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1986

Anne Chorske Stuzin
akstuzin@comcast.net

Interest in our 20th reunion is gaining momentum. There is lots of fun planned for June, so now is the time to organize your trip to Saratoga!

Jennifer Roche Vilot and husband John announce the birth of son Frank last May; he joins sister Alexandra.

From Germany, Leslie Rose has been talking up Reunion with Marion Libin, Jesse Huestis, Chris Popodopoulos, and Brick George.

Christina Schlank and husband Steve Gaffney, a photographer and personal trainer, just finished renovating their house in Manhattan Beach, CA. Son Myles, 2, “desperately wants to surf like his dad.” Christina is still writing, and recently published a book on chronic pain in children that she co-wrote with a UCLA physician: Conquering Your Child’s Chronic Pain (Harper Collins). Christina stays in touch with Jane Zoidis Quinn, Maura Burke McLaughlin, and Anne Dulany, all of whom are planning to attend Reunion.

After 20 years in the San Diego area Ruth Levine Schmid considers herself a native. Her speakers bureau company, Speak Inc., has expanded to five offices nationwide. Ruth no longer runs the day-to-day operations, but enjoys leading workshops for meeting-planner groups and writing articles for various trade publications. She’s also undertaken a home-remodeling project, putting what husband John calls a “five-star resort” in their backyard. Their sons Zach, 9, and Drew, 6, play year-round soccer and travel baseball.

Denise Solomon Kligman and Drew Kligman ’85 plan to attend Reunion. They live in New Jersey with their two boys, Robert and Jake. All were looking forward to Robert’s bar mitzvah in March.

Michelle Covello had her second child, son Aidan, in 2004; his sister Amelia is 4. Michelle and her family live in Hillsdale, NJ, about two minutes from Mark Baumgarten and his family. Michelle started a new job with Stryker, an international medical devices company. She works on its medical education programs and enjoys the 15-minute commute to her office. Michelle hopes to attend Reunion.

Monica Reiner Vered and husband Ofer have been married for 16 years. They live in Boca Raton, FL, with children Arielle, 14, and twins Oren and Gilad, 10. Monica sells sponsorships for a production company that makes Science Screen Report videos for schools nationwide. She also plays tennis on the weekends. Last year Monica and Arielle went to NYC for a weekend and enjoyed a visit with Mara Whitman Edrich and her family.

Marcy Hinand Cady is a program director for the arts at the Irvine Foundation in San Francisco. She and husband Steve live in Marin County with boys Duncan, 4, and Jack, 2. Marcy is looking forward to coming east for Reunion.

Jody Rose Platt and husband John Farmer welcomed daughter Sabrina in July.

From Colorado, Titus Peterson writes, “As you know, and as I must admit, I am a lawyer.” He is general counsel for the Chamber of Americas, an international chamber of commerce that focuses on trade throughout the Americas. His job keeps Titus traveling several times a year, most recently to Panama. He also works on catastrophic injury and pharmaceutical cases as a personal-injury attorney, with clients who have been injured by Vioxx and hormone-replacement therapy, resulting in breast cancer. Beyond attending Reunion in June, Titus is hoping this will be the year he can finally finish his master’s in law and economics, a joint degree through the universities of Berne, Fribourg, and Neuchatel in Switzerland. The degree deals with the law of the World Trade Organization and negotiating free-trade agreements. Titus has been commuting between Switzerland and Denver, where he lives with wife Marta Quintos and 4-year-old Diego. Titus welcomes hearing from Skidmore friends near or visiting Colorado and says, “My home is always open.”

Lisa Buxbaum Berliner hasn’t looked back since leaving the garment industry in NYC for real estate four years ago. She is with Prudential Holmes & Kennedy in Katonah, NY, serving northern Westchester County. She and husband Mitch have two boys: Ben, 7, and Dylan, 4. They stopped in Saratoga last summer on the way back from a weekend in Lake George and were amazed at how the town had changed. It was Lisa’s first visit back since graduation. Diane Bigotte Kendall, Aimee Ventura O’Brien, and I have all enjoyed staying in touch with Lisa, and getting to see her and her family from time to time. We are hoping for a Van Dam Apartments reunion when we come back to Saratoga in June.

Herb Eidt is safely back from his tour in Afghanistan. He says, “I have many pictures—beautiful and horrible and some in-between—to go along with my memories.” His family is happy to have him home in Savannah, GA. Herb plans to be at Reunion, with photos, in June.

Cathy Laitman Burke, husband Bill, and their two sons live in San Rafael, CA. She reports that 2005 “was quite a year,” the worst of which was when Bill, a jewelry designer, shattered his elbow at the dump. After four months of physical therapy, he is back creating beautiful pieces. Son Paul, a kindergartner, is a budding illustrator. Eric is a preschooler with a keen interest in animals and dinosaurs. Bill’s daughter Alexandra has just taken her PSATs and is looking forward to a trip to Japan to see relatives. Cathy is a stay-at-home mother and does a lot of volunteering at her sons’ schools.

Kirsten Livingston lives in Guilford, CT, with husband Geoff and son Karl, 3, who keeps them “entertained.”

Thanks to all involved in planning a fun 20th reunion for us. Dare to come back—we want to see you!