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico as a trial retirement run. San Miguel is the kind of town where an artsy Solebury graduate might live. If any members of the Solebury community are there, please let Toni know aarontoni@verizon.net. Insider information is always helpful.

Peter Ricker and his wife Lisa are currently living in Fair Haven, NJ with their 8 year old who attends Rumson Country Day School. Peter brags that his son’s team had an undefeated football season. Peter is currently working most of the time in Chicago building a condo in Lincoln Park. Peter enjoys helping build schools for inner cities and overseas.

Margo Harder Lawless and her husband Dick are loving their antique home in South Eastern MA. They’ve been there 35 years and this past Christmas the whole family was home.

CLASS OF 1965 Peggy Johnson filled out the Alma’s form and mailed it back into us with a ton of biographical data. If you are interested in contacting her, email the alumni office and we’ll get the email address and phone #s to you. We’d rather not print that stuff, you know.

CLASS OF 1963

Jaye Ruth Friedman-Levy continues to offer psychotherapy in California. Part of her work includes critical incident stress detoxifying for employee assistance programs. Ruth is also a Red Cross member. If you are in California and want to touch base, her number is 714-730-1217. Jaye told us it was ok to print her phone number.

Peggy Shepard WE ACT Executive Director Peggy Shepard made the April 2009 issue of Glamour magazine!

Margaret Hawthorn flew to Cairo, Egypt on Christmas Day to participate in an interfaith march to end the siege and suf-

FEBRUARY 2010 fering in Gaza. She’s blogging about the experience at http://monadnockquaker.livejou rnal.com. Part of her press release: Margaret Hawthorn of Winchendon, MA plans to spend New Years Day in the Gaza Strip of Palestine, where she will join activists from over forty nations around the world to participate in the Gaza Freedom March. The march marks the one-year anniversary of “Operation Cast Lead,” the December 2008 Israeli military campaign in which 1,387 Palestinians (including 773 civilians) lost their lives.

Hawthorn will participate in the march as a part of an interfaith group that includes members of the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), people representing eastern traditions, and others.

She will be among 1,300 international activists caravanning from Cairo, Egypt to the border crossing between Rafah and Gaza. On December 31 they will join an anticipated 50,000 Palestinians in a non-violent march from Northern Gaza to the border crossing near Erez, Israel. In an initiative to end the siege that has jeopardized the health and lives of the 1.5 million people who live in Gaza, they will call for the border to be opened.

Simultaneously, on the Israeli side of the border Palestinian and Israeli peace groups will also rally to open the border.

THE ALMA different states of repair), flew to and spent 3 days in Lhasa, Tibet, where we climbed 1,000 stairs of the Potala Palace (the former living quarters of the Dalai Lama), observed somewhat unobtrusive Chinese soldiers in the streets, and ate Yak steak. We then flew to Chongqing (largest population in China of 32,000,000) to cruise on the Yangtze River and tour the Three Gorges and the dam. The Three Gorges river trip was unlike anything I have ever experienced — from sheer beauty of the mountains, to watching people who live along the river bathe, wash their clothes and throw everything and anything into it — the Yangtze was totally brown.

Not a place we’d want to swim or put our foot in, but the people who live there do so every day.

The last part of the trip took us to Shanghai which is booming and has amazing architecture.

China is huge, the cities are teeming with people; the central government is building high-rise apartments everywhere as they dismantle the older homes and displace the people to these new buildings (they claim the crane is their national bird). Shanghai, in particular, is booming. The climate was hot and muggy; the air in many places oppressive and overcast (they call it fog instead of smog). We did have some “blue sky days” in both Beijing and Shanghai, however. A rarity, they say.

CLASS OF 1967

John and Linda Brown sent in the following report.

This past June and July, thanks to a retirement gift from Solebury’s Board of Trustees, John and I toured the “Roof of the World” with Viking River Cruises to mainland China and Tibet. In 16 days, we visited Beijing (watch out when crossing the street!) and the Forbidden City, climbed the Great Wall, toured the summer palace, flew to Xian where the Terracotta Warriors are displayed (about 7,000 of them in

Our tour guide was a 31 yearold Beijing native, whose grandfather was a professor in a university who was re-educated to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. Her parents were not university educated. She grew up in one of the hutongs (small communal homes in Beijing) until she was 21, when the homes were demolished and she and her parents were moved to one of the new high-rise condos. She majored in English at the university, and her English (even though she has never been out of China — The US denied her a visa because she was single and thought she would not return to China) was almost perfect with little Chinese accent. She was with our tour group (only 17 people) the whole time and really helped us to understand how the Chinese people are adjusting to

the many recent changes. Her generation is an interesting one as she has lived through great change.

This is a trip we would never have taken on our own, and we are so glad we had the opportunity to do this. See pictures of the trip on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/li ndasolebury/sets/ CLASS OF 1968 This June 2010 it will be 5 years since Sandra Hoffacker moved from her New Hope/Solebury community of 50 years to the Land of Enchantment & Outlaws (Cerrillos, NM). Sandra finally has a tenant for the 2nd floor barn apartment. Sandra is still working full time at the local penitentiary as a medical records clerk and volunteers part time at the local fire company.

PAGE 8 infinite patience with my papers on Jews of... China...

India, etc.). After what seemed like an interminable mid-life crisis 15 years ago, I stopped being a litigator and entered the non-profit advocacy world.

In Los Angeles over the last 15 years or so, I ran an abortion rights group, flirted with ethnomusicology for awhile, had fun performing a Yiddish laborCommunist repertoire in singing lecture-concerts of my own devising, worked to keep Bush’s radical judges off the federal bench (won just a few there), was a California Democratic State Party delegate active in progressive politics, and ran a campaign finance reform organization.

I loving being on the same coast with all those I love most - particularly living a 20 minute walk away from my daughter - and am thrilled to be back in New York with theater, concerts, restaurants and so much interesting stuff to do.

CLASS OF 1973 All is well with Tom Zeng.

CLASS OF 1976

Robert Kenner wrote and directed the movie “Food Inc.” The author of Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser, is a producer, featured in the film and was on Steven Colbert Show promoting the movie.

The Daily Show featuring Jon Stewart had Robbie on as a guest. http://www.thedailyshow.com/ watch/thu-july-2-2009/robertkenner Also, Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma is featured in it. http://www.foodincmovie.com/ http://robertkennerfilms.com CLASS OF 1969 Susan Lerner After more than 25 years of exile on the “left” coast, I am back home in the East. I think back to my years at Solebury and I see how my time there helped me to discover who I am and laid the foundations for exploring all the things that I care most deeply about: politics, music, theater, food, and even my Jewish identity (Callanan had

Brad Acopulos I make furniture for a living out of furniture and materials that have been recycled. I currently have a store on www.etsy.com under recycled art furniture.

CLASS OF 1977 Rachel Simon has a new book called Building A Home With My Husband; A Journey Through The Renovation of Love. It is a memoir about the construction, demolition, and renovation of relationships – and the unexpected ways in which rebuilding a home can repair a heart. It’s available in all major book stores.

Kami Simpson I have just return from a sunny warm vacation in Sao Paulo - Brazil during Carnival; then back to a cold snowy week at work in Jersey.

FEBRUARY 2010 I love being a Cultural World Traveler. My last real vacation was about 6 years ago when I went to Conakry, Guinea to learn West African dancing & drumming. While I was there, I helped build my djembe. I did not speak French back then and still don’t. Walking the Half Marathon in Dublin, Ireland was another vacation that stands out for me, where I met a lot of great people.

When I was a student taking Japanese at Solebury, my two classmates asked if I would like to join them to visit their relatives in Japan. I am truly grateful that my life has been filled with all these wonderful episodes. What an incredibly rich life I have been given, by opening up to these special possibilities that have come along my way. I can honestly say today that life is good and the cup is half full today.

CLASS OF 1979 Mark Lienau I have lived in Vermont for the last thirty years, for the last twenty five I have lived in the northeast corner of what we call the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I am married to a wonderful soul mate, Frankie, and we have two teenagers. My son, Donny is currently in Wyoming. He attends Clarkson University. My daughter, Becky, is a sophomore and doing very well in school. I am a science teacher, and have taught all ages from middle school, high school and college. I now teach middle grades. On weekends, I am a telemark Ski instructor at The Baslams/Wilderness Ski Resort. In the summer I guide Whitewater Rafts through the Hudson River Gorge in the Adirondacks. Come rafting!

THE ALMA CLASS OF 1989

Allegra Sleep I recently painted a painting that is a part of an invitational show called “Rebirth Amid the Ruins” at the Blumenschein Museum in Taos, New Mexico.

Dan Anthonisen is preparing for his first retrospective opening on January 28th at the Payne Gallery at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. The exhibition runs through March 7th.

and is now studying for a Master’s degree in Public Health at Temple.

CLASS OF 1994 Robin Elliot I worked on a winning political campaign for a Pennsylvania candidate.

Lisa Gallipeau I’ve spent the last eleven years living in Cardiff, Wales. I’m currently about to begin my last year of Adult Nursing degree at University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Wales. It took me awhile to find my path; thank goodness the UK is ultra-progressive with adult education.

My partner, Richard Kelly, writes and is truly one of life’s all-around Good People. My son Max is 9 (and already 5 ft tall) and Jesse is 7. Jessie still believes bugs are fairies and lives in a world of her making.

Both are learning to speak Welsh and constantly wonder why I didn’t learn any in New Jersey growing up. My life has changed beyond all recognition over the past five years, and I’m happier, more settled and more fulfilled than I’ve ever been. Life is good! Look me up if you’re in the UK-I’m on Facebook. Psst! Solebury School has a Facebook page, too. Check us out!

CLASS OF 1996 Zach Bittner stopped by campus. Nice hat.

CLASS OF 2002

Joshua Price stopped by campus for a free lunch this summer. He ran into the new Head of School, Tom Wilschutz, and had a great chat. Josh is living in Texas now studying architecture. When he heard John Petito ’96 was teaching at Solebury he responded, “Wow, really”?

Michael Barocca has graduated from SUNY-Purchase with a degree in music, and is working for the university theater program as a technician.

Brittany Korn will graduate medical school in May 2010.

CLASS OF 1997 Bryan Walsh stopped by campus to get transcripts. Looking to get into University of the Arts or Cabrini College for art.

When he heard John Petito ’96 was teaching at Solebury he responded, “Wow, really”?

CLASS OF 1993 CLASS OF 1998

Hope Newhouse Solebury French teacher, Steve Benoit, visited Hope in Paris in March 2009 when Steve led a group of current Solebury students to Paris. Hope lives in Montmartre, a famous Parisian neighborhood. Check out Hope’s latest blog entry. Nice! http://hopieskitchen.blogspot. com/ Max Sorenson Max created this cutting edge video that can be seen on You Tube. It is surprisingly different! http://www.vimeo.com/3399903

CLASS OF 1988 Jeff Vespa is at it again. This past June Jeff was one of the producers of a new documentary called Playground – the child sex trade in America.

Save it in your Netflix DVD queue. www.jeffvespa.com.

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Patrick Sprague with his wife Renee and two children Henry and Elijah. The family stopped by on their way to Connecticut.

They are pictured in front of the Crib where his mother Judith lived while she was Theatre director/English teacher 1991-93.

Joanne Friedman is now an attorney at Passman and Kaplan in Washington, DC. She’s working on civil rights and discrimination cases of federal employees.

Reggie Shiobara wrote to Cinnie looking for some of his old TOEFL scores – not really, but what he reported was his new unpaid internship with Annie Liebovitz! While working there he will get some grant money from POLA Art Foundation to live in NY. Check him and his stuff out at www.reggieshiobara.com.

CLASS OF 2004

CLASS OF 1999

Jessica Giffin Jessica graduated from George Washington University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in History and Theater. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.

Rebekah Horowitz has graduated from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University

Gillian McHale Gillian wrote in reporting that she has finished her first year of teaching

FEBRUARY 2010 for Teach for American. She’s a 9th grade English teacher at St. John High School in Reserve, LA. After her teaching stint, Gillian plans on applying to law school for Fall 2010.

Ji Soo Park We’ve received a nice note from Ji Soo. He writes: It’s been a little more than three months since I have become a soldier, serving as a KATUSA member in Yongsan, Korea. I have been through the BTC and KTA (KATUSA Training Academy) and was assigned an administrative task + interpretation work at Operations and Management Department. The living and working environment is incomparable with that of the Republic of Korea Army: I live 2 in 1 barracks, get access to internet every day, enjoy all the great facilities (Yongsan Garrison is pretty much like a little American village in the heart of Seoul city), and get weekend passes almost every weekend that I go back home and see my family often. I could only be so grateful for everything and I truly thank GOD for having prepared and allowed every bit of it for me.

CLASS OF 2005 Liz Kennerley’s been keeping in touch with Phyllis Arnold.

Liz reports: I’m taking a grad Child Life course at Wheelock in the hopes it will give them more of a reason to accept me come next Fall. I will also be volunteering for my 4th year at Children’s Boston. I’m an academic addict. It’s an expensive habit, but there is much to gain. Besides, I’ve been in school since I was 3 (preschool) so I think part of me wants to continue that pattern.

THE ALMA May with a B.A. in Music Theory/Composition and Jazz Performance with a concentration in piano. In June, he traveled to Los Angeles to join Michael Pisaro’s Dogstar Orchestra, performing works by experimental composers as well as some of his own. He is currently attending the Ostrava Days 2009 composition program in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The program lasts three weeks and will focus on large ensemble/orchestral composition techniques. Lectors include Christian Wolff, Bernard Lang, Petr Kotik and others. Here, he will have the opportunity to have a new orchestral work performed by the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra.

Instead of walking in his own graduation ceremony, Sam decided to record the events from the audience. For twentyfour hours spread out over graduation weekend, Sfirri visited five other locations in Charleston, SC with the purpose of documenting the sounds that occurred during the transitional period from him being a student to an adult.

This documentation process was the first step in the composing of a new work of music.

Upon his return from Europe, he will spend two weeks at a residency in Pickens, SC to sort through the recordings made during graduation weekend and use them as the basis for a work of music for a small ensemble. Inspired by composers John Cage, Morton Feldman, Michael Pisaro and Joseph Kudirka, the piece will be written using experimental techniques such as chance procedures and the application of silence in the music itself. The piece will be premiered in Charleston in November of 2009, fully funded by the Coastal Community Foundation’s Individual Expansion Arts Grant.

CLASS OF 2006

Sam Sfirri graduated from the College of Charleston in Charleston South Carolina, in

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Solebury School graduate Malcolm Ingram has been selected as the All-Philadelphia Area Player of the Year by the Herb Good Basketball Club, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.

The club recognized the area’s outstanding Division II and Division III players in addition to Villanova coach Jay Wright, various Big 5 players and a handful of high school standouts.

Ingram, a junior forward at Philadelphia University, led the Rams to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament. He averaged 15.8 points and 8.3 rebounds for the season. He was named to the CACC all-tournament team and was a CACC firstteam all-conference pick.

Babies

CLASS OF 2008 Brian Bertucci I am currently attending Manhattanville College studying business Administration and playing basketball.

CLASS OF 2009 Anders Simpson-Wolf emailed Solebury School. In his email he claims he does his laundry everyday and has a splendid roommate. Here’s part of his 1,000 word 3-page note (just kidding, Anders) There’s so much going on! I managed to land a job up here working for the Center for Engineering and Education Outreach. Every Thursday, from 3-5:15, I go to an elementary school and teach kids how to play with Legos. Truly.

It’s terrifying, to be perfectly honest. From 3-4 I work with K-2 students. They’re OUT OF CONTROL!!! As soon as they see the boxes of Legos they lose it. Absolute insanity.

From 4-5:15 we work with 3-6 students. They’re better, admittedly, but still very young. Coming from Botball last year with high school students... well, it just isn’t the same. Still, I can hardly complain about it. I enjoy the work (and the cash), and I’ll probably stick with the job for at least another semester or two.

Josh Poinsett ’99 wants to show off his wonderful family.

Wife Erica, son Jake, 4 years old, and Sydney Elise Poinsett Born 7-10-08 at 7:58am 9 pounds 3 ounces and 21 inches.

Jessie Boehm’s ’03 beautiful baby Tavia.

Steve and Alyssa Buteux gave birth to Eliot Jane Buteux born June 27th, 2009.

FEBRUARY 2010

THE ALMA

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Marriages

Jennifer Tilden Gordon, Esq. ’93 October 24, 2009

Beryl Lin ’98 was married on September 19, 2009

Deaths Fred Oblinger ’44 passed

away on October 6, 2009.

Fred was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania on October 25, 1926 to the late Fred and Josephine (Clark) Oblinger.

Fred loved his country and enlisted on May 25, 1944 days after graduating from Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Fred proudly served in the 82nd Airborne Division (80th AB Anti AC Bn.) from 1944-1946 and Fred earned expert infantry and parachutist badges.

Fred earned a mechanical engineering degree from Yale University in 1950. He began his career with Pratt & Whitney and joined Ford Motor Company in 1954 where he retired after 42 years of dedicated service. Fred had a very productive career at Ford where he coauthored several patents. He designed many gadgets for his colleagues that were referred to as “Fred things”. Fred never boasted of his accomplishments, but consistently praised the contributions of his colleagues.

Fred married Jeanne T. Gurney in 1947 and was blessed with six children during their 48 years of marriage. Jeanne entered her heavenly home in 1996 after a difficult battle with cancer. Happiness was restored to Fred’s life when he married Joyce Trapp in 2000.

They were blessed with nearly ten years together. Fred dearly loved his family and was a devoted husband. He would sacrifice or do anything for the benefit of his family.

Fred is survived by his beloved wife, Joyce Oblinger; his sister, Dee; his children James, Deborah, Nikki, Jill, Daniel, and Eric; stepchildren Renae, Chris, and Beth; 18 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Jeanne and his sister Marion.

Terry Keenan ’41 died of heart failure on February 25, 2009. Terry was an executive and consultant with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton. Under Terry’s direction, the foundation brought health care to rural areas and blighted urban neighborhoods, established programs to prepare minority students to enter the health profession, and provided funding to educate more general practitioners. In 1993, Grantmakers in Health established the annual Terrance Kennan Leadership Award.

Amy Shapiro Espie ’69 died of complications of multiplemyloma. She is survived by her brothers, Rob Shapiro ’73, Steven Shapiro ’67 and her mother, Natalie Shapiro, a long time Solebury volunteer.

Farnsworth Powers ’36 died on December 10th, 2009.

Sagha Skinner ’79 of Yellow Springs passed away June 9, 2009 at his residence. He was born March 25, 1960 to Thelma and Elliot Skinner in Brooklyn, NY. He attended Central State University. Prior to his illness he was employed at Yellow Springs Instrument.

He leaves to cherish his memory his son, Jordan Skinner; daughter Theresa Skinner both of Yellow Springs; his mother Thelma of New York; one sister Gail (Lawrence) Holland of New Jersey; two brothers Larry and Touray Skinner of New York; one stepson Jovan King of Dayton, Ohio; stepmother Gwen Skinner of Washington D.C.; former wife and mother of children Lorena Skinner; special friend Karen Adams of Yellow Springs, Ohio and a host of other relatives and friends.

Jonathan Perry Sturges ’70 died of heart failure on June 8th, 2009.

FORMER FACULTY

Bettyann Kasparian of Doylestown, PA died on Nov. 30, 2009 at home after a courageous 5 year battle with cancer.

She is survived by her husband, Kas Kasparian, her son, Steven Fluck of Arizona, her daughter, Elyssa Buteux, husband Steven and their daughter, Eliot. She also is survived by her sister Karen Ruth, brothers David and Allen Ruth.

Important Information Please check out Solebury’s website www.solebury.org.

On this site you can send class notes, update your contact information, register for reunions, make a gift to Solebury, and more. To log in, you’ll need your personal identification number from the school which is the four or five digit number next to your name on the mailing label.

Solebury has a Facebook page! Right now there are over 450 alumni, friends and faculty of Solebury School.

Please join us. You can also find our Facebook page via the website. Just look for the button on the right side of the page.

P.O. Box 429 is no longer a valid address. Please use 6832 Phillips Mill Road for all Solebury correspondence.

FEBRUARY 2010

THE ALMA

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