18 minute read

Class Notes

Robert 'Bob' Parke ’57

Bob checked in with SKS reporting that he is zigzagging and jaywalking across Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C. with little to no traffic during rush hour. Disappointed not to be returning to the Mountain this year, he is making the best of his ‘self-incarceration’ by touring his neighborhood when venturing out to the Post Office and Trader Joe’s. As he puts it, “Looking forward to seeing you all and the School when we’re safe again." Photo caption: Mr. Parke, at the front gate of his Foggy Bottom home, with Easton and Marek Pramuka in June 2018.

Robert 'Bob' Cory ’63

Bob recently wrote that he is helping package food for delivery in his hometown.“In this crazy plague we are part of, it's the least I can do,” he commented. Bob is doing well and sends his regards to all SKS classmates and friends..

Steve Croll ’64

Steve Croll ’64

Steve Croll ’64

Steve sent news from Thailand: “Rather than sit at home in Chiang Mai and sequester for another week, I called a friend and a fishing guide to plan a trip along Thailand’s border with Burma to fly-fish for Mahseer. Mahseer fishes like a trout, but is stronger and eats anything that happens to float by, including berries. These fish live in freestone streams that flow from the Himalayas through Burma and into Thailand. Powerful and swift, Mahseer strike hard and fight harder. The trip was interesting culturally as we were among subsistence farming hill tribe communities that were cultivating garlic and chili. We bought one kilo of garlic for 80 cents. The villagers were curious about our method of fishing, and why we released fish rather than eating them. But Mahseer are boney and, for us, inedible. At one point, we came upon a herd of water buffalo cooling down midstream. Our guide noted that we should steer clear of the water buffalo, but that the only real danger in the area were landmines planted by the Thais and Burmese during conflicts in the 1970s-80s. Both countries have apparently forgotten where the mines were placed, so we opted to walk the streams and near the banks. All told, we fished two to three miles of water in each of five streams over a three day period. We took Mahseer in every pool, with the largest fish we landed weighing three kilos. The larger fish, at five or six kilos, would leave a wake when we spooked them. It was a good trip, fishing in the time of Covid.”

John Prentice ’64

John Prentice ’64

John Prentice ’64

No grass grows under the feet of John Prentice ‘64. After mentoring children for many years, John started volunteering about two and a half years ago at a homeless shelter where he initially did odd jobs. But, as time went on and John’s enthusiasm and skills became apparent, he was asked to take on improving the food pantry called Good News at Noon. He now organizes food drives, getting his Cresswind at Lake Lanier, GA community involved. Over a year and a half ago, he added raising money and seeking grants to his volunteer duties. He said he had gotten tips and ideas from the good work done by SKS. John’s garage at home is now half full of food, and donation checks may be found left under his doormat. “You simply can't believe how much food has been donated so far – we just received over 20 more bags and several cases of canned goods. ALL of the food that people really seem to appreciate and it's still being dropped off! It really is enough to completely fill the food pantry! I would love it if we were able to open the pantry on a second day each week,” he says. John continues to be a leader, full of heart and energy. Kudos!

Bill Wood ’67

Bill Wood ’67

Bill Wood ’67

Bill has found the days of sheltering in place to be productive. He sent a design sketch and a photo of his progress to date on a sculpture he started in late February. “I did run out of steel on the last of the three pieces, but two are done and finishing them up is going to consume more than a few hours, so I'm good at home for the time being. There isn't much better than having a welding machine and a bunch of metal.” Until more steel arrives, there is always work on his 160 year old house, he says.

Chet Neumann ’68

Chet Neumann ’68

Chet Neumann ’68

Chet wrote that he and his wife Gudrun are now retired. Chet continues to play hockey with the Kansas City Possums’ Old Timers Team, which was to compete at the Fort Myers Oldtimers Hockey Tournament in Florida in the Over 50 division this spring. As Chet says, he could compete in the over 60 group, as he will turn 70 this year, but likes the challenge of “the young guys.” Chet was also scheduled to speak at the Society of German American Studies (SGAS) Conference being held at Georgetown University. His lecture will be about John Fries and the Pennsylvania tax rebellion of 1798, which was quashed by President John Adams. Chet became involved with the SGAS as a result of the research he was doing about his grandmother’s farm in Rhinebeck, NY, which once stood on the site of what is now the estate of John Jacob Astor.

Tom Donahue Faculty/Staff 1968-1975

Tom Donahue Faculty/Staff 1968-1975

Tom Donahue Faculty/Staff 1968-1975

Tom wrote that he stays in touch with Jon Keeve ’74 and enjoys the abundant and upbeat SKS news that comes his way. Tom still yearns to be on his skis, writing that global warming has done nothing to eliminate the wind, the gray and the cold in Michigan, but it has had the effect of cutting way back on the snow. He has been teaching at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. This semester he planned to teach Big Questions from the Dark Ages which, he notes, is a time period that is not “dark” by any stretch of the imagination! Last semester he taught a class called The Westward Movement and the Indian Wars of the United States. “After a long hiatus in Texas where I did no teaching, I am being reminded of how much I liked it. Nothing quite like a dry marker and a captive audience. And they haven't heard all my jokes yet, which is an added plus,” he says. Tom and wife Judy’s daughter, Jesse Donahue, Ph.D., teaches gender and politics, state and local government, public policy, and statistics at SVSU and is an activist and researcher with current interests being the politics of zoos. Daughter Kelly Donahue-Wallace, PhD, is a Professor of Art Education and Art History at the University of North Texas and the author of numerous books, chapters, articles and book reviews on Latin American and Spanish art and architecture.

Henry Hudson ’73 and Jennifer Hudson ’02

Henry Hudson ’73 and Jennifer Hudson ’02

Henry Hudson Jr. ’04

Henry Hudson Jr. ’04

Henry Hudson ’73

Henry reports that he moved to Utah and is currently remodeling a house on ranch land where his son Henry Hudson Jr. ’04 will live. Henry Jr. is Director of Adventures and Events at Blue Sky Ranch, a luxury resort on 3,500 acres near Park City, Utah. Henry Jr. and his wife, Alexandra, have a daughter, Etta, and are looking forward to their second child coming soon. Henry Sr. also reported that daughter Jennifer Hudson ’02 is Director of Instruction at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Massachusetts in the summer and a teaching professional at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida in the winter. In 2019, Jennifer was recognized for a second consecutive year as a GRAA Top 50 Teaching Professional and as the New England PGA Teaching Professional of the Year.

Josiah 'Si' Cantwell ’75

Josiah 'Si' Cantwell ’75

Josiah 'Si' Cantwell ’75

Si retired after a 40-year career as a newspaperman, most recently having spent 28 years with the StarNews in Wilmington, DE. He started his journalism career in 1979 when he joined The Charlotte Observer as night metro clerk, doing weather and obits. He worked up and down the East Coast in the mid-1980s and then worked for Viewtron (Knight-Ridder) on what would later become the internet. He was on the world desk the day in 1983 that the Soviets shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007. After stops at the Journal of Commerce and the Easton (PA) Express, he began at StarNews in 1990 as number two on the copy desk where he worked as business editor, wrote columns, headed up the newspaper's community coverage, and met and interviewed countless good people helping others. In retirement, Si is writing freelance, performing in a rock band called The Clams, and enjoying spending time with his wife of 36 years, Maria Cantwell.

Laura Cobrinik ’77

Laura Cobrinik ’77

Laura Cobrinik ’77

Laura wrote “I am sending a photograph of myself that my mom took of me last week when I was on the way to the bank. I am wearing a mask that my dad, a retired physician, bought a few years ago and vinyl gloves on my hands. I’m happy to say that my family and I are healthy.”

Kathleen ‘Kiki’ Bostwick ’79

Kathleen ‘Kiki’ Bostwick ’79

Kathleen ‘Kiki’ Bostwick ’79

Kathleen ‘Kiki’ Bostwick ’79

Kathleen ‘Kiki’ Bostwick ’79

Kiki works at the Wildlife Care Association in Sacramento, CA. The Wildlife Care Association (WCA) is a nonprofit, independent, volunteer-based association permitted by the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to care for native wildlife. It rescues or rehabilitates more than six thousand wild animals each year, entirely supported by donations. “I take care of everything from hummingbirds, turkeys, deermice, possums, skunks, to deer. I love the work. I learn new things everyday and also have a whole new avenue of education to pursue. As soon as this (coronavirus) thing is over, I will continue my efforts to re-enroll at UC Davis to get a further degree in animal or bird care and rehabilitation. This is something I really look forward to.”

Robin Harris ’79

Robin Harris ’79

Robin Harris ’79

Robin wrote “I was 15 years old and away from home for the first time when I came to The Storm King School. There were many people that helped me during those teenage years. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Mr. Bill Cesario, one of the nicest people I knew; Mr. Thomas Yudd, for his colorful pants and sense of humor; and Mr. Michael Moore ‘72, who always found a way to make students better than the way he found them."

Tim Keogh ’79

Tim Keogh ’79

Tim Keogh ’79

Tim reports that he is a vet helping vets — an advocate for veterans, a life member of the VFW, and a proud papa of three. “I am a son of the American Revolution through my 5th great grandfather Jeremiah Dean. All the way through from him to me, every generation has served. I work with Josh Harder who represents California’s 10th Congressional District on his Congressional Veteran’s Advisory Council. The VA hospital system is, at times, difficult to navigate. The worst thing I see on a regular basis is a veteran trying to get the appropriate healthcare and services they have earned, and giving up in frustration due to not knowing how to navigate the system.” Tim would be pleased to hear from schoolmates or other veterans at http:// www.tpkeoghblog.com.

Marty Swanhall Faculty/Staff 1981-1984

Marty Swanhall Faculty/Staff 1981-1984

Marty Swanhall Faculty/Staff 1981-1984

Marty was in touch after many years: “After teaching science at Storm King for three years, I became a college admissions officer for the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut (where I saw a few SKS alumni). While at UB, I realized that sitting in an office for half the year (I was visiting high schools for the other half) was not for me and SKS taught me that being in the classroom is where I needed to be. I started working part-time towards a master’s degree in Education with certification and got a teaching position at the St. Luke’s School in Connecticut. From there, I went to Newtown High School where I taught for 25 years. In June of 2018, I moved to Florida and am now teaching at Lakeview Middle School. I married LeeAnne last June, and when I am not in school, I’m becoming a Floridian. I have a Disney and Universal annual pass, had one for Sea World, have been to the Keys and Miami, and have seen many gators. Thanks to the internet, I am now in contact with many folks from SKS where my teaching career started.”

Tiffany N. Gagliano Esq. ’92

Tiffany N. Gagliano Esq. ’92

Tiffany N. Gagliano Esq. ’92

Congratulations to Tiffany N. Gagliano Esq.’92 on her new position as the inaugural Dean of the School of Business at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY. In her new role, she is expanding the Mount’s external relations and partnerships, supporting recruitment, and working with campus stakeholders to develop a strategic plan for the School of Business. Gagliano is a Mount alumna, class of 2002, and the parent of a current Mount graduate student. After graduating from the Mount, Gagliano earned a Juris Doctor degree at Pace University. She served in numerous professional roles with the City of Newburgh and Orange County and has been a volunteer basketball coach for most of her adult life. She is also a board member of Girls on the Run – Hudson Valley, a program that helps young women to develop essential life skills with an appreciation for health and fitness. Tiffany is married to James A. Gagliano, FBI Supervisory Special Agent (ret.) and CNN Law Enforcement Analyst. They are the parents of five children and a rescued pit bull.

Captain Intrayuth Charoenthaipanich ’95

Captain Intrayuth Charoenthaipanich ’95

Captain Intrayuth Charoenthaipanich ’95

The Captain and his wife, Karnchana Singharuksa, are delighted to welcome their son “Thyme” born on March 21, 2020. Yuth wrote “Thyme is looking forward to studying at SKS one day.”

Kota Nakamura ’95

Kota Nakamura ’95

Kota Nakamura ’95

Kota wrote that he attended SKS for its art program, fondly recalling his art teachers Bonnie Cayea Newman, Austin Stern and Ginger Lind as faculty/staff who were important to him on the Mountain. Voted most artistic in the 1995 yearbook, Kota went on to attend Syracuse University, earning a BFA in painting, then he earned a MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and a Ph.D. at The Tokyo University of the Arts. A working artist and part time university lecturer, Kota has been showing his large sculptural installations in New York City, in Japan and internationally since 2003, winning prizes at exhibitions. In 2018, he was selected to be a part of the Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh, commenting “It is always nice to communicate with artists from different countries and sharing information and thoughts.” Kota hopes that he can attend his rescheduled 25th reunion SKS in June 2021. “Please take care of yourselves at SKS, and let's believe in the power of art!”

Erin Myers ’00

Erin Myers ’00

Erin Myers ’00

Erin wrote “A lot has gone on since I left SKS in the year 2000, yet, sometimes it feels just like yesterday. Since then, I have traveled to many places, including all over the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, France, and London. Shout out to my Spanish teacher! Learning Spanish actually helped me get around with my family because most of the time anyone that was with me was clueless! I have three beautiful children: Mikey, Casey and Cameron. I cherish all of my memories on the Mountain and lifelong friends and great teachers that I will never forget during my four years at SKS. I wish everyone the best and since we couldn't do it this year, I hope to see everyone next year for our 20th year reunion. With Love.”

Michael Sollami ’02

Michael Sollami ’02

Michael Sollami ’02

Michael Sollami ’02

Michael Sollami ’02

Michael is the lead Data Scientist of Salesforce’s Einstein Team based in Cambridge, MA. He received a doctorate in Mathematics in 2012 from the University of Wyoming and has since then led machine learning research and engineering teams at various companies. Currently at Salesforce, Michael designs deep learning based search and recommendation systems for the e-commerce space. In 2019, he authored and received provisional approval for seven patents, putting the Commerce Cloud Einstein’s team high in the ranking for most patents company wide. In 2018, Michael was part of a five-person team that won a worldwide competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of State called Fishackathon, competing against 45,000 people in 65 other cities across five continents. Fishackathon’s goal is to protect life in our waters by creating technological solutions to help solve problems related to fishing. Michael’s team’s winning submission was called PoachStopper, a low cost solution that would recognize sounds associated with fishing and compute a unique signature for each boat that passes within a detection radius of 50 kilometers.

Steven Wooten ’04

Steven Wooten ’04

Steven Wooten ’04

Steven wrote “To bring people up to date, after graduation I attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA where I was on the golf team from 2004-2008. After graduating from Morehouse, I started a career in sales with Apple and spent time working in the property management industry. I then spent five years at Morgan Stanley in Wealth Management working with a group of financial advisors in the greater Atlanta area, but I wanted to get back to something that I loved. If you remember me from campus, you will know that my passion is the game of golf. After getting married to my beautiful wife, Ryah, in September of 2018, we began the search and landed a once in a lifetime opportunity at Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, FL where I became the Assistant Golf Professional of the daily golf operation. Streamsong is one of the top five destination resorts in the world located on 16,000 acres of reclaimed mining land with three resort style golf courses. Ryah is an educator from Pittsburgh, PA who played collegiate basketball at The California University of Pennsylvania. She is a Pittsburgh Steelers and a Michigan State basketball fan, so needless to say that we live in a house divided, as I remain loyal to the New York Giants and enjoy the University of Carolina sports program. We are also very excited to announce that Steven Melvin Wooten III, our first child, was born on March 4, 2020 (although our chocolate lab will never let us forget that she was our first baby). We look forward to seeing SKS friends again.”

Alex Gillespie ’17

Congratulations to Alex Gillespie, Class of 2017, who is on the Dean’s list at Susquehanna University. A junior, Alex is majoring in Environmental Sciences.

Liza Shligerska ’18

Liza wrote that after graduation, she attended George Washington University, and in the fall of her college sophomore year, she transferred to NYU to study in their hospitality management program. Hospitality is a field that Liza selected because it will allow her to follow her passion for travel, be mobile, and work internationally. She has since transferred again to attend Cornell University’s hospitality management program with a concentration in hotel operations and hotel law. She said that Cornell is demanding, but she is excited about her studies and remains on track to graduate in the spring of 2022. She has already had two internships with the Fairmont Hotel: in New York City and in Kiev, Ukraine. Liza wrote: “I dearly miss SKS, and my only regret is that my 2018 volleyball team did not make the HVAL championships like this year’s team did! Congratulations!”

Tamar Haham-McGowan ’19

Tamar wrote “Hey Storm King Community! I am currently back home from my first year at college, due to the recent circumstances (I know, what a great way to finish my first year of college). I am studying at Binghamton University, where I am a part of a few clubs that work with youth off campus. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to continue this work with children that Storm King taught me to know and love. Unfortunately, due to the recent circumstances, I no longer have the enjoyable in-person classes at school and the work with the children has come to a temporary close. However, the abrupt move back home has given me the opportunity to go back to work and meet up with fellow Storm King friends and teachers (from a safe distance, of course), while still being enrolled in the now-online classes at Binghamton. Storm King is still my home away from home, and I am extremely grateful for the unique opportunities I had at this place.”