First and foremost, our heartiest CONGRATULATIONS to Rear Admiral Select RON SILVA.  RON reports that he and BEV are doing fine, although shocked and excited about his selection.  The kids are all grown; Cynthia living in New York City, Bucky finishing college this summer and Matt recently moving to Southern California. RON anticipates remaining as MLCLANT Deputy until next summer when he'll trade up from Eagles to Stars!

 

Secondly, thanks to THAD ALLEN for his Class Correspondent efforts over the past few years.  With a more than full plate as the Coast Guard's Resource Director, THAD's watch rotation was moving from port and starboard to port and report.  My pleasure to relieve the watch.  With 79 classmates now on-line and posted on our Home Page <http://www.oocities.org/CollegePark/Campus/7184>  "No excuse, Sir" doesn't cut it on your not submitting updates for these Class Notes!

 

So who's doing what?  Make sure you check out BARNEY TURLO's retirement chapeau in Scuttlebutt on the Home Page.  BARNEY reports that he and LINDA sold their house in Rhode Island (finally) and bought a home in Benton, Maine in November which is right in the middle of family --- both Moms, BARNEY's 3 brothers and 3 sisters, and LINDA's brother and 2 sisters.  Best part of retired/Maine life? Their 20-month old grand-daughter Leah is in Nashua, NH only a couple hours away.  His current job: cutting up tree branches that fell off during the Ice Storm of '98 in his back yard and making the occasional batch of home brew (root beer, I'm sure).  Always shy and retiring about his opinions, BARNEY occasionally must spend a little time down in that basement computer office forcing himself to initiate or respond to issues in CGTalk at <http://www.escribe.com/military/cgtalk/>.

DOUG KROLL submitted a great photo taken with Captain Curt Kelly just before DOUG retired as a Naval Reserve Chaplain.  He's still serving as the pastor of a relatively small Lutheran congregation, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Pomona, CA.   DOUG's preparing for another career change...he wants to go into full time college/university teaching.   He's been going part time to graduate school and is finishing up his course work for a Ph. D. in history at the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA where he and LANA have been living for the past dozen years or so.  DOUG and LANA's two sons are commuting to two different colleges - but still living at home, enjoying that "free" room and board!   Twenty year old Tim attends Cal State University at Fullerton and 19 year old Matthew is attending Mt. San Antonio Community College in Walnut, CA.  DOUG wrote, "I have also done some part time teaching as an "adjunct" (part-time, low pay).   Last spring a taught a class on WWII at a nearby college and I guess I emphasized the Coast Guard's role enough because before they started the final exam, one of my students played "Semper Paratus" on a boom box.  My heart is still in the Coast Guard."

JON WALDRON sent in an info update on his picture with STAN NORMAN and GORDY MARSH posted on the Home Page.  The picture was from February of this year.  JON became an equity partner at Dyer Ellis and Joseph in January and spends "all my time working my butt off"...must be one of those lawyer terms?  We have lived in Northern Virginia now for 11 years and enjoy it.  Son, Nathan, 21 at home working this summer and daughter, Nicole 17 will be a senior in high school."  JON says he saw PAUL BARLOW in the DC area for PAUL's daughter's wedding.  PAUL's working for a computer company in Cleveland.  PAUL's missing from the on-line register...anyone have an E-mail address?

 

RUSS WILSON checks in from St. Louis with the following: "Post Coast Guard life has been wonderful and exciting.   I went back to school at Webster University in St. Louis and will have a masters in computers by the end of July this year.   It has been fun being the oldest guy in class.   I am not sure what the education will do for me, but at least I can thoroughly understand why I keep crashing my computer.   The next goal in the journey is to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.   [Another soul lost to the Dark Side!]   Golf remains a lifelong passion.  Strategically planned "environmental surveys" at the local golf course serve as a tonic for the soul.  BARB and I are both enjoying the work-a-day world.   She is an office manager for an information technology firm in the St. Louis area and I am a systems analyst for another firm.   Our sons are all off doing different things.   Jason (17) will be a senior in high school next year and is spending the summer traveling to Australia.   Geoff (19) is a sophomore in college and is majoring in computer science.   He is going to summer school right now and has learned how to spend our money quite handily.   Our oldest son, Joe, graduated in 1990 from the Citadel in Charleston, S.C. and is now a policeman in Columbia, South Carolina. Thanks to Joe and his wife, BARB and I are now very proud grandparents to an adorable 5 year old granddaughter.   I have to admit, being a "Grandma and Grandpa" has been fun."

 

The Principal...yes, I said Principal...Mister MOONERS sent in a few family photos and reports that he just completed his fifth year as the principal of Rhinebeck High School.  TOM says Rhinebeck is a small school, 400 kids, and it is like a family -  the way high school should be.   His daughter Kate will be a senior next year. Son Dan will be a junior at Binghamton University in the fall.  Dan had a great year swimming and actually received a couple of bucks for an athletic scholarship.  TOM’s begun a doctoral program at St. John's and will be spending six days in NYC this summer attending the Learning Styles  Institute.  Check out the "Mystery Photo" at Scuttlebutt...extra points for guessing whose hat?

 

I had lunch with CRAIG EIDE a couple of weeks ago. CRAIG, LINDA, and their sons Eric and Elliott live in Ballard...that's just north of Magnolia and west of the Fremont District.  CRAIG brought along one of Eric's high school classmates who's an AIM candidate this summer and is seeking an Academy appointment.  CRAIG has a small CPA practice and is also the Chief Financial Officer (part-time) of a 150 employee manufacturing company in Enumclaw...I won't even begin to describe that one!   LINDA is a disciplinary attorney for the Washington State Bar...guess there go the lawyer jokes!

 

MARIO WENDETTI sent in a full accounting of his activities since retiring in '91 when the slate had him going to GI...made the decision real easy.   ROBIN was a business director for a local community college when he got a better offer from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a research facility owned by the Dept. of Energy and operated by the University of California.  He worked there for five years in environmental management.  In 96, he accepted a better position with similar areas of responsibility at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL). Part of his job at LBL is to manage the radioactive waste generated from the research done there; accelerators, radioactive tracers used in biological research, etc.  Understandably, radioactive waste is not the favorite subject in the surrounding community (which has declared itself a "nuclear free zone") so this became a big challenge.  ROBIN’s expending considerable effort working with LBL's neighbors regarding their genuine concerns, a real growth experience.  Fortunately, he rides to work on his current motorcycle up over the hills into Berkeley.  WHIMP says, "I do my best to ignore all speed limits and tear up Grizzly Peak road as best I can.  But I realize that it takes less and less to thrill me and occasionally a young buck will fly by me, reminding me that he, not me, is the one doing the tearing up.  Still, at the top, there's a great view of San Francisco Bay that makes it worthwhile even if I've been stuck behind slow cars."  This year he ended 10 years of coaching youth soccer and recently ended 8 years of involvement with an inner-city Oakland Christian mission.  When not on that motorcycle, NANCY gets him into an occasional step exercise class and there's always running, bicycling, skiing, hoops, and back-packing.  Grab his E-mail address from Classmates and drop him a quick note...he'd love to hear from you!

 

The SLY ONE sent in a quick update.  JIM’s working in a sales position with PETE BARRETT (computer guru and visionary with interactive training and distance learning) at Wing.Net Interactive, an Internet Solutions provider.   They've been talking with the CG regarding sale of some of their courseware to assist in the transition to Work Station III.  If JIM's sellin', the Coast Guard will be buyin'!  JIM and PEG live in Sandwich, Mass with PEG, a registered nurse, working at the Falmouth Prescription Center.  Erin is a graduate of the University of Maine, and is currently a General Music teacher in the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District. Meghan is a sophomore at Boston College, studying International Business Accounting.  Want to see JIM, PEG and the girls? Check out <http://chem.bu.edu/~mjlane/JAS/>!

 

Speaking of PETE BARRETT, just a day or so after hearing from JIM, PETE passed along the following: "I have had my own business dealing with interactive training over the past six years.  I merged my company (small business) with an Internet business my partners had this past year.   NANCY and I have two kids, our son attending Northeastern U. as a sophomore and a daughter starting high school this year.  We've been back in Connecticut for almost 12 years. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."  You can see how PETE and JIM keep busy by browsing <http://www.wing.net>.

 

Another recent addition to our on-line roster [thanks to some intel from DOUG PHILLIPS] is JIM ARMSTRONG.  Life is good in Miami where JIM's been practicing law since '82.  He's done all aspects of law practice; had his own practice, worked for firms, been a partner in a six lawyer firm, but for the last two and a half years has been a trial lawyer for the CNA Companies and is enjoying the practice of law for the first time.  He says, "I realized I didn't like the business of law and the extreme pressure to bill beyond reason.  About four years ago I started looking for alternative careers when this opportunity came along and it has worked out well.  Of course the insurance industry is changing rapidly, so who knows what the future will bring.  We have gone through substantial downsizing in the last two months, about 5,000 employees country wide."  JANINE quit teaching when son Danny, now 9, was born.  Oldest son Scott is 13 so the boys keep he and JANINE on their toes.  JIM echoes ROBIN...link to him from Classmates.

 

TOMMY & SUSI CLARKE visited Casa de Swedberg in scenic Issaquah just after Memorial Day, as they toured the Pacific Northwest for a 25th Anniversary deja vu vacation.  Had a great visit recalling our days on NORTHWIND together over a few root beers and some lemonade.  Even visited the old Crestwood Apartments where we each had our 1^st apartments after being married.  TOMMY and SUSI have retired to Greenville, SC where he is the Executive Director of the Pickens County Chapter of the American Red Cross.  Wendy's 21 and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida State in 3 years with BAs in Anthropology and Creative Writing.  Wendy's engaged to Andrew Pfrenger of Miami and is planning a May '99 wedding in Greenville.   After attending 3 high schools in 4 years, 17 year old Dan's out of the house attending Clemson, majoring in Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Wildlife Biology.  That leaves 7 1/2 year old Katie, an enthusiastic 2nd grader, all alone at home, but with more than enough energy to keep Mom and Dad hopping!

On 30 July, MARY JANE and I journeyed across the pond to attend PHIL VOLK's Change of Command Ceremony at Group/Air Station Port Angeles.  RICH HARDING was able to boondo...oops, I mean coordinate a CG business trip to the west coast so he could attend and BOB VAIL, another PA retiree, also joined the festivities.  PHIL choose to have a private retirement ceremony with his crew a few days before the CofC.  Having served 3 tours in PA...absolutely no correlation with his previous detailer assignments...PHIL and ANN have made PA their home and have moved into a magnificent new home they designed (OK, PHIL's contribution was signing checks and agreeing with ANN!) which sits on the bluff west of PA overlooking the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Spectacular view!  Daughter Beth is attending the University of Washington pursuing her BS in Nursing, so PHIL and ANN have lots of room for visitors...you really must see their view!

Keep checking our Home Page at <http://www.oocities.org/CollegePark/Campus/7184> for updates and photos.   As I write these notes, the August issue is hitting your mail boxes.  Although CHARLIE HARRIS' article was supposed to have been published in that issue, "supposed to" are the operative words. You can still read it in its entirety on our Home Page.  We're still "missing" about half our classmates, so if you know any new E-mail addresses, or if you're changing your own ISP, let me know so I can keep our on-line roster current.  We're adjourned!