class notes

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1960s

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1966

Ann LoDolce
alodolce@juno.com

Janie Drees Blando retired in September after 17 years in NYS corrections and eight years in other government positions. She has lived in the same house for 29 years with her husband of 35 years, and is now taking care of her frail mother, who lives a mile away. Janie’s son Dante, 30, lives outside of Boston and works for IBM.

Last spring Nancy MacLean Welsh was asked to submit a portfolio for the first class of master teachers in the South Carolina Independent School Association. This fall it was announced that she, along with 10 other applicants (out of 33), have been awarded that “master” distinction and were honored at a luncheon/workshop in September. Nancy and the other recipients were formally recognized at a SCISA banquet in Columbia, SC.

Joan Agisim Odes and husband Stuart went to Japan this past fall, to visit her longtime pen pal Toshiko. They have been corresponding for 49 years and met twice previously. Over the years their husbands and children have gotten to know each other, so the entire group is part of her extended family. They visited Hakone, Takayama (Japanese Alps), Kyoto, Hiroshima (emotionally distressing), and Tokyo. It was a great trip, although they took it slow because Stuart, who has MS, is now walking with a cane. Joan was encouraged that they were able to do it successfully, at their own pace.

Sandy Berk Jacoby traveled to Saratoga Springs to attend Skidmore’s Celebration Weekend in October. Her 91-year-old mother (who’s going on 59, like Sandy) was a last-minute stand-in for husband Richard. They enjoyed a terrific tour of Saratoga, including stops at Yaddo and the much-improved Congress Park, the racetrack, and Union Avenue. They sampled water from three springs, had dinner with President Glotzbach, and attended a discussion of the novel The Kite Runner led by first lady Marie Glotzbach. Sandy also took in a great exhibit at the Tang that included a dance performance. As co-president of the Westchester/Fairfield Club, she exchanged ideas about future events with other club leaders and volunteers. She reports that Skidmore and Saratoga never looked better, despite the rain. She is looking forward to our 40th next June.

In Sarasota, FL, Ellen McKeefe says she turns to our class notes as soon as she receives Scope. After more than 30 years in television news production, she still finds it challenging and rewarding. Formerly employed by NBC News, she now freelances for NBC, ABC, ESPN, and FOX—and occasionally for Oprah or some obscure production house. Breaking news is her strength, so the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons provided work throughout Florida and the Gulf Coast. “These are dreadful situations that will probably not be resolved in our lifetime,” she notes. She wonders how 40 years have passed since we were first-semester seniors living on the old campus while they finished construction on the new campus.

Diane Burko will have a solo show titled Flow at the Koppelman Gallery at Tufts University in Boston from February 9 to April 2. Curated by the Aidekman Art Center, the exhibit will then be at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA, from June 10 to October 15. Paintings and photographs of sublime landscapes from Iceland, Hawaii, and Italy, as well as some earlier works, will be featured. Diane’s only daughter, photographer Jessica Burko—who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and earned an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology—lives near Boston. At Stonehill College she is an adjunct professor as well as director of the Cushing-Martin Gallery and studio manager for Claudia Mills Weaver. You can learn more about them at www.dianeburko.com and www.jessicaburko.com. Diane lives in Philadelphia and Bucks County with husband Richard Ryan, a landscape architect and artist/photographer.

Gail Greenleaf Hencken and husband Bill tried condominium living and have decided to go back to homeownership. They will be moving when the condo is sold, having found a charming Craftsman-style bungalow “so close by that we will be able to walk to downtown Winter Park for latte!” she says. Gail would love a 100% nursing-major turnout for Reunion.

Carolyn Bates loves her new digital Hasselblad camera, which has “increased my ability to take cutting-edge photos tenfold.” Her favorite shot was of a handicap sailing race with boats in the water and wheelchairs on the dock.

Emily Kendrick Chilcote retired after 18 years teaching young children. She and husband Lee feel fortunate to have three of their four children living nearby in Cleveland Heights. They enjoy spending time at a lake where Lee is involved in a condo project at Bemus Point. Daughter Katherine received an MFA and is teaching at University of Akron.

We extend condolences to Sherry Oestreich Bloom, whose husband, Jerry, died last March.