- Avon Old Farms School

The Ordway Science & Technology Center:
Home of Technology at Avon Old Farms
Avon Old Farms School
Established 1927
F a l l
2 0 0 4
Headmaster
Kenneth H. LaRocque
Provost
John T. Gardner
Features
Director of Publications
Margaret Moss DeGraaf
10
Class Notes
Lizabeth Abramson
Technology In Education at Avon Old Farms
by Margaret M. DeGraaf
Photographers
Spencer Sloan
Jonathan Lester ’63
16
Faculty Focus: Debra Case,
Director of Information Technology
Contributors
Kevin Buechler, Joan Brodie, Alex Callsen
’04, Debra Case, Henry Coons ’71, Art
Custer, Michelle Custer, Peter Deckers ’90,
Rob Dowling ’91, Peter Evans, Susan
Evans, Ted Garber, Susan Haile, Carol
Ketcham, Gail Laferriere, Rolf Olson ’59
and Christine Walder. Thanks to everyone
who contributed to this magazine.
22
Alumni Profile: Stuart Holliday ’84
51
The Last Word: Big Doors Swing On Little Hinges
by Dane Lemeris ’05
Departments
Design
Ann Sack Design
1
From the Headmaster
The Avonian is published for the alumni,
parents, and friends of Avon Old Farms
School. It is distributed to 7,000 readers.
2
Village Green
Avon Old Farms School
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, Connecticut 06001
www.avonoldfarms.com
School
Admissions
Email
19
Athletics
25
From the Alumni Association President
by Seth Mendell ’52
860-404-4100
800-464-2866
admissions@avonoldfarms.com
30
Class Notes
Alumni Affairs
800-336-8195
Email
coonsh@avonoldfarms.com
Publications
Email
860-404-4292
degraafm@avonoldfarms.com
Th a n k Yo u
Carol Ketcham began working at Avon in 1983. She began her career at Avon
working in the Alumni/Development office, eventually becoming editor of the
All Email: Any member of the faculty or
administration can be emailed by using
this formula: last name + first initial +
avonoldfarms.com. The directory on the
web site also has email links.
Avonian. She then became Mr. LaRocque’s assistant upon his appointment as
Avon Old Farms School admits students of any
race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the
rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally
accorded or made available to students at the
school. It does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, national and ethnic origin or disabilities
in the administration of its educational policies,
admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs,
and athletic and other school administered programs.
Avonian. For the past several years, she has served as an invaluable resource to
provost and then as director of external affairs when he became headmaster.
Her retirement last spring was heralded in various quarters, but no
mention was made in this magazine. Carol Ketcham, for many years, was the
the magazine and her retirement signals the end of a long career of important
service to this publication. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.
Margaret
DeGraaf
Cover Photos – Spencer Sloan
From The Headmaster
two pay telephones per dormitory. Now
each dormitory room is wired for a telephone and a computer; most students also
own a cell phone. Every member of the
community has at least one computer.
Upon arrival, every faculty member
receives an IBM laptop computer. The
School sponsors a student computer
purchase program, so that many of our
students have laptops. Each classroom
features a docking station for faculty
computers as well as a projector so that
students are able to view an enlarged image of what is
displayed on the computer. Interactive Smart Boards have
taken the place of blackboards in many classrooms.
Teaching and learning have been transformed into a multisensory activity through technology. Parents communicate
easily with their sons or with faculty or administrators via
telephone, email, or Instant Messaging. Parents are able to
access their son’s homework assignments in various courses
through the School web site.
Our admissions program has also benefited significantly from technology. Anyone with access to the Internet
is able to communicate with us and to learn about our
school. We produce separate electronic newsletters for our
admissions candidates and our alumni. Avon graduates are
able to find out about reunions, receptions, and events on
campus with ease.
Building community has always been a priority at Avon
and technology has enhanced our abilities in this endeavor.
Communicating and connecting create a community, and
technology facilitates communication and connection.
As Avon evolves as a school, we will continue to
adapt to societal changes and take advantage of any
opportunities presented by technological advancements.
However, our success will depend not on technology, but
on dedicating ourselves to fulfilling our mission to be “the
best school for boys.” Our success will depend on focusing
our efforts towards developing our students into “good
men” who embrace our core values and will be productive
members of an increasingly challenging society. During
my years at Avon, technology has helped us to fulfill our
mission, and I expect that it will continue to assist us in
that quest in the years to come.
Aspirando et Perseverando.
The Mission of
Technology
D
uring my 24 years as a member of
the Avon Old Farms School community, I have been privileged to witness
far-reaching changes to our school campus,
our programs, and our culture. While these
changes have improved our quality of life
and learning, they have not altered Avon’s
fundamental mission — addressing the
developmental needs of young men, our “Men of Avon.”
Mrs. Riddle’s campus is just as striking today as it was
24 years ago. However, it has also needed attention in several
areas. We have addressed major facility issues, providing
for the residential and educational needs of our students
and faculty families, while respecting the architectural
integrity of our founder’s designs. Judging from the reactions
of visitors and alumni who continue to be moved by the
“sense of place” they feel when they arrive on campus, we
have succeeded in our efforts. Our quad dormitories have
been renovated, and are bright, warm, and efficient. New
buildings serve the visual and performing arts, and science
and technology. Our chapel has been wonderfully transformed. Our athletic facilities, including our playing fields
and hockey complex, have been improved substantially.
We have also increased the number and quality of faculty
homes on campus.
In addition, the past 24 years have seen numerous infrastructure improvements. New power plants, sewage systems,
roadways and parking areas have been constructed. Our
electrical and heating systems have also been updated. In
fact, everywhere one looks, improvements have been made.
More significant in its impact on school culture than
any other project, however, was the installation of a campuswide intranet in 1995. When I arrived in 1981, there were
no fax machines, very few computers, and only two copy
machines on campus. Mimeographing tests and quizzes was
the campus standard, and carbon paper was an invaluable
resource. When I look at the importance of technology in
every aspect of campus life today, I wonder how we all
survived without it!
The most positive by-product of technology has been
vastly improved communication. Not long ago, we had
1
Fall 2004
Vi l l ag e G r e e n
The Architect’s renderings of the Student Center & Athletic Complex.
The Final Phase of the Strategic Plan
By Rolf Olson ’59, Chairman, Board of Directors
IT’S AN EXCITING TIME AT AVON
OLD FARMS SCHOOL. No sooner had
Avon completed the outstanding new
Ordway Science Center building,
when the Board of Directors voted
to begin construction on a Student
Center, Athletic Complex and Field
House. This new project is the largest
building program since Theodate
Pope Riddle started construction of
the School itself in 1921.
The project recently received a
“jump start” lead gift from the Brown
family which gave the Board confidence
to move forward. Once the Board of
Directors voted to do the project,
other alumni, parents, and friends
also came forward with generous gifts.
G. Garvin Brown III graduated from
Avon in 1962 and his sons, G. Garvin
Brown IV graduated in 1987, and
Campbell P. Brown graduated in
1986. Campbell now serves on Avon’s
Board of Directors. Their generosity
can also be seen in other areas of the
campus, such as “Brown House”.
The new complex will be constructed on the far edge of the Village
Green between the Pierpont Activities
Center and Jennings Fairchild Hockey
Rink. A rendering of the new complex
is posted just outside the headmaster’s
office, and it can be viewed on the
School’s website. It’s truly a marvelous
complex.
Construction will begin in March
of 2005. Actual construction should
take about 18 months and the new
facilities should be ready for the opening of school in September of 2006.
A freshman entering Avon today will
get to use the complex for two full
years before he graduates.
While the Building Committee
interviewed construction firms from
around the Northeast, they selected
a firm based right here in Avon,
Connecticut. FIP will be in charge
of the construction.
Avonians Bill Beatson ’59 and
Peter Aron ’65 co-chair the Building
Committee. Bill and Peter work on
this project literally every day, and
work closely with the architect,
Jeffrey Millman, of Jeffrey Millman
& Associates, Boston.
The 100,000-square-foot complex
is designed to fit into the landscape of
Mrs. Riddle’s Cotswold Village. As
with the Ordway Science Center, the
architect’s design will “bury” most of
the building into the ground and
down the slope of the land.
There will be some disruptions to
the School’s routine during the construction process. The Hawk’s Nest
will be in a temporary location until
the new building is complete. The
new Student Center Complex will
contain the student center grill,
lounge, game rooms, meeting rooms,
school store, radio station, post office
and business center. It will be the
center of student activity on campus.
In addition to a fully-equipped
gymnasium, the Athletic Complex
will have seven new squash courts, a
wrestling suite, and a fitness center
that will include a free weight zone
and an aerobic/fitness machine zone.
The Field House will be the
largest part of the new complex, and
it will create a substantial space for
indoor winter sports (e.g. basketball)
as well as a space for teams to practice
in the fall and spring (e.g. soccer,
lacrosse, baseball) when the outside
fields are not playable.
(Continued on page 3)
Avonian
2
Vi l l a g e G r e e n
All the new and exciting things
that are happening on campus are a
testament to the dedication and commitment of the alumni, faculty,
administration, parents, students, and
friends of the School. In the last few
years, we have seen the renovation
of the Chapel, a new access road to
campus, new walkways, the Ordway
Science and Technology Center, a
new roof on the Aron Academic
Center, a new running track on the
athletic fields, and now, the Student
Center, Athletic Complex and Field
House. These things would not have
happened without the support and
generosity of the Avon Family.
Together, we are making a real difference in the quality of life here at
Avon Old Farms.
There are a number of wonderful
naming opportunities for the new
project and the fund raising continues.
A number of people in the Avon
Family have contributed valuable
assistance. For example, one parent
has offered to have his firm donate
part of the excavation work for the
construction. This significant contribution will help bring down the cost
of what is expected to be a $20 million
project. Avon maintains a “wish list”
and a “naming list” for those who wish
to get involved. For more information,
call Peter Evans at 860-404-4276.
Any help is most appreciated and we
thank you for your consideration.
Avon is the last school in the
Founders’ League to have a Student
Center, Athletic Complex, and Field
House, and now, Avon will have the
newest and the best. Avon has always
been able to attract outstanding students, but as we strive to be the best
school for boys in the country, this
complex will give us a greater advantage in attracting students from around
the country and around the world.
On behalf of the Board of
Directors, I thank you for your help
and support. All you have to do is
look around the campus to realize
how significant your help and support
have been to Avon. Thank you again.
Athletic Hall of Fame Inaugurated
On Saturday May 8th,
during Reunion Weekend,
the Athletic Hall of Fame at
Avon Old Farms was officially
inaugurated with the induction of four outstanding
individuals and three teams.
The event was held in the
Adams Theatre and was
attended by current studentathletes, families and friends
of the inductees, and dozens
of alumni. The 2004 inductees
Skip Flanagan, Juan Nieves, and Chris Hetherington.
and the highlights of their
careers are now each commemorated with a plaque in the hallway outside the Adams Theatre. The
permanent location for the Athletic Hall of Fame will be the new Student Center
(construction begins in March).
Those inducted were: Dr. Henry “Skip” Flanagan (lacrosse coach at Avon
from 1972-1982); former major league pitcher Juan Nieves ’83; National Hockey
League defenseman Brian Leetch ’86; and National Football League fullback Chris
Hetherington ’91. The three teams selected were: the 1979 varsity lacrosse team
(undefeated season and New England champions, coached by Skip Flanagan); the
1986 varsity hockey team (undefeated regular season); and the 1989 varsity hockey
team (Division I New England champions).
“This is a great honor for me,” Skip Flanagan said, “because I know so many
of the talented people associated with athletics here. Avon is, and always will be,
an important part of my life, and my experience coaching here was truly special.”
“If you’re an athlete at Avon now,” said Chris Hetherington ’91, “you are
fortunate to have outstanding coaches, nice facilities, and a strong tradition of
winning. I came to Avon as an undersized freshman, but eventually found success
and passion in athletics here and beyond. Keep working hard because you never
know what your limits are.”
Juan Nieves ’83 remembered how “running cross country at Avon Old
Farms was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in athletics. The mental part
of running here was a big challenge and helped me to grow into a mentally tough
athlete. I learned so many life lessons here at Avon that have served me well.”
The purpose of the Athletic Hall of Fame is to honor exceptional teams,
players, coaches, and administrators who have made outstanding contributions to
athletics and have brought distinction to Avon Old Farms School and its athletic
tradition. Last year, acting on the suggestion of alumnus James Patten ’88, AOF
and its alumni association created a permanent Athletic Hall of Fame to honor
Avon’s outstanding athletic tradition. Following the announcement, the school
received dozens of nominations. The selection committee then carefully considered all of the individuals and teams who were suggested. This process is ongoing.
If you are interested in being part of the selection committee, headed by James
Patten ’88, please contact Rob Dowling ’91 at dowlingr@avonoldfarms.com.
3
Fall 2004
Vi l l a g e G r e e n
School Opens
Summer was Anything but Lazy as construction kept to a hectic pace all
summer. The roof of the Aron Academic Center — original from the time of the school’s construction
in the 1920s — was torn off and redone. The job required extensive work around the valleys and
dormers of the building to ensure that it would be water tight. The sides and front of the building were
roofed in genuine red slate; the backside of the roof, which is not visible, was covered in a synthetic
(and much less expensive) slate. Another major project was the installation of a state-of-the-art track.
(See photo on page 19.) Other regular maintenance work included: installation of new sidewalks,
removal of aging trees on the central campus, and some early infrastructure work to get ready for
the new Student and Athletic Center construction to begin in March 2005.
Headmaster LaRocque with Sam Emmes ’08
and parents from California. Avon Old Farms
School welcomed a dynamic and diverse group
of students when it opened its doors for the
2004-2005 academic year on Wednesday,
September 15, 2004. Of the 383 students
arriving at school, 154 are new to Avon; they
come from 11 countries and 27 states.
A FLEA IN HER EAR
The cast of A Flea in Her Ear, front row,
from left: Julian Sessa ’07 Rachel
Spellman MPS ’06, Juliet Rubin MPS
’06, Cordelia Sklansky MPS ’07, and
Brooke Scoles MPS ’06. Middle row
(seated): Alvinn Paulino ’08, Lauren
George MPS ’06, Ania Wójtowicz MPS
’06, and Matt Hopper ’05. Back row:
Thomas Carroll ’06, John Ducci ’05,
Kristian Walker ’08, Sam Hoffman ’07,
Danny Arguedas ’07, Sam Emmes ’07,
Sefira Fialkoff MPS ’05, Ralph Allen ’06,
Maddie Guerlain MPS ’05, and Hillary
Richmond MPS ’07. Not shown: Se
Yoon (Sampson) Choi ’08.
A Flea in Her Ear, a French farce written by Georges Feydeu in 1907, played for
three nights in November at Avon. In the play, Raymonde Chandebise, wrongfully
suspects that her husband, Victor, is being unfaithful to her, and begs her best
friend, Lucienne, to help set a trap for him. The two friends devise a plan to write
a steamy love letter to Victor, inviting him to “commit a folly” at the Hotel Coq
d’Or. If Victor shows up at the seedy hotel to meet the mystery woman, then
Raymonde will have proof of her husband’s dalliances. Unfortunately, this seemingly simple plan quickly begins to unravel and let’s just say that the unusual
collection of personalities at the hotel creates a riotously funny and entertaining
spectacle. Almost no one escapes being punched, chased, kissed, or whirled
around on revolving beds.
Avonian
4
The ropes course helps break the ice.
Vi l l a g e G r e e n
Parents Weekend
Tobias Wolff Day
“Tobias Wolff Day” at Avon was the
brainchild of Mrs. Joan Brodie,
English department chairman. For the
second year, students were assigned a
summer reading book that would be
followed up in September by a visit
from the author. This year, everyone
was required to read Old School by
Tobias Wolff.
Wolff, a short story writer whose
stories are already acclaimed as modern
classics, winner of the PEN/Faulkner
Award, and professor at Stanford
University, spent an entire day participating in various activities — a panel
discussion with students and faculty,
a book signing in Baxter Library, a
writing workshop for students who
entered the school’s short story writing
contest, and a senior English class. In
preparation for Wolff’s visit, students
discussed in their English classes
Wolff’s short story Poaching last
spring. All students read for summer
reading his memoir This Boy’s Life
and novel Old School. In addition, in
keeping with an element of the plot
of Old School, students participated
in a short story writing contest. As a
result, the short stories of junior Alex
Feld and sophomore Philip McEachin
earned them the privilege of sitting
on the panel that interviewed Wolff
during a 90-minute program in the
Adams Theatre.
Parents enjoyed the opportunity to see their sons’ school up close.
Despite some rain on Parents Weekend, parents turned out with great enthusiasm.
The program began Friday morning with morning meeting and classes. Parents
were kept busy for the remainder of the weekend with many activities: senior
college conferences, parent-teacher conferences, the Baxter Library book drive,
a concert in the Adams Theatre, fly-fishing with the Nimrod Club, and Saturday
afternoon athletic games.
Civil War History Comes to Life
The crackle of musket fire was
heard in the Oak Grove in early
November. Passersby were a bit
confused and alarmed to see a
lone soldier from the 20th Maine,
Company B firing his musket on
the Old Farms campus. But it was
just Art Custer, history teachercum-civil-war-reenactor, bringing
Civil War history to life.
Private Custer (a.k.a. dean
of faculty and chairman of the
“Private” Custer aims his musket.
history department) gave an openair lecture on the difficulties
faced by ordinary Civil War soldiers, who slept six-men-to-a-tent much like the
one Custer had pitched and who had no more than “Oh Be Joyful” (home-made
whiskey) and their campfires to give them comfort.
With only the sound of wind ruffling the oak leaves, an occasional musket
shot, the smell of woodsmoke, and the sight of the bearded soldier in his faded
blues, it was a truly eloquent history lesson.
5
Fall 2004
Vi l l a g e G r e e n
Art News
Community Service
The Ties That Bind
The Winged Beaver 2004 yearbook, entitled
The Ties That Bind won a first place award from
the American Scholastic Press Association and
a silver medal from the Columbia Scholastic
Press Association, who commented, “You’ve
nailed down the basics of good design with
dominant photos and outstanding use of
graphics.” The editor of the 2004 yearbook
was Alex Rothaus ’04; its advisors were (as
always) Gail and André Laferriere.
This pastel by Mike Lee ’04 is one of the
Walkers for Juvenile Diabetes raised $7,500.
The students of Avon Old Farms started their community service
activities for the year on October 2, when an energetic group of students
woke up early and traveled to Hartford to participate in a Habitat for
Humanity project. Scaling extension ladders and hammering in insulation
for vinyl siding, the boys worked efficiently and productively prior to turning
in their work boots for cleats as they competed in their athletic events
during the afternoon.
On Sunday, October 3rd, 59 members of the Avon community joined
in a two-mile walk to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
The Avon contingent loaded the buses to arrive en masse at the ADVO
SummerWind Arts Center in Windsor. The students were generously
sponsored by Avon parents and raised additional contributions through
the community service program and a school-sponsored “Dress Down Day”.
The Winged Beavers were awarded the “Top School” award at the walk.
More importantly, the boys were able to raise more than $7,500 for a
worthy cause.
Kevin Buechler, Community Service Coordinator
selections from his portfolio currently on display
in a one-man show in the library. When he was
a student, the art studio was Mike’s second
home on campus; he was an active member of
the Art Club and our afternoon art program.
His drawings won him a silver key in the
Connecticut Scholastic Art competition and a
place in last year’s regional exhibit at the Taft
School. Mike is in his first year at CarnegieMellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The sculptural
work of Patrick
Quinn ’00 was on
exhibit in the
Ordway Gallery
from October 10 to
December 3, 2004.
The Habitat for Humanity work crew.
Avonian
6
Graduating Class of 2004 College Matriculation
Michael Alberti
Kevin Anderson
Luke Archambault
Michael Arciero
Nicholas Asensio
Andrew Baris
Morgan Barrieau
Zachary Bartholomew
Michael Beggins
Andrew Bennett
Adam Bergenty
Kippery Bochain
Evan Bowen
Kyle Brewer
Gilman Callsen
Timothy Cartland
Jayson Cash
Ricardo Clement
Samuel Cole
Andrew Creed
Joseph Cucci
Charles Custer
Matthew D’Annolfo
Matthew Dallin
Luke Daly
Erik Davis
Michael Davis
Kieran Delaney
Jared DeMichiel
Nicholas Dimond
Ryan Donovan
Matthew Dratch
Andrew Ferguson
Adam Fine
Michael Finnegan
Patrick Forshner
Jonathan Fugge
Bryan Grier
Christopher Griffin
Connor Grogan
Walter Haims
Alexander Hall
Scott Hannah
Dwight Harris
Tyler Harris
Jin-Woo Hong
David Huck
Wesley Jayne
Brian Kelaher
Tyler Kelley
Adrian Keyes
Nicholas Kirschner
Union College
Bryant College
Gettysburg College
Clarkson University
St. Joseph’s University
Arizona State University
Lynchburg College
Bates College
U.S. Naval Academy Prep School
American University
Bryant College
Stetson University
University of Delaware
Wake Forest University
Yale College
Lasell College
Merrimack College
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
University of Vermont
Bentley College
Brown University
Southern Methodist University
Endicott College
Boston College
Pennsylvania State University
Fairfield University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Providence College
Butler University
Alternate Year
Dartmouth College
Alternate Year
Gettysburg College
University of New Hampshire
St. Anselm College
Trinity College
University of Maine
College of Charleston
College of William and Mary
St. Michael’s College
University of Colorado-Boulder
Drexel University
University of Richmond
Syracuse University
Michigan State University
St. Michael’s College
Endicott College
Brown University
United States Coast
Guard Academy
University of Colorado–Boulder
Central Connecticut
State University
Graham Klehr-Keyes
Brett Kreter
Jason LaVorgna
Griffin Leahy
Seung Jae Lee
Michael Lingenheld
Shaughn Lopes
Weston Lou
John Lucey
Craig Mackay
Alexander Martin
Ryan Matalon
Edward Mazur
Owen McDonagh
Albert McDonald
Kevin McLaughlin
Matthew Moran
Alexander Miller
Nicholas Morris
Vincent Mullins
Alexander Nicolia
Ryan Olsen
Robert Olson
Brian Orr
Nicholas Pacquee
Gabriel Park
Jose Paz Camacho
Patrick Percella
Matthew Peterson
Justin Pool
Blake Qvale
Robert Reed
Kevin Riley
Steven Rodriguez
Alexander Rothaus
Tobias Salmelainen
Nathan Schlafer
Ryan Sheflott
Patrick Sheridan
Brennan Shutt
David Silver
Brett Smith
Thomas Sponzo
Joon Kyu Sung
Salvatore Szwed
Alvaro Tapia
Brandon Thiess
Daniel Valentine
Michael Voket
James West
Timothy Willett
Michael Wilson
Raymond Yozwiak
7
Hobart College
Ithaca College
University of Massachusetts
Columbia University
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Connecticut
University of Tampa
Lebanon Valley College
Lynchburg College
Endicott College
Bates College
College of Charleston
University of Massachusetts
Ohio Wesleyan University
Goucher College
George Washington University
Villanova University
University of East Anglia (England)
University of Denver
George Washington University
University of Delaware
University of Denver
Drexel University
Bowdoin College.
Southern Methodist University
Wake Forest University
Florida Technical College
Boston University
Clark University
Trinity College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Clarkson University
Colgate University
Holy Cross College
Hamilton College
St. Michael’s College
Elmira College
Fordham University
Union College
Clemson University
University of Connecticut
University of Rhode Island
Lynchburg College
Cornell University
Salve Regina University
George Washington University
Dickinson College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Norwich University
Lake Forest College
St. Anselm College
Marist College
Elon University
Fall 2004
≤ommencement 2004
Gilman Ordway ’44 and his wife, Marge, accept the Adams Parents Medal from Board
Chairman Rolf Olson ’59. The Adams Medal is given to parents and grandparents for
exceptional support of the School.
¯
n May 30, 2004, 105 young
men strode across the stage
on a flawless sun-dappled morning
to accept their high school diplomas
from Headmaster Kenneth LaRocque
and Chairman of the Board Rolf
Olson ’59. The air was electric with
the energy of the graduates who were
about to reach the culmination of
their four years of intense effort; students’ and parents’ aspirations realized.
The keynote speaker was Dr.
Sandra Katz, author of Dearest of
Geniuses: A Biography of Theodate
Pope Riddle, and a professor at the
University of Hartford. Professor Katz
posed the question, “Why would a
female architect be determined to
build an all-boys’ school?” Reviewing
the unique genesis and history of the
school, Katz answered that question.
Behind Theo’s determination was her
father, James Atwater Pope, for whom
she wanted to create a lasting tribute.
For the Class of 2004, there is
the great satisfaction of completing
their high school careers and moving
on to an impressive list of colleges and
universities. (See matriculation list,
page 7.)
Headmaster Ken LaRocque with Michael Finnegan, school warden,
and winner of the Order of Old Farms, The F. Reed Estabrook Jr. ’36
Award, and the Edward Somerville Voss Award. Mike was also a
member of the Cum Laude Society.
In addition to the awarding of
diplomas, Commencement day also
included the announcement of the
School’s highest awards given to graduating seniors, as well as faculty awards.
Board member Paul Matalon (whose
nephew, Ryan, graduated in the class
of 2004) was awarded the Alumni
Order of Old Farms, for his distinguished loyalty and service to Avon.
Brian Doyle, math teacher and hockey
and baseball coach, won the Cashion
Faculty Award. Dean of Faculty and
history department chair Arthur
B.W. Custer received the SWAN
award given by the directors of the
WALKS (Westminster, Avon, Loomis
Chaffee, Kingswood Oxford, Suffield)
Foundation. The night before, at the
traditional Awards Ceremony, Jeff
Miller, director of performing arts, was
honored with the Fanning Faculty
Award. Lara Doyle, manager of the
school store, was chosen by the Student
Council to receive special recognition
for her work on behalf of the students.
Art and Michelle Custer give Charlie his diploma.
Charlie was the Scholar of Distinction — the School’s
top student — and gave his speech on awards night.
Charlie also won the Order of Old Farms as well as
being a Cum Laude Society member. Art received the
Swan Award. (Michelle should receive her own special
award for governing the household of all of these
remarkable men!)
Erik Davis ’04.
Avonian
8
In the Cum Laude ceremony, traditionally held the Sunday prior to
Commencement, 15 members were inducted as members to the Avon Old
Farms chapter of the academic honor society. The members are, from left:
Hwi-Yoon Cheong, Dwight C. Harris, Garbriel K. Park, Kyle P. Brewer,
Daniel F. Valentine, Michael J. Finnegan, Connor R. Grogan, G. Alex Callsen,
Brennan J. Shutt, Nicholas S. Morris, Justin R. Pool, Matthew R. Dratch,
Michael J. Davis, Charles H. Custer, and Joon Kyu Sung.
Board member Paul Matalon (whose nephew, Ryan, graduated in the class of
2004) was presented with the Alumni Order of Old Farms for his distinguished
loyalty, support and service to Avon by Rolf Olson ’59.
The Order of Old Farms
Dr. Sandra Katz was the keynote speaker.
Luke R. Archambault
Kyle P. Brewer
G. Alexander Callsen
Joseph A. Cucci
Charles H. Custer
Michael J. Finnegan
Tyler E. Kelley
Jason B. Lavorgna
Brian J. Orr
Gabriel K. Park
Tobias S. Salmelainen
Alvaro J. Tapia
The Founder’s Medal
Alex Callsen ’04 accepts congratulations from his
mom, Kitty Ordway, a member of the board and
daughter of Gilman Ordway ’44.
Evan A. Bowen
Jayson L. Cash
Michael J. Davis
Jared G. DeMichiel
Matthew R. Dratch
Christopher J. Griffin
Connor R. Grogan
Dwight C. Harris
Adrian M. Keyes
Ryan A. Matalon
Nicholas S. Morris
Nicholas T. Pacquee
Justin R. Pool
Alexander M. Rothaus
Brennan J. Shutt
Joon Kyu Sung
Daniel F. Valentine
James R. West
Brian Doyle receives the Cashion Faculty Award.
9
Fall 2004
eople,” says Avon’s IT
director unequivocally.
“People are the School’s
single-most valuable resource when
talking about technology. Without
people, technology is just hardware,”
says Debra Case. “We have resources
we hadn’t dreamed of 10 years ago, but
without good teachers to implement
and use the hardware creatively, it
would just hang on a wall or sit on
a desk and collect dust.”
This assertion is somewhat
surprising, given the fact that Avon
Old Farms School prides itself —
deservedly so — on its state-of-the-art
technology program and computer
resources. Avon jumped on the information superhighway in 1995, when
IT was in its infancy, and has been
cruising ever since.
Headmaster Ken LaRocque
concurs. “People are the beneficiaries
of the technological tools on one side
of the equation,” he says. “On the
other side, people are the driving
force behind the technology. The
quality of our people will ultimately
determine the way we work with all
of the technology at our disposal.”
Take the Smart Board®, for
example. Mounted at the front of the
classroom, just like a blackboard, a
Smart Board has a shelf for an eraser
and writing paraphernalia. In place of
chalk, there are four digital markers —
Avonian
black, blue, green, and red. The elegance of its simplicity for users, however, belies the vast difference in its
functionality over a blackboard.
Whatever goes on the Smart Board
can be saved, distributed electronically,
and posted on the teacher’s website —
a functional efficiency that is all but
taken for granted now. If a student
misses class, or just wants to review the
explanation for that complicated equation later that evening, he can access
it from AOFWeb, right on his laptop.
“Smart Boards don’t educate
kids; teachers do.”
In the classroom, teachers turn
on their computers, which are wired
to a ceiling-mounted projector and a
Smart Board. Teachers can project
anything they choose — computer
documents, Internet sites, PowerPoint
presentations, or class notes from the
previous day.
“I make extensive use of Smart
Boards,” says Arthur Custer, dean of
faculty and history department chairman. “They afford me the opportunity
to print what I have written on the
board during class, or to save it and
attach it to the class website. They
also let me write on a PowerPoint
presentation; I often make PowerPoints
with images but no writing and then
take notes ‘on the fly’ during class.
10
“Technology doesn’t change
pedagogy,” Custer continues, “but it
does make much of what I do easier.
Also, it serves to help students focus;
where once I might make copies of a
document and hand it out, now I
project it on the Smart Board. The
document and what I do with it are
the same, but with it on screen, every
student is looking up (rather than
down at his copy). It is easier for me
to know who is with me, and it is more
interesting to the students. Again,
afterward I can post the document to
AOFWeb — if a student needs it, he
can find it there. If he prints it and
loses it, he can print it again.”
This is not just wishful thinking
on the part of the teacher. Students
are unanimous in their appreciation
of these technological efficiencies.
“Instead of losing focus on the
material in class while trying to jot
down every single note, I can focus on
learning the material in class and be
comfortable doing so, because the
notes on the Smart Board will be
posted on AOFWeb and will always
be accessible,” says Kyle Brewer ’04.
But, as IT Director Case says,
“Smart Boards don’t teach kids;
teachers do.” The use of technology at
Avon is predicated on that principle.
In the midst of mind-boggling technological advances, teachers are still
Avon’s most valuable resource.
“Without the creativity of the faculty,
the technology would just sit there,”
Case adds.
“I think there was a fear, largely
subconscious, that the traditions we
value, and our very human ways of
teaching, would be swept away with
the rush to technology, that the oneon-one with students would become
obsolete,” says Academic Dean, science
teacher, and techno-enthusiast William
Kron. “That has just not happened.
Far from it.”
Technology as we know it today
at Avon Old Farms School sprung to
life in 1995, with the installation of
the network infrastructure — 40 miles
of fiber optic cable laid throughout
campus. In the world of education,
Avon was actually ahead of the curve.
The Internet itself had only recently
been privatized, and most schools
were just beginning to fathom the
incredible impact that computer technology would come to have on their
institutions.
With the infrastructure in place,
Avon next tackled the purchasing and
installation of technical equipment,
followed by the training of faculty,
staff, and students. The goal was to
bring the School’s computer technology into the 21st century, carefully
and thoughtfully, connecting AOF
community members to each other,
as well as to the world.
Deb Case and Bill Kron were
the prime architects who brought the
system into being. (See related story,
page 16.) Kron remembers the early
days well. At a recent meeting to
discuss the School’s revamped website
(coming next spring), as images from
Case’s laptop and from the Internet
were projected onto a Smart Board,
he took it all in and shook his head.
“And we started out working with
slide rules and Super-8 movies!”
But technology is not inexpensive. “It’s a line item that was nonexistent 30 years ago,” muses Headmaster
LaRocque. “Twenty years ago it was
insignificant, and 10 years ago it grew
to a line item that we’d notice. Now,
it’s grown to a size that Board members
fret over.”
Bill Kron’s honors chemistry classroom.
Which is precisely why Avon
Old Farms has taken a measured and
thoughtful approach. “Technology
at Avon Old Farms is never on the
‘bleeding edge,’” Associate Director
of Technology Peter Deckers says.
“Although there may be something
‘new and improved’ on the market,
this does not mean it is needed at
AOF.” Only after the latest technology
has been time-tested, and Case and
Deckers are convinced of the benefits
for the AOF community, are upgrades
implemented.
“We started out with slide
rules and Super-8 movies…”
It may be difficult to wrap your
brain around the countless ways that
technology can be applied to education — especially if you’re from the
B.C. (that’s “before computer”) era.
Ultimately, it all comes down to
connecting and communicating.
Deb Case describes technology
at Avon as a series of spokes radiating
out from two separate but related
hubs — AOFNet and the Internet.
(See diagram on page 12.) Those
spokes include email and Internet
access, Instant Messaging, avonold-
11
farms.com (through which many other
resources are available), homeworknow.com, AOFWeb, library on-line
resources, classroom research, and,
coming soon, grades online. Branching
out from AOFNet (the Intranet) are
AOFWeb teacher pages, the online
library card catalog, administrative
software, file and print sharing, email,
grades and comments, entertainment,
and, coming soon, a state-of-the-art
language lab.
Confused? To get a handle on
the way technology works and what it
does at Avon, you have to break down
the different components, says Case.
Together, she and Peter Deckers manage the non-stop work of keeping all
those components up and running to
serve 382 students and all 139 members of the faculty and staff. The job
is vast — and invariably complicated.
The pair must oversee the school’s
network (the infrastructure that allows
members of the Old Farms community
to communicate with one another),
diagnosing and solving network-related
problems. They must also maintain
AOF’s hardware (computers and
servers) and implement software,
tackling problems such as adware,
SPAM, and viruses. And of course,
Fall 2004
they must constantly educate themselves about what’s happening in the
IT world at large in order to continue
planning for the future. Finally, and
perhaps most importantly, they must
communicate what they know.
t many Morning Meetings,
Case makes announcements
about the latest computer
virus, SPAM wave, or other potentially
disastrous computer villain. Like the
computer network itself, IT problems
are always evolving. When one
virus is zapped, there’s a “new and
improved” version to take its place.
And with over 500 users, more than
half of whom are teenage boys, the
possibilities are enough to make any
IT manager tremble.
But the job does occasionally
include some comic relief. Deckers was
recently overheard explaining to a
concerned father that his son’s laptop
was not working because the boy had
spilled a glass of chocolate milk on it.
“Lesson number one,” Deckers said
with a smile, “Computer circuitry is
not compatible with chocolate milk.”
But Deckers assured the father that he
would do his best to fix the machine.
The laptop in question, because it was
part of the student laptop program,
was repaired by IBM at no charge.
“The main ingredient in any
network are the users; that’s where we
spend most of our time,” says Case.
Avonian
One IT decision has paid particularly big dividends. “The best thing we
ever did was to get laptops into the
hands of our faculty,” says Case of
the 2001 move to provide laptop computers for all faculty members. “That
really opened the door to bringing
technology into the classroom and
integrating it into the curriculum.” It
was a hard sell at the time, she reflects,
because of the initial costs, but in the
end the faculty laptop program, as
well as the student laptop program,
has reduced the number and variety
of computers the IT staff supports,
and made it easy for faculty to bring
technology — quite literally — into
their classroom.
Case also emphasizes the importance of the student laptop program.
Under this program, students purchase
laptops at relatively low cost, which
can be repaired or replaced at no cost,
with minimal angst, by the manufacturer. “We take care of all aspects of
the computer repair,” Case says. “From
troubleshooting the problem to contacting the vendor and arranging for
the repair if necessary. And when the
computer comes back repaired it is
re-imaged right here on campus to the
original configuration, this all happens
within three or four days. We take the
headache of computer ownership
away from the student and parent.”
Three years later, Avon’s teachers
have enthusiastically embraced the
changes that technology has wrought.
They also applaud, with equal enthu12
siasm, Avon’s first-rate IT facilities
and equipment. Others seem to agree.
“When I talk to teaching candidates,”
says Headmaster LaRocque, “who say
that the facilities that we have in our
classrooms are better than their college
classrooms, I feel pretty good.”
In fact, an Avon faculty member
whose spouse teaches the same subject
at another school is amazed at the
technology gap. “We teach the exact
same … course, but they have little or
no technology in the classroom. We
try and share lessons and ideas, but
most of what I am able to do with the
technology here, she is unable to do.
She can’t have different maps, pictures
of ancient historical artifacts, and other
things readily available to her; she
would have to sign out a projector
weeks in advance.”
This past summer, when the
Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) chose Avon’s
Ordway Science and Technology
Center as the venue for their annual
conference on technology, conference
organizer Diane Brewer said that the
general reaction from participants was
“Wow!” During the workshops, conferees were heard confessing their
envy for the tools Avon has to work
with and how such tools could make a
difference at their respective schools.
Avon teachers and students, of
course, have been reaping the benefits
of the School’s IT tools for several
years, and in particular since the
opening of the Ordway Center in 2002.
www.avonoldfarms.com
In James Kaehlert’s biology classroom, laptops are installed in the four classroom lab
stations to help facilitate student experiments.
“My teaching has changed for
the better,” says Jim Detora, chairman
of the science department. “I use most
of the technology. It makes learning
more interactive and visual for the
students. As educators, we can be
more creative and meet the needs of
the students. Because notes, solutions,
and assignments are all available to
the students through AOFWeb, they
have no excuse not to do their work.”
Two of the AP labs and four of the
science classrooms are also equipped
with laptops integrated into the working laboratory areas. This allows the
students to better collect, organize, and
analyze their data while performing
an experiment.
Detora adds a caveat, however.
“I personally think that the Internet
can be a distraction. Also, there is a
lot of information out there, and
determining what is valid from what
is not is sometimes a problem. But as
with most things,” he adds, “if it is
used properly, the technology can
provide the students with a new and
exciting way to learn.”
Susan Evans, formerly a Spanish
teacher and now research director in
the development office, marvels at
what she can do today using technology. “When I first started teaching
here in 1976, we hand-wrote our
comments and used a mimeograph
machine — remember the old purple
sheets?” Now, she says, “computers
allow us to get tests together faster, do
research, find out what other schools
are doing, and myriad other timesaving tasks.”
echnology is particularly
beneficial to the visual
learners,” says Art Custer.
In his Advanced Placement U.S.
History classroom, he says, “It hasn’t
changed what I say about history or
how I present history, in terms of its
meaning, but it has certainly given
me more options.”
Beyond the classroom, technology impacts many other aspects of
Avon life. Headmaster Ken LaRocque,
like virtually every other member of
the campus community, says that email
is maybe the most important IT tool
he uses on a daily basis. “It allows me
to connect more quickly with students,
teachers, and parents; in emergency
situations, I can contact our entire
extended community instantly. This
is particularly important for our international students.
13
“Without a doubt, our web site has
become the School’s most important
communications vehicle,” says
Headmaster Ken LaRocque. “We can
communicate instantly with a global
audience with continually updated
material. It is a kind of communication
we had not dreamed of even 10
years ago.”
The web site, maintained by Peter
Deckers ’90, associate director of technology, contains a wealth of information. Deckers and his dedicated band of
student techies are continually updating
the web site with athletics results and
schedules, campus news, academic
calendar and schedule information, and
notices of upcoming events. The web site
pulls together all of the School’s communications, including PDF versions
of all School print publications.
Avon’s school community obviously appreciates the effort, judging
by the thousands of hits the web site
gets every month. For example, the fall
sports scores main page averages more
than 10,000 hits per month. Clearly
students, parents, and alumni use the
web to keep up to date on what is
happening in the athletic arena, as
well as in other areas of school life.
“It takes a tremendous amount
of time and resources to keep the site
up to date,” says Deckers, “but it is
definitely worth it. It has become an
essential tool and information source
for everything we do, here on campus,
and for alumni and parents away from
campus. It keeps everyone in the loop
and closer as a community.”
Coming soon, the web site’s
capabilities will be expanded further to
include online grades, more newsletters,
surveys, and advanced calendaring.
Fall 2004
The Interactive Plasma screen and weather station in the Ordway Lobby.
“The Internet is probably our
second most important tool,” LaRocque
continues, “because it allows us to
communicate through our website.
“What has changed overall here
on campus is that whole sense of
being able to communicate so easily,”
LaRocque sais. “It connects with
the whole sense of who we are. It’s
ironic that something so modern,
something that people first looked
at with skepticism and perceived as
possibly detrimental to our sense of
community, has fostered a stronger
sense of community.”
For today’s “screenagers,” none
of this is revolutionary, of course. They
have grown up with it. “They have all
mastered computers, the Internet, and
cell phones,” notes Custer, “in ways
that leave most of us behind.” And
while they see each new tool — Smart
Boards and flat plasma screens, for
instance — as “very cool,” it is not so
much a surprise as a natural progression
to them. They grew up on computers
and Nintendo, after all, and have a
native intuition about these digital
tools that their teachers often do not.
“I’ve used technology and computers ever since I can remember,” says
Mike Finnegan ’04, “so I don’t think
Avonian
it’s changed the way I learn, but there
are huge benefits to it. The ability to
communicate easily with anyone is
the greatest benefit, through email or
IM. During classes, Smart Boards are
really helpful. You can take your own
notes, but then go back to the Internet
later to check your teacher’s notes.”
Technology at Avon Old Farms
is about connecting.
“I find the Internet to be the
first tool I use when researching an
important paper,” says day student
Jackson Howard ’05. These days, the
Day Student Center is wired, and
Howard and other day students can
plug in there (or anywhere) to access
the network with all of its tools and
information. Along with the increased
technological advantages, though,
come increased responsibilities.
“The expectations are higher and the
teachers expect better work than they
may have before the Internet,” says
Howard, who adds, “It’s easier to get in
touch with faculty, so that’s a benefit
with no downside.”
14
The goal of IT at Avon, of
course, is to help teachers teach, to
help students learn, and to prepare
graduates to go on to college — and to
a world that is increasingly complex.
Educational technology consultant
Jim Moulton, who served as the CAIS
conference’s keynote speaker, puts
technology and schools into perspective. “Schools are funny places,” he
says. “They are asked by society to do
two things: hold onto the past and
maintain our traditions, and at the
same time prepare the students we
entrust to you to be successful in a
world that has yet to be. Technology
will be a part of that world they will
grow up — and then old — within.”
Ultimately, Moulton concludes,
successful schools must give their
students experience with two different
kinds of networks: the technical
network and the human network.
“The world is full of folks who understand the technology and can make
the machines work,” he says. “The
true power will go to those who both
understand the machines and can
make them do their bidding, but can
also work effectively with the people
who are the beneficiaries of the technology’s contributions.”
echnology at Avon Old
Farms, says Headmaster
LaRocque, “is about connecting, on many levels.” In addition
to the classroom and within the confines of the campus, those connections
include the School’s greater accessibility and exposure, via the Internet,
to prospective families and alumni, as
well as to current students and their
families. “Instead of this feeling of
being in a small, insular world,”
LaRocque continues, “now it’s different.
Now, on a daily basis, we’re more open
and connected to the outside world.
Those connections enrich all of us.
“Technology makes so many more
things possible. Creative and inspiring
teachers will always be the foundation
of education, but technology expands
the possibilities,” LaRocque says. “It’s
inspiring. And we are, first and foremost, in the inspiration business.”
A Student’s Technology Tour
By G. Alex Callsen ’04
This piece was written by Alex Callsen ’04, who served as a right hand to Mrs. Case
and Mr. Deckers during his four years at Avon. He is now a freshman at Yale University.
Avon has truly defined the integration of technology-aided teaching into the
classroom as a major school goal. During my four years at Avon, I watched this
once far-fetched goal become a reality. Avon’s faculty has adjusted to the new
technology and lead by example to show the possibilities of our new resources.
To give you a feel for how technology is helping in classes across campus,
I would like to take you on a virtual walk through the school. First we can poke
our heads into Mr. Buechler’s World War I/World War II class in Dio, where he
is projecting one of his renowned PowerPoint Jeopardy® games to the board from
his faculty laptop. Mr. Buechler creates a new specialized game specific to the
topics being covered in class whenever he wants. Now we can go over to Elephant
and watch Mr. Cooper give a PowerPoint presentation to his Latin students in
which he has broken down the ever-so-interesting Latin textbook into some more
engaging terms. If we go across Jamerson Green and stop by Mr. Gillett’s Jamerson
classroom, we can watch him surf the web with his Spanish students, keeping
them up to date with current events in South America, or we can see Mr. Beneski
show his Moral Philosophy class a new film. To see even more integration,
we should swing by “Technology Central,” a.k.a. the Ordway Science and
Technology Center.
Our first stop will be Mr. Detora’s classroom, downstairs on the first floor.
Here we can see Mr. Detora in his AP physics class writing up problems, equations, and solutions on the Smart Board. If one of his students needs a little
refresher on the day’s topics, that student can simply go online to AOF Web and
download all of Mr. Detora’s classroom notes.
If we go up one floor, we can listen to some of Mr. Kron’s chemistry students
give oral presentations on the chemistry behind nuclear explosions. All of the
students can bring their PowerPoint presentations to class on a CD or flash drive
and use the classroom’s Smart Board to give their presentations. Going to the top
floor, we can visit Mrs. Biekert’s classroom, where she is teaching her programming
students the exciting features of JAVA. After some explanation, each student can
try out making his own program on his individual classroom computer. Of course
our walk would not be complete without stopping by the offices of Mrs. Case,
Information Technology Director, and Mr. Deckers, Associate Director. These
two keep campus technology operating smoothly, with an ever-increasing array
of technical tools.
As our virtual walk has come to its end I hope you have gained some insight
into how beneficial technology-aided teaching is and how well our entire campus
is becoming integrated. Avon has done a great job of integrating technology into
virtually every classroom — it is not only the science and technology departments
that take advantage of our new resources. I invite you to take your own stroll
around the campus at some point to see this all for yourself.
15
Fall 2004
Faculty Focus
Debra Case
Director of Inf ormation Technology
I
t was nearly three
decades ago that Debra
Case – then Debra Paradis
– came to Avon Old
Farms School. Only a
teenager, she was first
hired to work in the
kitchen. That was then.
Today, as director of
information technology,
Case is at the epicenter
of the ongoing explosion
of information technology
and all things computerized at Avon Old Farms
School. Just about everything that
has anything to do with technology
on campus is coordinated from her
office in the Ordway Science and
Technology Center.
Despite her title, those who know
Case best say she belies the image of a
hard-core techno-geek. Kind, friendly,
and eager to help others, she speaks
real English – not techno-babble –
and goes beyond the technical solutions to find real answers to Avon’s
“man vs. machine” problems. Thankfully, she’s also a whiz at computers.
Former Headmaster George
Trautman first hired her in the spring
of 1976. “Deb was so good and so
hard-working,” Trautman recalls.
“She began working here in the
kitchen, but she did such a good job
at everything she did that she soon
was promoted to food service director.”
“When I came here in the
spring of 1981, I remember a bright
Avonian
Paul and Deb Case.
young woman,” says Headmaster
Kenneth LaRocque. Case loved working at Avon – the sense of community,
the boys, and the collegial atmosphere
of learning and shared values – but in
1989 she decided to go back to school
to pursue her interest in computers.
She studied computer programming at
Connecticut Processing Institute and
landed a job at Cigna.
Ultimately, she found, the corporate world lacked the unique sense
of community that she had known at
Avon. So in 1992, she came back.
Trautman remembers exactly
how it happened. “It was one of the
times I felt [Avon Old Farms founder]
Mrs. Riddle was right there with us.
We had a food service director who
had quit. That very same day, Debie
was in touch with me and expressed
an interest in coming back to work at
16
the School. So we got her
back here to run the food
service and the refectory
as well.”
So, with considerable technology training
and experience under her
belt, Case ran Avon’s
refectory and did some
computer-related consulting in her spare time. It
wasn’t long, though,
before Avon began to
take full advantage of
her technology expertise.
After all, Case was well trained, loved
the School, and knew exactly what
Avon needed to get up to speed technologically.
“I had been helping out Bill
and Gail [Kron] with their daughter’s
wedding,” Case explains. “When I
met with Bill one afternoon, I was in
my ‘corporate clothes’ because I’d
been consulting at Cigna. Bill asked
me why I was all dressed up, so I
explained about my consulting work.”
Kron, then science department chairman and dean of faculty, knew that it
was time for Avon to begin offering
courses in computer applications,
but hadn’t found a teacher to fill the
slot yet. “So he asked if I would be
interested in teaching computer
applications in the fall. I jumped at
the opportunity.”
As Deb Case segued smoothly
into teaching computer applications
in 1993, she and Bill Kron became the
Barbara and George Trautman, with Deb Case at the May 2004 Parents Dinner
and Auction.
core of a team that started planning
and building Avon’s computer network.
“Deb had the vision to create a
technology infrastructure,” recalls the
Headmaster. “Since then, as we have
gone through growing pains, she has
helped us to confront each of the
problems one at a time. I have always
appreciated her, not only for what she’s
done for technology, but as a person
who helps to steer us on a path true
to our mission. She continues as our
technological architect who keeps our
technology program up and running.”
The main infrastructure of
Avon’s network was installed in the
summer of 1995. Incredibly, it was
functioning – and functioning well –
by Parents’ Day that year. And with
Deb Case in charge, Avon’s technology
program has been growing and
expanding exponentially ever since.
Through her efforts, Avon Old Farms
remains on the leading edge of the
technological curve.
Case’s partner in all of this is
Peter Deckers ’90, associate director
of technology and webmaster. After
graduating from Bowdoin College,
Deckers returned to Avon in 1995 to
teach science. Gradually, he worked his
way into the technology department.
“I’ve always had an interest in technology,” Deckers says. Initially, he began
working with Case doing support for
early Macintosh computers, back when
Avon still used both Macs and PCs.
“When Deb has something to be
done,” Deckers says, “she always gives
that task 100 percent of her attention.
She is a perfectionist, but in the best
sense of the word. She has to be, to
keep track of everything that goes on
in technology here at AOF.”
Together with Deckers, Case
now manages the non-stop work of
keeping Avon technology running
smoothly. It’s a daunting task, with
literally hundreds of people to please:
382 students and all 139
members of the faculty
and staff look to Case
and Deckers to solve
their computer problems and answer their
technology questions.
Both admit that the job is
vast – and often complicated.
With a multitude of servers,
well over 300 workstations, and the
student and faculty laptop program,
their days are filled with new and
interesting issues.
17
At the beginning of each school
year, you will find them both immersed
in student technology. “Before the
computers are connected to the network, each one is gone over with a
fine-tooth comb to ensure the stability
of the network,” says Case. Insuring
that each student’s computer is free of
viruses, ad-ware, and other potential
mischief requires an enormous amount
of time and effort. With the assistance
of their student helpers, Case and
Deckers see to it that all student
computers are clean and connected
to the School’s network within the
first three weeks of school.
One of the technology department’s first student helpers was Michael
Brett ’98. Mike had picked up some
programming skills outside of AOF
that were invaluable to getting Old
Farms on the Web. In the course of
working closely with Deb Case and
Peter Deckers, the three also became
fast friends.
“Deb Case faced, met, and overcame a number of considerable challenges in her time at AOF,” Brett says.
“Building and managing a campus-wide
IT infrastructure is no small feat. Her
main challenge includes managing the
technology that the administration,
faculty, staff, and students use that
‘magically’ appears at their fingertips,”
Brett continues.
“What people
don’t see
is the
‘behindthe-scenes’
work that literally
keeps the campus connected. It takes time, dedication,
detailed knowledge, patience (especially
with young men), and hard work to
make sure that the entire school runs
at 100 percent. Today, AOF could not
run without its technology backbone.
Fall 2004
The technology team: from left, Ralph Allen ’05, Deb Case, Cody, Dane
Lemeris ’05, and Peter Deckers ’90.
And technology simply wouldn’t exist
(or work) at AOF without someone
like Deb.”
They may not be part of the job
description, but public relations and
diplomacy also factor into Case’s
efforts. While not generally the strong
suit of computer types, they are definitely part of Case’s persona. “Deb has
dedicated a large portion of her life to
the well-being of AOF students and
faculty,” Brett adds. “She is patient,
yet stern; humorous, yet serious. And
from what I remember, a great friend
to all. From personal experience,
managing an IT environment with
over 500 end-users is very difficult,
especially in academia. Deb has risen
to the challenge and maintained her
composure and personality through it
all, which is extremely important to
note, as her predominant clients are
energetic, demanding young men.”
It is difficult to separate Deb
Case from technology at Avon, or vice
versa. “AOF has always been a huge
part of Deb’s life,” says Peter Deckers.
“The mere fact that she has spent
almost 30 years on campus is proof of
that.” But for all the time Deb Case
spends here, she most definitely has a
full life beyond this Cotswold campus.
Avonian
Born and raised in nearby
Plainville, Case attended the Plainville
public schools and married her high
school sweetheart, Paul Case, right in
the Avon Old Farms Chapel in 1977.
When she’s not solving Avon’s computer problems, her life revolves around
her husband and two daughters –
Jessica and Kelly. Jessica, now 23,
teaches English at Northwest Regional
School in Winsted, Connecticut, and
Kelly, 20, attends Central Connecticut
State University. In warm weather,
their favorite escape is a lakeside
cottage in Otis, Massachusetts, that
has been in Paul’s family for years.
Deb Case faced, met, and
overcame a number of challenges
in her time at AOF. Building and
managing a campus-wide IT
infrastructure is no small feat.
Much like their mother, her
daughters’ lives have been intertwined with Avon Old Farms since
they were young. Playing on the
Village Green with other faculty kids
is great fun, but sharing your mother
with close to 400 teenage boys can be
tough. Jessica recalls “eating dinner
at AOF with my family and with the
boys, and hearing them call my mother
18
‘Mom’ when they needed her. My
response was always, ‘Hey, wait a
minute, she’s my mom!’
“My mother is devoted to whatever project she is working on,” Jess
continues. “She doesn't just look for
one solution; she looks for the best
solution. My mom considers all aspects
of the problem so that her solutions
always consider the long-term rather
than the quick fix.”
Paul Case attributes his wife’s
success to “her character and a strong
adherence to traditional family values;
her belief that people are to be treated
fairly and with respect. This guides
her in the way she treats others and
the way she expects to be treated,” he
adds. “Along with these values goes a
strong sense of responsibility to children and students to help them grow
into responsible adults.
“I think Debie is good at what
she does,” Paul continues, “because
she takes pride in what she puts her
name to and because she places a high
priority on her reputation. Avon Old
Farms has been a huge part of Debie’s
entire adult life. When she left briefly
to get an education and experience in
computers, she very much missed the
challenges and gratification that went
along with her work at Old Farms.”
Since returning to Avon more
than a decade ago, Deb Case has
never missed the corporate world. In
fact, she can’t imagine her life without its Avon Old Farms connection.
What’s most important to her, beyond
the computer connections, are the
“people connections.”
“Deb is truly a friend of mine,”
says Mike Brett ’98. “She was always
there for advice when I needed to
vent or talk about school, girls, family,
work, etc. She was a friend not only
to me, but also to my family. We have
kept in touch consistently over the
past six years, and I’m sure we will for
many years to come. AOF students
and faculty are lucky to have Deb
Case. In my humble estimation, she is
and has been a friend to many, as she
has been to me.”
Fall Sports
Varsity Soccer
Varsity Cross Country
Varsity Football
Coaches: Ron Nentwig &
Corey Gammill
Coaches: Mike Schleer &
John Bourgault
Coaches: Kevin Driscoll, Jim Detora,
Lee Huguley & Tim Roller
Captains: Dane Lemeris, Joey Sides
& Rob Rosenhaus
Captains: Stefan Seitler &
Kyle Rougeot
Captains: Patrick Irwin, Eric McGrath,
Daniel Righi & Bryan Sweeney
Season Record: 9-2-4
Season Record: 10-4
Season Record: 6-2
The varsity soccer team completed
another successful season, posting a
record of 9-2-4. The squad was led by
captains Joey Sides, Rob Rosenhaus,
and Dane Lemeris, (who was selected
to play in the Connecticut Senior Bowl
game). Also contributing were Patrick
Hamilton, selected to the WNEPSSA
All Star Team, and Jesse Pereira’s
selection to both the WNESPSSA
and New England All Star Teams.
There were great individual achievements, yet the team concept was the
formula for success. Every player on
the team knew his role and performed
it well. The team won its first four
games, with three of those games
decided by one goal. This solid start
gave this young team confidence early
in the season, and it carried over
through the fall.
The team’s determination and
effort throughout the season was
rewarded with a #2 ranking in
WNEPSSA, a #3 ranking in New
England Prep Schools, and a tournament bid. Avon suffered a disappointing 3-1 loss in the quarterfinals to
Bridgeton Academy. The game could
have gone either way as three of the
Winged Beaver’s shots hit the crossbar.
Overall, it was a great season and a
great group of young men to coach.
Avon’s Winged Harriers completed a
successful season with a final record
of 10-4 and a third place finish at the
Williston Invitational. For the first
time in recent memory, schools like
Loomis-Chaffe and Choate were
looking in their rear view mirrors as
Avon’s Winged Harriers plowed
through their opponents. Junior
captain Kyle Rougeot led the team
with first place finishes in several
races. Junior Jon Pita ran second for
most of the season and also earned
All-Founders honors. Junior Brendan
Avery ran in the number three slot
and even produced a top 25 finish at
the Founders’ League Championship.
Senior Jon Benoit ran extremely well
this season as he ran 6-minute miles
to capture valuable points for the
team. Sophomore Mike Cooke and
senior captain Stefan Seitler always
contributed valuable points. Cooke
ran a season best at Avon by breaking
into the low 17 minutes for 3.1 miles.
Post-grad Justin Oliver was a gutsy
runner who fought hard in every race.
Despite going into the final game of
the season with a long list of injured
players, Avon ended the season with a
6-2 record. For the final game, we were
able to regroup by calling up the junior
varsity players to field a formidable
team against a very physical N.M.H.
team. Dan Righi, Andre Jones, and
Bryan Sweeney led the defense with
inspirational play and big hits that set
the tone and constantly thwarted the
N.M.H. offense. The strong efforts
by Jim Little, Stephen Driscoll, Rich
Huntington and Sam Patterson playing
their best defensive games were
instrumental in this first shutout of
the season. Andre Jones carried the
offense, scoring his 20th and 21st
touchdowns of the season, with the
help of some fine blocking and running
by fullback Stephen Driscoll. Eric
McGrath continued his outstanding
season as quarterback by leading the
team with his composure and steady
play. This last game epitomized all of
the characteristics that we value in our
football players at Avon Old Farms—
good sportsmanship, teamwork and
the strength to overcome adversity.
19
Fall 2004
Spring Sports
Varsity Baseball
Coaches: Rob Dowling, Mike Schleer
& Brian Doyle
Captains: Brian Kelaher,
Jason LaVorgna & Patrick Sheridan
Season Record: 18-3
The Avon Old Farms varsity baseball
team had another outstanding season
in 2004, achieving an 18-3 record
and winning both the Colonial and
Founders’ League championships for
the second straight season.
Avon led the league by placing
five senior players on the all-league
team: Evan Bowen, pitcher; Brian
Kelaher, catcher; Jason LaVorgna,
pitcher/outfielder; Ryan Sheflott,
pitcher; and Patrick Sheridan, infielder.
The team won its first 14 games,
and clinched the league titles in early
May. This group proved that great
things result when talent meets hard
work, discipline, and character.
Leading the charge were the
senior captains: Brian Kelaher, Jason
LaVorgna, and Patrick Sheridan. Each
brought enormous talent, drive, and
leadership to the team. Kelaher, the
team MVP in 2003, hit .397 and led
the defense behind the plate at the
catcher position. Sheridan captained
the infield, led the team in stolen
bases and hit .368. LaVorgna was a
leader on the mound and in the outfield, and finished his four-year Avon
career with some amazing numbers.
LaVorgna led the team in most offensive categories, including homeruns,
runs scored, RBI, batting average
Avonian
(.535) and had a slugging percentage
that was over 1 (1.028)! He was also
4-0 on the mound as a pitcher, with
a .95 ERA. Because of these statistics
as well as his outstanding leadership,
Jason LaVorgna earned the team
MVP award.
The senior class in 2004 was a
special group, each of whom helped
maintain and promote the outstanding
tradition of baseball at Old Farms.
Avon baseball also benefitted from the
talents of several gifted underclassman.
This team brought an intense
attitude to the field every day last
spring, respected each other and their
opponents, and played the game at a
high level. Their talent, work ethic,
and results have set a high standard
for future teams.
Varsity Lacrosse
Coaches: Ted Garber & Erkki Mackey
Captains: Brian Orr & Nick Diamond
Season Record: 6-8
The varsity lacrosse team finished
the year with a 6-8 record. The team
traveled to Disney World for a week
of pre-season training, where they
successfully competed against national
competition. The regular season
began with three road trips to NMH,
Phillips-Exeter, and Tabor Academy,
resulting in a 2-1 record, including a
notable overtime win versus Tabor.
The next three games, however,
against Choate, Westminster, and
South Hadley were all intense battles
that, despite very strong defensive
20
efforts, resulted in only one victory
(against Choate). The team was able
to rebound with strong wins against
Kent, Trinity-Pawling, and Canterbury
giving the Winged Beavers a 6-4
record. The toughest part of the
schedule remained, with AOF facing
Deerfield, Taft, Salisbury and Loomis.
Past history shows that these are
usually tight contests, but ones that
Avon had often won. Despite injuries,
not once did the young squad roll
over. The Men of Avon lost all four
contests, but the games went deep
into the fourth quarter before our
opponents could win.
Despite being one of the youngest
teams in the league, they won many
big games, and the ones that they lost
were due to lack of experience. The
seniors should be proud of the job
that they did in helping to mold the
young raw talent, who will return to
enjoy more wins next season.
Varsity Track & Field
Coaches: Rick Dubois, Dan Murphy,
Jason Cummings & Karl Hall
Captains: Kevin Anderson,
Andrew Ferguson, Adrian Keyes &
Luke Archambault
Season Record: 5–5
The season got off to a rough start,
with terrible weather conditions,
the largely-inexperienced team was
confined to the melted down hockey
rink to practice. After only two days
working at the track, the team faced
one of the toughest meets of the year;
the perennial meet among Avon, Taft,
and Choate. The team performed well
despite losing to both schools. Next,
Avon traveled again to Loomis — last
year’s Founders’ League Champions —
only two days after their first meet.
Though they lost again, the Avon
team continued to improve.
With good weather and hard
work, the team was able to do some
serious training to get ready for its
next big meet against Westminster.
This is where the team turned things
around. Led by Toby Salmelainen ’04
with wins in the 4x100 meter relay,
the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter
dash, and the long jump, Avon dominated to make their first win of the
season. In the next meet against
Trinity-Pawling and Hotchkiss, the
Avon runners posted some of their
best times. Under the strong leadership
of Adrian Keyes, Andrew Ferguson,
Luke Archambault, and Kevin
Anderson, the team improved. The
hard work and dedication paid off
in their next meet as Avon swept
Cheshire, Williston, and Suffield. The
track team celebrated the final meet
of the season as well as the final meet
on the old gravel track with a win at
home against Canterbury.
Avon placed 6th overall at the
Founders’ League Championship meet,
with several solid individual and relay
performances. With a solid 5-5 season,
the Avon track team looks forward to
2005 with strong promise in returning
members as well as an all-new track.
Varsity Tennis
Coaches: Henry Coons &
Gregory Cooper
everyone with his clear love and
respect for the game, and his dedication to the team; as a result, he was
named this year’s Most Valuable Player.
Captains: Matt Jones & JJ West
Season Record: 14-3
For the second year in a row, Avon
made it into the New England playoffs
following a terrific regular season. After
the 2003 graduation of #1 powerhouse
Jon Hoak and #2 Tyler Conant, we
had some big shoes to fill; luckily we
had talented athletes to fill them.
We were joined this year by
Charlie Hyde ’05, a new junior from
Washington, and Alex Bilsing ’05
from Germany. Hyde came to us with
quick hands and a terrific net game,
and he soon proved to us that he was
a force from the baseline, as well.
Bilsing also proved to be a heavy
hitter, with a baseline game that often
stymied his opponents with its precision shots and heavy top-spin. These
two rookies joined last year’s veterans,
including the much-improved Andrew
Schultz ’05 and Matt Jones ’05, who
traded the #1 and #2 positions
throughout the year. Jones won Most
Improved Player award for the third
year in a row. Schultz also developed
his baseline game a great deal. Dave
Rothschild ’05 moved from last year’s
#8 to a series of starting singles positions this year. Seniors JJ West ’04 and
Andrew Baris ’04 brought their experience to the court, and they did their
team proud in their farewell season at
Avon. West, in particular, impressed
Varsity Golf
Coach: Peter J. Deckers ’90
Captain: Alvaro Tapia ’04
Season Record: 19-3
The 2004 Varsity Golf Team had an
awe-inspiring season, posting a record
of 19-3. Avon was also able to earn
fourth place finishes in both the
Founders’ League and the KIT
tournaments.
Captain Alvaro Tapia, Mike
Lingenheld, Matt Moran, Blake
Qvale and Ricardo Clement provided
the senior leadership on this year’s
team and the backbone of the squad.
In addition to posting sub-80 rounds
throughout the spring, all were able to
finish a match as medalist (low score
of the day.) This year’s underclassmen,
Chris Malloy ’05, Pat Irwin ’05 and
Connor Qvale ’06 all made notable
contributions at different times
throughout the season.
For his consistency throughout
the year and his proficiency in the big
matches, Alvaro Tapia earned MVP
honors. Mike Lingenheld was the
team’s Most Improved Player. After
spending the 2003 season with the J.V.
Golf program, Mike concentrated on
his game in the off-season and became
one of the foundational players on this
year’s team. Mike’s level-headed and
mature playing style often gave him
the upper hand in matches this season.
CHECK
www.avonoldfarms.com
for the latest sports scores,
events, and schedules.
21
Fall 2004
Stuart M. Holliday
’84
The Holliday family: Josephine (Stuart's mom), Henry (4), Stuart, and Gwen. Campbell (12 months) was
napping and not available for photos.
These days, Stuart M. Holliday
’84 is Ambassador Holliday.
None of his former Old Farms
teachers would be surprised that the
former warden of the Class of 1984
is now an ambassador in the United
States Mission to the United Nations.
Since 2000, he has worked for President
George W. Bush – first as a policy
advisor to his election campaign, then
as special assistant to the President,
and later as coordinator for the Bureau
of International Information Programs,
within the State Department.
The same hard-working and
charismatic character that served him
so well at Avon has propelled him in
his career.
Born in Malawi, Africa, where
his father was posted as a Foreign
Service officer, Holliday is a natural
statesman. By the time he was of high
school age, his father was stationed in
Jidda, Saudi Arabia, and the family
decided to send him back to the U.S.
– and to Avon Old Farms. “There
were no appropriate high schools,”
Avonian
says Holliday, “and I also liked the
idea of trying something different.”
“Stuart Holliday was always a
stand-out,” says Peter M. Evans,
director of development, who was a
history teacher and coach in the ’80s.
“He has always gravitated to where the
action is and that’s obviously still true.”
“Frank Leavitt ’52 [then director
of admissions] was the first person I met
and he made a strong impression on
me,” Holliday says. “I also remember
listening to George Trautman, who
was headmaster at the time. I thought
he was very charismatic. He infused
the school with that magnetism.”
Holliday also vividly remembers
the change of seasons, something he
experienced for the first time at Avon.
“When we arrived in summer, we
were down on the fields with the
smell of the grass,” he recollects. “The
fall came alive with color.” He also
remembers watching with wonder as
the winter snowfalls blanketed the
quad. “Having grown up primarily
overseas, visual aesthetics and archi-
22
tecture have always interested me,”
he says, “and the School is very physically unique and beautiful. I think it
captured for me the essence of what a
New England boarding school should
look like.”
“Stuart Holliday was always a
stand-out. He has always
gravitated to where the action is
and that’s obviously still true.”
Once at Avon Old Farms,
Holliday participated in everything,
seemingly, that the school had to
offer: he was a dorm monitor, crosscountry runner, wrestler, and lacrosse
player, as well as a member of various
committees and clubs. In his senior
year, he was the yearbook editor and
warden. At graduation in 1984, he
was given the School’s highest award,
the Order of Old Farms.
“I had a very positive experience
there and enjoyed the kind of structure
the school provided, which essentially
removed all the distractions that often
divert a teenage boy’s focus and energy.
Eventually I found the balance of
academics and athletics,” Holliday
says. He still has a passion for reading
history, “thanks to Mr. Narsipur.”
“Stu was thoroughly articulate,
perceptive and instinctively proactive;
he was a strong warden at Avon,”
according to Evans. “Faculty would
often comment, ‘Someday, Stu will
be in politics.’”
After Avon, Holliday received
his bachelor’s degree in 1988 from the
Walsh School of Foreign Service at
Georgetown University, and then
earned an M.S. in international relations from the London School of
Economics. (He wrote his dissertation
on the origins of NATO.)
He never slowed down. From
1988 until 1995, Holliday served in
active and reserve positions in the
United States Navy. He is the recipient
of the Joint Service Commendation
Medal, the Navy Achievement
Medal, and other awards.
Holliday says he ultimately
decided on a political track, rather than
a career government track, by going to
work for George Herbert Walker Bush
in 1991-92. In 1992, he served on the
staff of the Bush re-election campaign.
“I was impressed by President
Bush,” Holliday reflects. “I had been in
the Navy. I had seen the reunification
of Germany and was recalled for Desert
Storm. I thought that he provided the
kind of international leadership that
was needed.
“I began as a volunteer. I showed
up with my résumé and my new graduate degree,” Holliday says with a
broad smile, “only to be told to wear
comfortable clothes because we were
going to be moving furniture.”
It was during that stint in
Washington that he met the future
Mrs. Holliday, Gwen Moore, while
she was working for Senator Lloyd
From the 1984 Yearbook.
Bentsen of Texas. The couple married
in 1993 and – since George H.W.
Bush had lost his re-election bid –
they decided to move to Dallas, Gwen’s
hometown, to “water our roots.”
“We both felt it was important
to live in a place other than
Washington to get a better perspective and to live a more balanced life,”
he said. The Hollidays now have two
boys: Henry, age 41/2, and Campbell,
11 months.
From 1993 to 1995 Holliday
served at the International Republican
Institute (IRI) in Dallas as regional
director for North Africa, the Middle
East, and Turkey. “I traveled overseas
to many countries to set up programs
that would either support elections,
train political parties, give grants, or
advise parliaments or legislatures,”
he says.
Holliday also did some private
sector consulting for an energy company and “got involved in the community.” As director for the Dallas
Council on World Affairs, which was
the city’s international window, he
invited prominent world leaders and
ambassadors to come to Dallas to speak
about world affairs. “Some of the people we invited included Lech Walesa,
the Nobel Peace Prize winner from
Poland, then-Ambassador to the U.N.
Bill Richardson, and Deputy Secretary
Richard Armitage, among others.”
Holliday also wrote an occasional
column for the Dallas Morning News.
Then, in 1994, Holliday attended
a political fundraiser in Washington
for George W. Bush, who was then
running for governor of Texas. “I was
impressed by his energy and plans for
the state of Texas,” Holliday recalls. A
few years later, he was contacted by an
old friend from IRI who was working
for then-Governor Bush. “I was excited
at the prospect of spending more time
on Texas issues,” Holliday recalls, and
in 1998 he accepted a position as
assistant policy director in the office
of the governor. There he focused
on a variety of key issues: economic
development, trade, technology, and
military matters. And although he may
not have known it at the time, it was
the beginning of a long and fruitful
relationship with George W. Bush.
“When the Presidential campaign
began, I remained in the governor’s
office until the 2000 Republican
convention, when I began working as
a policy aide for Dick Cheney, traveling with him around the country,”
Holliday recalls.
“After the inauguration, I continued that work as a special assistant
to the President,” Holliday says. He
spent the first year of the Bush administration assembling and recommending
candidates for service in the White
House, the Defense Department,
NASA, and the Peace Corps. “This
was probably one of the most fascinating jobs I will ever have,” Holliday
reflects. “It really was a daunting task.”
After the first round of positions was
filled, Holliday was posted to the
State Department, where he worked
with Secretary of State Colin Powell
in the area of public diplomacy.
(Continued on page 24)
23
Fall 2004
The Hollidays with then-Governor George W. Bush.
“Dealing with public opinion
at a time of political tumult, it’s difficult,” says Holliday. “I remain very
interested in how to bridge the gaps
in communication … whether through
educational exchanges, the Internet,
speakers, TV – the whole range of the
communications spectrum.”
In May 2002, Holliday was
appointed coordinator of International
Information Programs (IIP) within the
State Department. The coordinator
(the rank equivalent to an assistant
secretary) reports to the Under
Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy
and Public Affairs. International
Information Programs (IIP) is the
principal international strategic communications service for the foreign
affairs community.
Then, in 2002, Holliday was
offered the position at the United
Nations, where he represents the U.S.
in the Security Council. “I am very
fortunate to have been selected by the
President for this position and very
fortunate to have a great boss in former
Senator Jack Danforth,” says Holliday.
Danforth was appointed U.N. ambassador by George W. Bush, following
in the footsteps of such statesmen as
Avonian
Adlai Stevenson, George H.W. Bush,
Patrick Moynihan, and Madeleine
Albright. “I was nominated in
November and confirmed in December
and took up my duties here in New
York immediately,” he says.
As part of the U.S. delegation,
Holliday focuses primarily on peacekeeping issues, working to address some
of the most pressing international
questions. His priorities have included
working with the U.N. to stabilize
Iraq, insuring free and fair elections in
Afghanistan, and responding to the
humanitarian crisis in the Darfur
region of Sudan.
“Avon taught me to do things.
That has carried over to every
aspect of my life and career.”
It’s a job that keeps Holliday on
his toes. “Just this past week [late
September], we had the president and
Secretary Powell outline America’s
goals for the United Nations for the
coming year, most of which involves
the promotion of democracy and civil
society as a way to lift people out of
poverty and to fight radical ideologies,”
24
he says. “In addition to supporting the
work of Ambassador Danforth, I focus
on immediate crises where the U.N. is
involved in a peacekeeping operation
or is planning to be involved in a
peacekeeping operation,” he says.
In the first week of October,
Holliday was hard at work on the crisis
in Sudan, which he says has been
called the first African World War,
because of the number of countries
potentially impacted by the strife in
this enormous country.
Holliday has one word for his
job: fascinating. Why? “First, it changes
every day,” he says. “There is a very
diverse set of circumstances that greets
you every morning.” A close second,
he says, would be the people. “Not
only the people I work with at the
U.S. Mission,” he adds, “but also
negotiating with the best diplomats,
and 191 other countries, who send
their best and brightest to New York.”
Although his career has kept
him – quite literally – on the move,
Holliday has stayed in touch with the
School. During Alumni Weekend
2002, he returned to Avon Old Farms
to talk to students about “life after
Avon,” 9/11, and his career. He gave
the boys a perspective on how to take
what they’ve learned at Avon and
carry it forward to “real life.”
Holliday’s advice to students at
Avon now? “I would just say that I
think that Avonians — students —
should keep their eyes open to what is
happening in the world around them
and be prepared for a future where
their best opportunities and their
most significant challenges may come
from outside the U.S.”
“Avon taught me to do things,”
Holliday says emphatically. “That has
carried over to every aspect of my life
and career. No amount of exposure or
interest can replace execution and
action. And Avon prepares you to
take action every day.”
Building on the Riddle Foundation
By Seth Mendell ’52
Alumni Association President
T
he first significant changes in terms
of buildings on the Avon campus
took place in the 1960s. For approximately 33 years, from 1927 when Mrs.
Riddle opened the school until the ’30s,
there was little change. True, the Refectory
was completed the year following the opening and the garage building (Brown House)
was constructed in the early 1940s, but that
was all. The school closed in 1944 and the
US Army used the campus as a convalescent
hospital for men blinded in military service.
After Avon Old Farms reopened in
1948 under the leadership of Donald
Pierpont, the School struggled with financial problems. In the 1950s, the faculty took
a salary cut and land was sold to keep the
school open. However, by the 1960s, due
in part to Headmaster Pierpont’s dogged
determination to see the School succeed,
Avon was ready to embark on a program of
building and renovating which continues
to this day.
First was the Pierpont Activities
Center in 1965, constructed over the swimming pool built in ’45 by the Army for
the veterans. Other major projects during
that decade included building three faculty
homes, refurbishing the Barnes Gallery, and
renovating the language and science labs
and the top floor of Elephant dormitory.
The headmastership of George
Trautman brought many changes to the
campus. The early 1970s saw the completion
of the Jennings Hockey Rink (later the
Jennings-Fairchild Rink). This covered
open-air facility with artificial ice initiated
a hockey program that has produced
numerous championship teams. Next, on a
lesser scale, was the construction of a twostory log cabin behind the gym to serve as
the school store and student lounge, known
as the Hawk’s Nest. (This building will
soon be razed to make way for the New
Student Center and Athletic Center.)
Long overdue on the campus was an
adequate library. Thanks to the architectural
genius of Stephen Holt ’58, the north end
of the old powerhouse was transformed into
the Baxter Library after a lengthy renovation. The upstairs of Mrs. Riddle’s original
bank building, that had housed the library,
became the Estabrook Board Room with
office space on the first floor, now the
Headmaster’s office.
The old station or freight house on
Scoville Road, long in disrepair, was thoroughly restored thanks to the expertise of
Wilber Durphey. It was transformed into
a gracious guest house and new faculty
apartments.
Following a successful capital campaign
in 1979 for bricks and mortar, the remaining half of the powerhouse was overhauled
to create the Adams Theatre. New science
classrooms were also created in that wing
and the entire complex including the Baxter
Library became the Aron Academic Center.
A two-story log dormitory, named Jennings
House, was built next to the Hawk’s Nest.
Early in the 1980s, engineers determined that the water tower could no longer
support the 88,000-gallon water tank that
served the campus. Large cisterns were buried
in the green by the chapel and pumps were
installed in the basement of the garage
building (Brown House) to provide the
The refectory under construction.
25
Fall 2004
(Riddle Foundation Continued from page 25)
necessary water pressure. The tank in
the tower was removed in pieces, and
the tower, along with the adjacent
“Forge Theatre,” was renovated to create the Ordway Art Gallery.
The water tower.
During the ’80s, the student
body was growing, along with the
number of faculty. Once again innovative renovations turned something
old into something new: the large
garage building across from the water
tower became Brown House, a complex of faculty apartments around a
core of dormitory rooms. For many
years, the visual arts department had
occupied the first floor of that building. At about the same time, the
Estabrook Fine Arts Center was built
adjacent to the Brown House for both
the visual arts and music departments.
Next up was the transformation
of the old army infirmary into a new
dormitory known as Jamerson House.
Leaving only a footprint, the old
building was razed and replaced with
a new structure with a brick façade and
cedar shake roof, housing classrooms,
dorm rooms and faculty apartments.
In the late 1980s, the hockey
rink, nearly 20 years old, underwent a
complete facelift including extensive
dressing and training areas, new roof,
ice-making machinery, exterior walls
and climate control, making the
Jennings Fairchild Hockey Rink one
of the premier facilities in the private
school circuit.
Avonian
When Kenneth LaRocque
became headmaster in 1998, he worked
with the Board to develop a strategic
plan for the future, defining and prioritizing building goals. One of the first
priorities was to improve vehicular
traffic flow on campus. A new entrance
and access road from Old Farms Road
into the back of the campus was built
to accommodate all truck delivery to
the kitchen and all traffic to and from
the hockey rink. A large parking lot
was built on the south side of the rink
at the same time.
An enormous upgrade for the
sciences was a new state-of-the-art
science building, the Ordway Science
and Technology Center, dedicated in
2002. Designed by architect Rich
Connell ’74, the three-story structure
is built into the bluff next to the Aron
Academic Center and represents the
largest new construction effort on the
campus to date.
At alumni weekend in 2002, the
athletic fields were dedicated as the
George Trautman Athletic Fields in
recognition of Trautman’s tireless
efforts to improve athletics during his
29 years as headmaster. Other building
and renovating projects associated
with the strategic plan included two
new faculty duplexes on campus, a
new single-family faculty home, the
Leavitt-Mendell Day Student Center
in the Aron Academic Center, the
Carpenter Baseball Field, the Globe
Foundation Tennis Complex, a new
heating plant to serve the campus,
replacement of the outside stone steps
The village green.
26
The chapel.
to the Barnes Gallery, replacement
of the dam at Beaver Pond, new slate
roofs on both the chapel and the Aron
Academic Center, beautifying the old
“dumpster” area behind the kitchen,
air conditioning in the library, and
in the summer of 2004, a new allweather track.
Now on the drawing board is,
without doubt, the most ambitious of
all projects Avon has ever embarked
upon. The Student Activities Center
and Field House Complex, to be
located between the gym and hockey
rink facing the Village Green, will
significantly enhance the daily life
of the Old Farms school community.
Mrs. Riddle may not have
agreed with everything that has been
done on campus over the years, but
she would be pleased with the results,
success, and prestige the school has
achieved. The physical growth of the
campus, the buildings bearing the
names of alumni, and the continuous
groundswell of support are testament
to the dedication of our alumni. Avon
is also fortunate to have strong support
from parents, grandparents and friends
of the school. We can all be proud of
what has been accomplished.
Alumni & Development News
Peter Seeger ’36
Returns to The Farm
ªeunion 2004
A forecast for rain 48 hours before any Avon Old Farms Reunion is
usually a “good” sign that the weather will be marvelous. That turned out
to be the case this year as over 300 alumni made their pilgrimage back to
campus to reunite with their friends and faculty and to reconnect with the
campus they love so much.
Highlights of the weekend included the alumni golf outing on Friday
afternoon at Tunxis Plantation Golf Club and the many class gatherings
Friday evening. Pete Seeger ’36 entertained and enlightened the students
following Friday classes.
On Friday evening, many alumni (especially those from the founder’s
era) had a great time at the Nimrod Cabin and the Classes of 1934, 1939,
1954, 1959 and 1964 had a memorable time at the headmaster’s home.
Ted Molloy ’74 hosted a family-style barbecue at his home in Granby and
Dr. Bob Gryboski ’57 hosted a lively party for his son David’s class of 1999
in Farmington.
The Classes of 1979 and 1984 joined forces at the Golf Club of Avon
for a fun evening of remembrances. The Class of 1984 also invited the
classes of ’83 and ’85, which increased the numbers and the good times.
The Classes of 1969, 1989 and 1994 had smaller, but meaningful gatherings at Apricots, First and Last Tavern, and Little Mark’s Big Barbecue
respectively.
On Saturday morning, John Carroll ’99 and Curt Pandiscio ’79 tied
each other to win the 27th Annual Pennell Road Race in a time of 36:59,
with several runners not far behind. Meanwhile, Rich Connell ’74 hosted
his “award-winning” school architectural tour which drew a large number
of alumni and guests.
Later that morning, everyone gathered for the inauguration of the
Athletic Hall of Fame. (See story on page 3.)
The remainder of Saturday featured the alumni parade, reunion
luncheon, tours of the new Ordway Science and Technology Center,
student athletic contests, class pictures, and a reunion banquet where
George Trautman was honored for his 35 years of service to the School.
On Sunday, alumni and their families were invited to a bountiful
brunch in the Riddle Refectory. Alumni gathered in the school chapel at
11 a.m. for a service to remember alumni, faculty, and friends of the
School. Colonel Caldwell, Sid Clark, Don Wick, Bernie Hammons, John
Gile ’39, Peter Carriuolo ’77, Jan Nesbitt ’54, Peter Behr ’71, Tom Smith
’74, and Durno Chambers ’51 were remembered fondly.
The alumni lacrosse game was the last scheduled event of the weekend, but since it was Mother’s Day, the turnout wasn’t huge. However, 12
lacrosse alumni did appear and they, along with several lacrosse-playing
adults in the area, and several varsity lacrosse players, did get an opportunity to show off their skills. The result was a lively game where two evenly-matched teams made up of alumni, adults, and varsity players had a
great afternoon of lacrosse. The final score was 14 –13, in overtime.
All alumni are invited to campus this May 6-8 to enjoy Reunion 2005.
Henry R. Coons ’71
27
Pete Seeger ’36,
is an icon in
American culture, and, while current Avon Old Farms students may not always recognize his influence on
the music they enjoy
every day, they never fail
to appreciate his presence and the songs
Self Portrait that he plays for them.
Pete returned to campus
on Friday, May 7 for a short performance in the Adams Theatre and for
that evening’s Verne Priest Supper.
His afternoon concert had a
festive atmosphere. At 85, Pete tells
us that his voice is not what it once
was, but he has always insisted that
audiences sing along, and the boys
were happy to oblige. They may not
have arrived for the concert knowing
the refrains to such Seeger songs as
Turn, Turn, Turn and The Hammer
Song, but they learned quickly and
sang loudly. If Pete’s voice has waned
over the years, his fingers have not,
and he played the 5-string banjo and
12-string guitar with extraordinary
dexterity and ease.
As he explained the context of
each song, Pete had an opportunity to
touch on subjects dear to his heart,
among them human rights, the labor
movement, and the environment.
“The most important thing,” he said,
“is to ask the right questions.” From
the questions they asked, it was clear
that his audience was as interested in
his thoughts on these topics — and
his history of activism — as they were
in his music. The men of Avon were
impressed, and they left the theater
humming folk songs and wishing
there had been another encore.
That evening, Pete attended the
Verne Priest Supper, an annual event
that takes place at the Nimrod Cabin
during Alumni Weekend. Alumni
from the Founder’s Era, and from the
’50s and ’60s, gather at the cabin to
Fall 2004
¤eadership Weekend 2004
Pete Seeger.
enjoy dinner and conversation around
the campfire. There, he got to reminisce with Donald “Pete” Hart ’36,
Lothar Candels ’43 and other Founder’s
Era alumni, and to visit with more
recent alumni, faculty, and staff.
This was actually not Pete’s only
visit to campus this year. In March, he
returned with a film crew making a
documentary about his life. At that
time, he wandered through the quad
and the Village Green reminiscing
about the school mates and teachers
he encountered here in the ’30s. As
he looked up at his old window in
Eagle, it was clear that his memories
of life at school are quite vivid, and
he smiled broadly as he told stories of
schoolboy pranks and shenanigans.
According to Pete, he was allowed
to remain at Avon as a student only
because Mrs. Riddle so enjoyed his
underground newspaper, which is
where she learned the campus gossip.
He spoke in great detail of the process
of putting the paper out and showed
some of the surviving copies to his
biographers.
Whether as an underground
reporter in Mrs. Riddle’s village or as
a legendary musician and activist 70
years later, Pete Seeger is very much at
home on the Avon Old Farms campus.
We hope he will return frequently.
Arthur B.W. Custer
Avonian
At Alumni Leadership Weekend
on October 1-2, more than 40
alumni class agents joined the
board of directors to plan and
collaborate on their respective
2004-2005 programs.
Avonians gathered Friday
night for a social hour at the
headmaster’s residence, followed
by dinner in the Riddle Refectory.
After dinner, each member of the
student council gave a report on
the opening of school and officially
introduced the school’s new
Winged Beaver mascot.
One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the
Alumni Order of Old Farms medal
to G. Garvin Brown ’62 by Board
Garvin Brown III ’62 and Campbell Brown ’86 at
Chairman Rolf Olson ’59. Garvin
the Leadership Weekend dinner.
has been involved with Avon Old
Farms for close to 50 years, first
as a 7th-grade student in 1956, as a board member beginning in 1984, and as a
concsistently loyal benefactor. Upon receiving the medal, he remarked, “This is
more than I expected … I have taken a sabbatical from some things in my life
from time to time, but never from Avon Old Farms. This is a great honor.”
Mr. Brown has been a loyal alumnus and friend of Avon, serving on the
board of directors for many years. His sons Campbell ’86 (who is now an active
member of the board himself) and G. Garvin ’87 (who has previously served on
Garvin Brown accepts the Alumni Order of Old Farms from Board Chairman Rolf Olson ’59.
28
Class Agents Doug Marshall ’59 and Winston McKellar ’69. Behind them,
Ellyn Marshall talks with Director of Development Peter Evans.
Rolf Olson ’59, John Gardner, Bill Beatson ’59, and Sioux Olson.
Patrick Irwin ’05, School Warden, addresses the
board of directors and class agents at Friday’s dinner.
Richard and Dee Gordon with George Trautman (center).
the board) have also remained committed to the School. It was the Brown
family’s generous and timely gift that
was key in the decision to begin
construction on Avon’s new Student
Center and Athletic Complex with
Field House. The gift allowed Avon
to commit to constructing the entire
facility all at once, rather than to
build in two phases, as was originally
thought necessary. Groundbreaking
for the new facility will take place in
March, 2005. The facility is scheduled
to be completed by September 2006.
This year’s Saturday agenda on
Leadership Weekend included a new
program, as the class agents and
members of the board of directors
were treated to a special “Avon Today”
event following their normal meetings.
The Saturday morning session was
designed to illustrate how Avon Old
Farms functions on a daily basis.
Highlights of the program included
a student panel, comments from
Brendon Welker ’91, director of
admissions, an update on the capital
building projects from Peter Evans,
director of development, and a demonstration of technology in action in
Avon classrooms: a history presentation
by Dean of Faculty Art Custer and a
science demonstration by Academic
Dean and Senior Master Bill Kron.
29
The School’s new mascot,
Bevan. The winged beaver
made his official debut at the
Alumni Leadership dinner.
The leadership weekend also
marked the kick-off to the 2004-2005
alumni program. The alumni leadership set a goal of $1 million for the
annual fund and also worked on plans
for reunion weekend, May 6-8, 2005.
Members of the class agent team and
the board of directors departed from
the weekend with a clear understanding of the state of the School and its
future, and energized to support the
Avon Old Farms 2004-2005
alumni program.
Rob Dowling ’91
Director of Alumni Annual Giving
Fall 2004
Class Notes
From the Verne Priest Supper, Reunion Weekend 2004.
ªeunion
eadmaster Ken LaRocque
and his wife, Heidi, invite
the Class of 1935, 1940, 1945,
1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, and
1970 to join them at their
home for dinner on Friday
night, May 6, 2005, during
Reunion Weekend.
H
1936
1940
Richard Price wrote, “Although
I have visited Greg Lindin at
his home in Sedalia, Colorado,
I mistakenly listed his state
address in the last issue of the
Avonian as California, for which
I apologize. I am reminded
again of Matson (Bud) Ewell,
whom I also wrote about in the
last Avonian. Bud, among his
other artistic activities, has in
the past been actively involved
in producing summer productions of Shakespeare in the Dark
in his hometown of Fairport,
New York, and has also published a book of his poems.
Hopefully all members of the
Class of 1940 will have one
especially big opportunity to
meet again at our rapidly
approaching 65th Reunion
Weekend in 2005.”
Richard Price
Class Agent
Arlyn Farm, 55 Towne Road
Boxford, MA 01921-2234
Rhp4080@comcast.net
Enjoying Reunion 2004 are student
and teacher: Carl Candels ’51 and
his German and Latin teacher while
at Avon — Donald (Pete) Hart ’36.
Fayette Plum and his wife, Pat,
were featured in the September
8th issue of The Ambler Gazette.
They hosted a meeting of the
Historical Society of Whitpain
at their antiques store, Troll
House Antiques, in Blue Bell,
Pennsylvania. The main showroom is located next to their
home with a back showroom,
restoration shop, and warehouse
on their 1.5-acre property. At
Pete Seeger was on campus
during Reunion in May, performing in the Adams Theater
for the entire student body
and faculty.
Avonian
84, Fayette is still restoring
old pieces of furniture and Pat
handles the non-furniture part
of the operation.
65th Reunion Year
Donald R. Hart Jr.
Class Agent
Post Office Box 127
West Cornwall, CT 06796-0127
harts@snet.net
Reed Estabrook and his wife,
Nancy, were on campus
October 1 for the Board of
Directors meeting and Alumni
Leadership weekend. Both said
it was wonderful to see the
School in such good shape.
Back row: Pete Hart ’36, Carl
Candels ’51, Rust Kessel ’54;
Front row: Jerry Sherry ’54, Jack
Miscall ’54, Harry Burt ’54.
30
Class Notes
1942
Orleans, where Lori and his
wife, Judith, plan to return the
first weekend in May. He is
very involved in Masonic work
(Shriners is a Masonic organization), and he is treasurer of
the Masonic Angel Foundation
which takes care of children
when their needs “fall through
the cracks” of social agencies.
For more on Lorrie and The
Masonic Angel Foundation, see
http://www.masonicangelfund.
org/NewsItems/newsitem139.
htm. and http://www.masonicangelfund.org/NewsItems/newsi
tem138.htm.
Russell Hunter
Head Class Agent
Post Office Box 22
Farmington, CT 06034-0022
1945
60th Reunion Year
Ben Byers has moved to
Hartford within walking distance of the Athenaeum. Ben
left Avon when it closed in
1944, and graduated from
Cranbrook. He hopes to visit
Avon again during his 60TH
reunion weekend in May.
Jim Storer and his wife Dede
hosted Peter and Sue Evans
from Avon Old Farms at their
club in Naples, Florida, in
March. Jim retired from Storer
Broadcasting and was on the
Board until 1985 when the
company was bought out. Jim
keeps busy with various concerns and causes including the
environment. He is most interested in helping to support
scholarship students at various
Ohio colleges. He and Dede
hope to be back to visit Avon.
Jim has not been at Avon since
it closed (temporarily) in 1944,
and he and his brother had to
finish at Cranbrook.
On either side of graduating senior Gilman Alex Callsen ’04, are (from left) Tyler
Callsen ’06, Griff Ordway, Gil Ordway ’44, Gigi Martz, Kitty Ordway, and Sean
Martz. (Tyler, Alex and Sean are Gil’s grandsons); Griff, Gigi, and Kitty are
Gil’s children. Kitty is mother of Alex ’04 and Tyler ’06 and a current Avon
Board member.) (See also pages 8-9.)
daughter and 1 1/2-year-old
grandson. Their son, Andrew
lives in Belmont, Massachusetts,
has two children (4 1/2 and 1
year), and is building a vacation home next door to his
parents. Paul says it is really
fun to have watched his children’s summer friends grow up
and all come back with their
own children. He was on the
reunion committee for WPI’s
50TH reunion and was back for
his 50TH at Avon before that.
He hopes to see a bigger
turnout for the 55TH and may
contact you by email! As a
reminder to classmates, remember to look at www.avonoldfarms.com for updates about
reunion and news about the
school, as well as to update your
email address for the school and
for classmates by clicking on
“alumni” through that website.
Last March Don Monaco ’55 visited
Walter White ’47 and his wife, Karen,
in their home in Antigua, Guatemala.
After Walter left Avon, he went to
Lawrenceville School in New Jersey
and St. George’s in Newport, Rhode
Island. Walter graduated from
Hobart College and after serving
two years in the U.S. Army, went to
graduate school at Babson School
of Business Administration.
1950
55th Reunion Year
Enjoying the banquet during Reunion
Weekend were Richard Thorndike
’57 and his wife, Peggy, and Harry
Burt ’53.
Lorrie Armstrong is retired
from mechanical engineering
and reports from his place in
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL that
they had very minimal damage
from hurricanes (4 shingles!)
His daughter lives in the same
complex in Florida and his son
is in Needham, Massachusetts,
about a two-hour drive from
Lorrie's Cape Cod home in
Paul Alasso is retired but still
doing some consulting. He and
his wife, Juliana, are living in
Little Compton, Rhode Island,
in the vacation/retirement
home they bought 45 years
ago. Daughter Sarah lives in
Westport, Massachusetts, a
short distance from them, and
they get to babysit frequently
for their 3 1/2-year-old grand31
From left: Paula and Jim Flippin ’57
had a great time salmon fishing in
Riversong, Alaska, with Elliot Tuckel
’57 and his wife, Kathy.
1952
Seth F. Mendell
Head Class Agent
28 North Street
Mattapoisett, MA 02739
hekate@comcast.net
1953
Jay Toole, Head Class Agent
874 Ridgeside Drive
Monrovia, CA 91016
Merrilllee@earthlink.net
1955
50th Reunion Year
Amasa Rust Kessel
Head Class Agent
3785 Thistlewood
Okemos, MI 48864
rustkessel@aol.com
Fall 2004
Class Notes
Don Monaco’s travels have
connected him to Avonians
the world over. Last summer,
Don was wearing an Avon
baseball cap when he was
stopped by Duncan Broatch ’73
and asked about his connection
to the School. It happened both
were staying at the Surf Hotel
on Block Island. Duncan,
who lives in Woodstock,
Connecticut, was enjoying a
weekend with his son, Ethan
(13). Don similarly met Walter
White ’43 while wearing an
Avon cap in Guatemala.
John Oartel wrote last March:
“I finished the season for Lyric
Opera of Chicago this afternoon. We have already started
selling seats to subscribers for
the 50th-year Golden Jubilee
Season with seven operas
(September 2004 to March
2005). The eighth opera in the
Golden Season is The Ring
(Wagner), March 28 through
April 16, 2005, in three cycles
with a Valhallan cast. This is
keeping Lyric Opera busy with
questions from every country.
I thought some people might
be interested in the Golden
Season we will be celebrating
here in Chicago.”
Al Rozinsky ’62 and his wife, Bobbie,
at Reunion 2004. (Bobbie teaches
“Exploring Creativity,” architecture,
and honors geometry at Avon.)
1956
Class of ’59: Front row: Ty Place, George Motter, Chuck Davis, Steve Schwolsky.
Back row: Peter Ramsey, David McShane, Ed Rickard, Rolf Olson.
1957
James C. Flippin
Head Class Agent
1311 Old Bernville Road
Leesport, PA 19533-9605
Jflippin@reading.com
1958
Garvin Brown III ’62 and Campbell Brown ’86 studying the plans for
Avon’s new Student Center and Athletic Complex. The Browns (including Garvin IV ’87, not pictured), have stepped up as lead supporters
for this vitally important project.
Dr. Peter Mogielnicki ’58 and his wife,
Nancy, enjoyed lunch at Skipper’s
Dock in Stonington, Connecticut,
with classmate Austin Chambers
’58 and his wife, Susan. Austin
remarked, “After not seeing each
other since our Avon graduation, we
picked up right where we left off.”
Austin Chambers
Head Class Agent
317 Flanders Road
Stonington, CT 06378-2109
Hilltop12@aol.com
Stephen Lash is now a member
of the Board of Directors at
Avon. Last April, for the second
year in a row, he volunteered
to be the auctioneer at the
School’s Spring Parents Auction,
bringing in a record-breaking
total of $158,000 for the live and
silent auction. Steve is chairman of Christie’s in New York.
1959
Provost John Gardner, Steve Gorman ’86, Donnell Camp ’59, and Rob
Dowling ’91 enjoyed playing in the Alumni Golf Tournament together
Friday of Reunion Weekend 2004.
Avonian
Richard G. Stahlman
Head Class Agent
Cheney’s Point
3044 Chautauqua Avenue
Ashville, NY 14710
Stahlman@netsync.net
32
Douglas B. Marshall
Head Class Agent
2 Berkshire Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002
douglas.marshall@cbmoves.com
Class Notes
1969
Winston P. McKellar
Head Class Agent
311 East Rose Lane
Phoenix, AZ 85012-1243
wmck@novahead.com
Bruce Berry and fellow
Avonian, Lee Terry, had a great
time fly fishing in the Bahamas.
Lee accomplished the difficult
task of landing a 6 1/2-pound
bonefish.
Reunion 2004: David Coleman ’69,
Kim DesMarais ’69, George Purnell ’68
and Phil Gaucher ’69.
David Davis is president of the
2004-2005 Tournament of
Roses. The 116th Rose Parade,
themed “Celebrate Family”, will
take place on Saturday, January
1, 2005, at 8:00 a.m. (PST),
featuring “majestic floral floats,
high-stepping equestrian units,
and spirited marching bands
from throughout the nation.”
See www.tournamentofroses.
com/corp/press_2005Pres.htm
to read the complete article on
David’s election and the many
qualifications he brings to the
position.
The Matalon family joins together to celebrate Ryan’s graduation:
cousin Josh Truppman, aunt Linda Truppman, mother Joanie Matalon,
brother Daniel Matalon ’00, Ryan ’04, uncle Paul Matalon ’70, grandmother Hiliary Matalon, and cousins Rachel and Andrew Matalon’01.
1961
1965
40th Reunion Year
George F. Henschel Jr.
Head Class Agent
101 Seminary Road
Bedford, NY 10506
gfhjr@aol.com
Barton G. Barrett
Co-Head Class Agent
1 Maple Avenue
Richmond, VA 23226-2339
BGBRealtor@aol.com
1962
1966
Alan D. Rozinsky
Head Class Agent
Avon Old Farms School
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, CT 06001
rozinskyb@avonoldfarms.com
Michael D. Barker
Head Class Agent
139 Kirkwood Road
West Hartford, CT 06117-2835
barkermike@aol.com
1964
Spencer Beal ’65 rafting on the
Colorado River in the Grand Canyon
with about 38 friends, including Erika
and Peter Aron ’65 (not pictured).
1960
45th Reunion Year
Richard L. Williams
Head Class Agent
Post Office Box 218
South Orleans, MA 02662-0218
Rclumberclan@aol.com
1970
35th Reunion Year
Harris H. Bucklin III
Head Class Agent
3004 Margaret Jones Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Sirrah3@aol.com
1971
Henry R. Coons
Head Class Agent
Avon Old Farms School
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, CT 06001
coonsh@avonoldfarms.com
1967
W. B. Harwood III
Reunion Chair
24 Overhill Avenue
New Britain, CT 06053
James W. Corrigan
Co-Head Class Agent
826 Gould Hill Road
Contoocook, NH 03229
Ack91@comcast.net
Michael Nouri co-starred with
Patti LuPone in the New York
revival of Can-Can in February
2004. Last fall, at the Goodspead
Opera House in Haddam,
Connecticut, Nouri played
Rodin in Camille Claudel, a
musical about the French
sculptor’s mistress.
1968
George L. Purnell
Head Class Agent
110 Watch Hill Road
Branford, CT 06405
george.purnell@archivesone.com
33
Bob Gartzman ’73 visited campus
this summer with his wife, Theresa,
and son, Hayden.
Fall 2004
Class Notes
Henry Coons has just begun
his 29th year at Avon. In spring
2004, his varsity tennis team
had another successful season,
winning 14 matches against
only 3 losses. In the past three
seasons, the team has won 44
matches and has lost only 7.
He is currently focusing his
efforts on deferred giving and
capital gifts for the new Student
Center and Field House. This
past summer he enjoyed visiting
with many alumni and friends
of the School throughout New
England and also traveled out
west to see Orod Sayyah ’82
in Indianapolis and Borum ’89
and John Cooper ’87 in
Bentonville, Arkansas. Henry’s
wife, Marie, still works in the
Baxter Library, where she
enjoys working with the boys
on research projects. Each
Thursday in the fall and spring
she leads area hikes for adults
as part of the Farmington continuing education program.
She usually has between a
dozen and several dozen adults
participating each week.
Henry’s daughter, Christina,
graduated from Muhlenberg
College in May 2004 and is an
intern history teacher at Culver
Academy in Culver, Indiana.
Christina is an assistant coach
for varsity girls’ soccer and will
also coach girls’ lacrosse.
Daughter Brittany is a junior at
St. Lawrence University, where
she plays on the volleyball and
lacrosse teams. Casey Coons ’06
is a junior at Avon and is playing goalie for Coach Beneski’s
“mighty mighty fourths” soccer
team. Last year he enjoyed
playing JV hockey and was
co-captain of JV lacrosse along
with Steve Driscoll ’06, the
son of Joe Driscoll ’72. The JV
lacrosse team is coached by
Peter Rice ’76, son of Harry
Rice, who coached football at
Avon in 1969 and 1970 and
was Casey’s dad’s football
coach at Avon.
Avonian
Charlie Bell (3), youngest child of
Jeb Bell ’74, won seventh place out
of 53 contestants at the Devon
Horse Show. He was also one of the
youngest competitors.
Ellie (11), daughter of Jeb Bell ’74, won
a ribbon for this competitive jump.
their weekend house in Malden
Bridge, New York. It’s a fundraising event where people
enjoy a cocktail reception at
the Opera House and then
move on in small groups to
dine in one of the spectacular
historic homes in the city of
Hudson. Chris wrote, “I was
particularly excited because
having learned that my 1973
classmate and Hudson resident
Windle Davis was hosting one
of the dinners, I specifically
requested to attend the dinner
held in his home—itself a historic theater in a dramatic loft
space. At the cocktail reception
I was disappointed to learn that
Windle had been forced to
travel to Florida to visit his
mother. Thinking that was the
end of any Avon connection, I
turned around and saw someone approaching me. Imagine
my surprise when he introduced
himself as Chris Carone, Class
of 1971! I remembered him
well, and had no idea he had
settled down in nearby Valatie,
New York. We had a great time
catching up, and as I spied a
photographer milling about,
asked her to take the attached
photo for posterity.” [see photo]
1974
1972
George J. Giannoni
Co-Head Class Agent
36 Twilight Drive
Granby, CT 06035-1212
GGiannoni@cox.net
Kevin J. Driscoll
Class Agent
Avon Old Farms School
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, CT 06001
Driscollk@avonoldfarms.com
Edward P. Molloy
Co-Head Class Agent
6 Winhart Drive
Granby, CT 06035
Tmolloy@ArraySoftware.com
Congratulations to Mark
DeBlois, who married Chris
Novicki on June 5, 2004.
Thomas Mayer wrote, “I’ve just
been accepted into the first
advanced-standing graduate
class at the UCONN School
of Social Work. I graduated in
May from Western Connecticut
State University, a member of
Phi Alpha honor society (Chi
Sigma Chapter), a recipient
of the Beatrice K. Nemzer
Student Recognition Award,
Outstanding Senior, Craig
Lundwall Memorial Scholarship
and the WCSU Foundation
Scholarship. Four years ago, at
the age of 43, I was accepted to
WCSU. I hadn’t had an academic experience in 25 years.
Amazingly, the training and
study habits that I somehow
(don’t ask me how — must
have been osmosis) accrued at
Avon have served me well
these many years later.”
Bill Batesole and Barrett Holby
took a sailing trip last year with
friends in the Virgin Islands.
Jeb Bell bought a new house
adjoining his farm, adding
additional acres and access. Jeb
1973
Ron Protasewich
Head Class Agent
40 Pine Lake Road
Duxbury, MA 02332-4339
rprotasewich@ti.com
Chris Atkins ’73 caught up with
Chris Carone ’71 at the Hudson
Opera House gathering last spring.
Chris Atkins and his wife,
Lauren, attended the annual
Hudson Opera House Movable
Feast last March 2004, near
34
Fred Michel ’77 enjoyed a trip to
Ireland in the summer of 2004. One
of his stops was the Bushmills
Distillery in Northern Ireland.
Class Notes
1976
in support of Operations Noble
Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and
Iraqi Freedom. Our unit was
deployed to numerous locations
providing air refueling missions
to various aircraft. I still remain
active in club lacrosse as the
goalie for the Circle City
Lacrosse Club in Indianapolis
and also in the Kokomo Civic
Theater, where I will be portraying the role of Benny
Southstreet in the upcoming
musical Guys and Dolls.”
Alexander N. Worley
Head Class Agent
20 Shore Grove Road
Clinton, CT 06413
alexworley@sbcglobal.net
Lt. Col. Asad Khan ’78 is serving the
U.S. military in Afghanistan, where
he is currently assigned as battalion
commander for First Battalion Sixth
Marines. According to Major John
Bourgault, now a teacher at Avon,
Asad is “a legend” in the Marine Corps.
Gary Gerken and his wife,
Petrona, announced the arrival
of their third child, Charlotte
Victoria, born March 24, 2004.
wrote, “Eventually the move
will make life easier; however,
the house needs a lot of work
before we move in, so our
Nova Scotia trip this year
could be in jeopardy.” All three
of his children compete in horse
shows, and at the first show
where all three competed, they
all won ribbons!
Peik Van Waveren emailed,
“Over the summer I had the
pleasure of meeting one of your
faculty while fishing on
Nantucket. We were fortunate
enough to have Captain Corey
Gammill as our skipper. My
daughter, son, and some friends
who were visiting us all went
fishing off the Nantucket shoals
for blues and stripers. We had a
great time, and it was fun to
catch up with someone from
Avon.” Corey teaches history
at Avon and is one of the
varsity soccer coaches.
1975
1977
30th Reunion Year
ªeunion
T
he Class of 1975 will gather
for their 30th Reunion the
weekend of May 6-7. Alumni
may view details as they are
updated on our website —
www.avonoldfarms.com.
Steven Cramer ’79 and his wife,
Martha, announce the arrival of
Maddox, born May 25, 2004, at
Mount Auburn Hospital in
Cambridge. Martha now works
for the Global Health Initiative at
Harvard, and Steven works for
psychologist and Harvard professor
Howard Gardner, doing research on
interdisciplinary education as part
of Project Zero.
Greg DeMaio wrote, “I am stationed at Grissom Air Reserve
Base in Indiana, about 45 miles
north of Indianapolis. Grissom
is home to the 434th Air
Refueling Wing, the largest air
refueling wing in the Air Force
reserve. I am an aircraft maintenance officer and currently
the commander of the 434th
Maintenance Squadron. Our
unit was activated right after
9/11 and we’ve been mobilized
Jorge E. Consuegra
Head Class Agent
5 Andrews Road
Greenwich, CT 06830
jorgeeconsuegra@yahoo.com
Bill Cross wrote to announce
the high school graduation of
his eldest son, Tyler. As a senior
at Longmont High in Colorado,
he served as captain of his
school’s drumline. Ty attends
Ohio University and plans to
study architectural design.
1978
Kenneth G. Cloud
Head Class Agent
107 North Wilton Road
Richmond, VA 23226
kencloud@cloudconsulting.com
Lt. Col. Asad Khan is currently
assigned as the battalion commander for First Battalion Sixth
Marines. The unit is deployed
to Afghanistan for combat
operations. Cheryl and Asad’s
son, Caleb, recently became a
Bob Applegate
ClassAgent
622 Hillendale Road
Chadds Ford, PA 19317-9364
rapple@lyonsinsurance.com
David Jack is working on many
new initiatives in advertising.
He lives in Stamford,
Connecticut, with his wife,
Tammy, and children, Emily
(12) and Gregory (8).
Steve Glover ’79, his wife, Sheri, and
children Chloe (7), Spencer (5), and
Fiona (2) enjoyed Steve’s 25th
Reunion, and the induction of his
1979 lacrosse team to Avon’s Hall
of Fame.
Reunion 2004: Back row: Ted Garber, Jim (Boog) Powell ’79, Brian
Maitland ’80. Front row: Marianne Ritz, Charles Oliver Ritz ’79, Mr.
Mark, Bob Mark ’80.
35
Fall 2004
Class Notes
Last spring, Eric Johnson ’80 visited
campus with his mother, Helene, and
stepfather, Doug Haugland, who are
shown here with Peter Evans. Doug
took some great shots with his digital
camera and really enjoyed the architecture of the school.
midshipman at the U.S. Naval
Academy. Jesseca and Syra are
at home with mom at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina.
Mike Farmer defended his dissertation on February 9th. He
now has a Ph.D. in computer
science from Michigan State
University.
1979
interdisciplinary lesson plans,
to compare notes on best
teaching practices, and to
understand how one teaching
discipline can inform another.
Martha and I went to hear Dr.
Paul Farmer speak at the
Medical School about his work
in Haiti — after reading Tracy
Kidder’s book we wanted to see
if he was human or superhero.
He wore a suit.”
1980
25th Reunion Year
ªeunion
T
he Class of 1980 will gather
for their 25th Reunion the
weekend of May 6-7. Alumni
may view details as they are
updated on our website —
www.avonoldfarms.com.
Kenneth H. Blanchard
Co-Head Class Agent
846 Mountain Road
West Hartford, CT 06117
kenkhb99@aol.com
Anthony M. Gray
Co-Head Class Agent
6212 Wagner Lane
Bethesda, MD 20816
tgray@tonygray.net
Thomas E. Davey
Co-Head Class Agent
4816 Sandestin Drive
Dallas, TX 75287
Thomas.Davey@lighting.ge.com
Scott B. Linke
Co-Head Class Agent
16 Eleven Levels Road
Ridgefield, CT 06877-3009
links@attglobal.net
Ben Lucarelli is acting as
owner’s representative during
construction of the new home
of Two River Theatre Company
(TRTC) in Red Bank, New
Jersey. The new theater space
of 300 seats will allow the
audience to share more deeply
in the experience and participate more actively in the art of
the stage. There will be space
for theater arts classes and room
to expand popular educational
programming. Ben emailed
Peter Evans, “It looks like my
participation in the AOF
theater club started me down a
very rewarding path. Your words
to keep my options open have
guided me along the way.” If
you want to see what Ben is up
Steve Cramer and his wife,
Martha, had a baby boy May
25, 2004. Steve emailed last
February, “My wife is six
months along now and Martha
is already asking me to discipline the child. ‘Tell him to
stop kicking,’ she says. I think
we have another soccer player/
drummer on the way. I am
working on Howard Gardner’s
Good Work research team here
at Harvard. We are working
with outstanding teachers in
the Boston area to design new
Avonian
Members of the Class of 1984 in the Refectory on Reunion Weekend: Back row:
Carl Valimont, Preston Cherouny, Andy Horning, Dean Graham, Fred Kenvin,
Blake Beath, Leland Alper. Front row: Ted Blaine, Keith Tanny, Mark McGinley,
Stuart Holliday, E4 Twining.
Juan Nieves ’83, Stuart Holliday ’84, E4 Twining ’84.
to, check out www.trtc.org. Go
to TRTC’s new home and then
to construction update. He
photographed most of the construction pictures and is the
project’s leading fund-raiser.
The first show at Two River
Theatre Red Bank is scheduled
for May 7, 2005.
Matt Paskus and his wife,
Tamra, have two daughters,
Ali (9) and Liz (13), two dogs,
a cat, and a rabbit, and we’ve
heard he’s considering adding
chickens and a goat as they
live in farming country in
Washington state. Matt emailed
George Getz, “Skiing is great
36
up this way. Whistler/
Blackcomb is growing and
getting pumped for the 2010
Olympics.” Matt works as a
systems analyst in the computer
science department at Western
Washington University.
1981
Samuel C. Bookbinder
Head Class Agent
Two Logan Square, Suite 700
18th & Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2707
sbookbinder@wachoviasec.com
Class Notes
1982
Brian B. Conroy
Chairman of Annual Fund,
Co-Head Class Agent
47 Thurton Drive
New Canaan, CT 06840
brian.conroy@sac.com
Dean Graham ’84 currently serves
on Avon’s Board of Directors. He is
pictured vacationing in Chatham,
Cape Cod, with his wife Deb, and
children Jack, Joe, and Katie.
Rafael Laffitte emailed Peter
Evans, “I am doing great. I
have two daughters ages 16 and
14, both are excellent students.
Apparently, they got that from
their mother, and I’m trying to
keep the boys away from them,
but it’s very difficult to do.
After working for many years
for multinational insurance
brokerage companies, I now
own my own company and
after only three years we are
the fourth largest insurance
broker in Puerto Rico. My new
hobby is blue marlin fishing
and cruising around the U.S.
and British Virgin Islands in
my boat. I am hoping to go
back to AOF for my 25th
reunion in 2006, but in the
meantime if you are planning
to visit Puerto Rico, let me
know and we will take good
care of you.”
Gregory T. Fish
Co-Head Class Agent
12 Brick Walk Lane
Farmington, CT 06032-2313
gft324@yahoo.com
Jamie Lindemuth and his wife,
Leah, announced the arrival of
Caroline, born November 4,
2003. He emailed in early
2004, “We actually celebrated
her four-month birthday this
morning. This is our first child
and she is our pride and joy, as
every day is better than the last.
We bought a new apartment
in New York and I saw John
Feitelberg a few months ago in
NYC. We had a little friendly
wager between the Yankees
and Red Sox, and he delivered
my winnings of clam chowder
from Legal Seafoods. It sure
was good!”
Fred Kenvin ’84, Mark McGinley ’84, Andy Horning ’84 and Dean Graham ’84
caught up at Reunion 2004.
1984
Dean C. Graham
Head Class Agent
5407 Duvall Drive
Bethesda, MD 20816
dgraham@capitalsource.com
Rich Protasewich and his wife,
Kennie, announce the arrival
of their third son, Adam. Big
brothers Luke and Spencer are
enjoying him. They live in
Weddington, North Carolina.
Peter Fish ’84 and Jodi Wheeler were
married last May on the islands of
Turks and Caicos.
Rick wrote, “My co-author is
Jeffrey Fox, father of Damian
Fox ’91, Dean Graham ’84
provided an endorsement on
the back cover, and Jon Lester
’63 took my photo for the
book jacket.”
1983
Richard C. Gregory
Head Class Agent
30 Walnut Farms Drive
Farmington, CT 06032
rgregory@foxandcompany.com
Doug Schluter ’84 and his family
enjoyed lunch in the Refectory while
at Reunion 2004. The Schluters
make their home in Marblehead,
Masssachusetts.
Dan Green and his brother,
Matt ’86, were on campus this
summer. Dan lives in Worcester,
Massachusetts, with his wife, Pat,
where he is a case worker and
assistant director at a juvenile
detention center called Eliot
Community Human Services
in Westboro [see photo].
Rick Gregory just had his
first book, The Dollarization
Discipline, published by John
Wiley & Sons. It is available
in all major bookstores (see
www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/
WileyTitle/productCd0471659
509.html for press release). The
book is full of Avon connections.
Tom Adams and his wife,
Kendall, had their third boy,
Griffin James, on March 15,
2004. Tom was back for
Reunion and he continues as
admissions director at The
Gunnery School.
Mike Gibbons and his wife,
Kim, are enjoying life with
their one-year-old daughter,
Abigail, born March 28, 2003.
Ted Blaine emailed, “We are
so excited to have a happy
healthy little baby girl to add
to the Blaine clan! Sophia
Isabella Blaine was born April
15, 2004, at 4:59 a.m. Mom
and baby are well, and we are
all adjusting to life in a family
of six. Fortunately, our new
home has just enough room
(for now).” The Blaines live in
Old Greenwich, Connecticut,
and it was great to see Ted at
the Reunion banquet.
The Alumni and Development
Office got in touch by phone
with Matt Weir, who is sailing
37
Fall 2004
Class Notes
for two years with his wife, Ann,
and children Randy (7), Jordan
(81/2, and Charlotte (1). At
the time of the call, October
4th, they were just passing the
Statue of Liberty, heading
toward Maryland from Maine.
He has a captain and crew of
six and said updates could be
found soon on his website at
mysirenuse.com. His boat’s
name, Sirenuse, means mermaid
in a southern Italian dialect.
The Weirs plan to sail to the
South Pacific and probably Fiji.
Children of Inger and Bill Young ’85:
Johnson, Gunnar, Margo, and
Emmett.
1985
John ’86 and Mara Ashe with their
children, along with John’s father and
nephew, after the ’86 hockey team
was inducted into the Hall of Fame
over Reunion weekend. In addition
to accepting his own award, John
also accepted an award for friend
and former Avon teammate, Brian
Leetch ’86.
At Charlotte reception in June '04, Brett Taylor '87 and his wife, Lane, enjoy
conversation with Adam Cline '93.
Mike McHugh wrote, “I have
been elected to represent the
10th Congressional District as
an alternate delegate for John
F. Kerry. While I have been
active in public service and
local politics for a number of
years, I have never considered
seeking election until I met
John Kerry. This summer, I will
help represent my congressional
district at the Democratic
Convention in Boston and
support John Kerry as the
Democratic nominee for
President.” Mike and his wife,
Margy, live in Northbrook,
Illinois, with their three sons:
Scott, James, and Connor. His
plan was to celebrate his 10th
anniversary on Martha’s
Vineyard and then go to
Boston for the Democratic
National Convention.
1986
John G. Ashe
Class Agent
50 Edgewood Avenue
Longmeadow, MA 01106-1308
jashe@olyfast.com
Congratulations to Campbell
Brown on his engagement to
Sarah Barker over the 4th of
July weekend.
20th Reunion Year
ªeunion
Matt Green continues to teach
English at Pomfret School in
Pomfret, Connecticut, where
he is also assistant academic
dean. He and his wife, Jen, had
a baby girl on September 30th.
He wrote that on the way to
the hospital in Farmington,
they got a flat tire at midnight
while Jen was in labor! But
baby Jessica waited to get to the
hospital to be born, arriving in
good health at 8 lbs. 14 oz. She
was welcomed home by sister
Eliza (4) and brother Luke (7).
T
he Class of 1985 will gather
for their 20th Reunion the
weekend of May 6-7. Alumni
may view details as they are
updated on our website —
www.avonoldfarms.com.
Sam L. Rubenstein
Co-Chairman of the Annual Fund
Head Class Agent
3045 Darien Lane
Twinsburg, OH 44087
sam.rubenstein@ey.com
Avonian
Jason Taylor ’86 and his fiancée,
Ardie Pendergast, attended the
Charlotte Reception June 16 at the
home of Andrew Fisher ’91 and his
wife, Janet.
38
Christopher Gambrill James arrived
on August 16, 2004, to the delight
of his parents, Ann and Jim (Warner)
James '87, and his siblings, Mary
and Jimmy. The James family lives in
Cotuit, Massachusetts, where Jim
teaches in the humanities department and is director of admissions
at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville.
1987
William C. Begien
Class Agent
245 L Street, #3
South Boston, MA 02127
wbegien@yahoo.com
Jon Lester and his wife, Paula,
are living in Delray Beach,
Florida, with their children,
Gabriella (3) and Jonathan (1).
After managing restaurants,
Class Notes
Mike Lech ’88 sent in this picture of
his family after the birth of Chase
Michael Johannes Lech, born August
15, 2004.
On campus this summer for a visit:
Matt Green ’86 and brother Dan
Green ’83 flanking Dean Peter Evans.
lounges, and banquet departments for the Four Seasons
Hotel in Austin, Texas, and an
independent hotel in Palm
Beach, Jon became catering
sales manager for the Delray
Beach Marriott and Convention
Center. The birth of Gabriella
precipitated the change to a 9to-5 job. He wrote, “Things are
good and are getting better all
the time. I met Carter Redd,
general manager of the Ocean
Club, down here as well, but
with the hectic schedule, we
have never gotten together. I
like to spend at least two weeks
of the summer in New England
and I hang out with Charlie
Deckers as often as possible.”
Jon and Charlie enjoyed last
year’s Masters Golf Tournament
and were hoping to catch a
game at Fenway in August.
Charlie has one daughter, Olivia,
and his second child, Braden
Charles, was born in July.
Culley Carson ’90 sent in this note:
“This is a picture of my son, Culley
Clyde Carson V, and me checking
out the Avon book to get him ready
for his entrance exam in a few years!”
Gabriella Pagni (15 months), daughter
of Katie and Jason Pagni ’90.
Kelly Cragg lives in Hampden,
Massachusetts, with his wife,
Sheila, and three children.
Jon Doering lives in Cleveland,
Ohio with his two sons and
daughter.
Bret Stoffer and his wife, LN,
announce the arrival of their
first baby, Oscar Zahn Stoffer,
born on May 14, 2004. In
August, Bret wrote, “Oscar
weighed 7 lbs. 11.6 oz, and is
now almost 19 lbs. at (almost)
3.5 months old. He’s a big boy!
Everything is going very well,
and we’re thoroughly enjoying
parenthood!”
1988
Shawn E. Atkinson
Co-Head Class Agent
131 East 81st Street, Apt 8
New York, NY 10028-1450
shawn_atkinson@msn.com
Oscar Stoffer, son of LN and Bret
Stoffer ’88.
Peter Reed
Co-Head Class Agent
435 Crestwood Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
peter.reed@kornferry.com
1989
Brian Riva
Class Agent
14 Chatfield Drive
Lakeville, CT 06039
brianriva@sbcglobal
Jeff Davis has started a new
venture, Bluewater Mortgage, a
residential mortgage company.
He and his wife, Carey Ann,
along with their sons, Zachary
(21/2) and Drew (2 months),
live in Amesbury,
Massachusetts.
Brian Riva ’89 with his wife, Mary
Kate, and their children, Holly (4)
and Hayden (2) along with Brian’s
parents, Mickey and Tanya Riva.
They attended Avon’s Reunion last
spring. Brian was part of the ’89
hockey team which was inducted
into the first Avon Hall of Fame.
Celebrating daughter Allison’s christening with Cynthia and Brian Regan ’88
were: From left, John Watson ’87 and daughter Ella, Ryan Martin ’88, Brian
Regan ’88, Dave Crowe, Brendan Lynch ’88, and Kevin Ryan ’88. Allison (not
pictured) was born February 22, 2004.
39
Fall 2004
Robert Zane Grey ’90 and his wife,
Tomomi, stopped by Avon’s campus
in September with their daughter,
Anri Elizabeth Grey (8 months).
Marissa Janelle Burstein, daughter of
Elysa and Jeff Burstein’91.
Jonathan Judd left VirginAtlantic Airways after four
years to become a full-time
graduate student at Central
Connecticut State College.
1990
15th Reunion Year
ªeunion
T
he Class of 1990 will gather
for their 15th Reunion the
weekend of May 6-7. Alumni
may view details as they are
updated on our website —
www.avonoldfarms.com.
Adam J. Crane
Class Agent
27 Rockridge Road
Framingham, MA 01702-5512
adam.crane@rcn.com
After seven years as a sound
engineer in the Baltimore area,
Kevin Pedini changed careers
in 2002 and received his certification in web development
from Johns Hopkins University.
He is now a partner in the
promising consulting firm
www.kaygroup.net. He lives
outside of Baltimore with his
wife, Chrissy, and their two
children, Duncan and Abby.
Jason Pagni and his wife, Katie,
live in Hamden, Connecticut,
with their 15-month-old
daughter, Gabriella. Jason
came to Reunion 2004.
Quentin Davis Cutler, son of Kristin and Matt Cutler ’91.
After graduating from Avon,
Scott Blake went to Marietta
College in Ohio. He is currently
living in Gothenburg, Sweden,
with his wife, Pernilla, and
sons, Dylan (3) and Jordan (6
months). Scott works at the
Volvo trucks European division
at the headquarters in
Gothenburg as a technical
sales engineer. He is fluent in
Swedish and his work focuses
on non-standard vehicle
inquiries from English customers. The factory where the
trucks are manufactured is just
a two-minute drive from the
Volvo car factory. Scott has
kept close contact with Graham
Gallagher, who lives in San
Francisco. Scott is playing club
soccer, mountain bikes with
friends on weekends, and tries
to fit in sailing and tennis
during the summer months.
He enjoys winter by skiing in
Sweden and Norway and
emailed, “Soon I'll be taking
the children to teach them!”
AOF coach Rob Dowling ’91 and his son Brian enjoy a moment after a
baseball game in April 2004. The Avon Old Farms varsity baseball team
finished 18-3 and captured the league title in 2004.
Travis Tucker, and his wife,
Suzanne, announce the birth of
their son, Harrison Tucker,
born on June 5, 2004.
Andrew Fisher '91 catches up with Peter Duggan '91 at the Charlotte
Reception last June.
Avonian
40
Class Notes
to find some time to stop by
again one of these days. I
believe the campus has changed
a great deal since I last saw it.”
From left: Adam Cline ’93, Andrew
Fisher ’91 and friend, Will Bishop,
during the Latta Triathlon in the
Charlotte, North Carolina, area on
June 5, 2004.
1991
Matt Cutler and his wife,
Kristin, announce the arrival
of Quentin Davis Cutler, born
in Chicago on March 9, 2004.
Proud grandparents are current
Avon Board member Les
Cutler and Terry Cutler, former
director of admissions. Quentin
weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was
20 inches long.
Andrew Fisher and his wife,
Janet, announce the birth of
their daughter, Ella Crawford,
on August 26, 2004. She
weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was
18 inches long.
Cliff Hansen ’91 and Headmaster Ken LaRocque at the Charlotte Reception.
are 12 screens and 2200 seats
with the latest sound. My private life has changed too. My
wife I-rin and I are expecting a
baby in December. If the baby
is a boy, I want him to become
an Avonian!” [Editor’s Note:
It’s a girl!]
Michael M. Mullin
Head Class Agent
400 East 59th Street, Apt 5D
New York, NY 10022
michael.m.mullin@citicorp.com
Philippe Duvelle emailed,
“After traveling a good deal,
I did ‘settle down’ (sort of)
in Massachusetts. I live in
Marlborough and have been
working at Raytheon for five
years now. I am part of the
engineering group, responsible
for designing radar systems
(among other things) for the
military/government. I’m not
getting rich, but after 10 years
in the military I feel I get to
continue serving my country
while doing something I enjoy.
Of course, the money is much
better than enlisted pay.
Anyway that’s about it for me.
My brother, Charles ’84, who
spent one year at AOF as a
freshman, has been living in
France for about eight years
now. He and his wife, Michele,
have two boys – Nicolas (9)
and Remy (8). He worked as a
software engineer for a while,
and now manages an IT
department. I thought some
of you were around then and
would be interested. I will have
Jeff Burstein and his wife,
Elysa, proudly announce the
birth of their daughter, Marissa
Janelle, on April 18, 2004. She
weighed 7 lbs. 12.6 oz., and
was 201/2 inches long. Jeff graduated from Union College with
a B.A. in English and from
Western New England College
School of Law. He is a partner
at Burstein Law Offices. Elysa
also graduated from Union
College with a B.S. in psychology and from Hofstra
University with an M.S. in
elementary education. She is
a fourth grade teacher in
Ludlow, Massachusetts. The
Bursteins recently moved to
Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
Keiichi (Rambo) Nishikubo ’91 with
his wife, I-rin, and their dog,
Doggyokun, a 3-year-old Irish Setter.
Keiichi (Rambo) Nishikubo
has been in touch with Avon
admissions director, Brendon
Welker ’91 and Dean Peter
Evans. He wrote, “I am trying
to organize a new company for
theater business in Japan. Last
week, I went to Las Vegas to
join the Showfest 2004 convention, where I met many
Hollywood celebrities including
Nichole Kidman, Jim Carey,
Nick Cage, Jude Law, and more.
I want to visit Avon this year
if I can! I just organized a new
theater company called XYZ
Cinemas and plan on opening
the first site in April 2005,
near Tokyo Disneyland. There
Richie Diamond and his wife,
Aynsley, announce the arrival
of their baby girl, Olivia
Margarethe Diamond, on
August 12th. She weighed 6
lbs., 13 oz. All are happy and
healthy. Richie is enjoying his
new position on the faculty as
the vocal music teacher at
41
Brady Andrew McDonald, son of
proud parents Beth and T.J.
McDonald ’92.
Avon. The Riddlers performed
under Richie’s direction at the
alumni leadership dinner in
October. Frank Leavitt ’52
said he’d never heard the boys
sound better.
Todd Carroll is continuing his
acting career and recently
appeared in several episodes
of a new TV series, Rescue Me,
staring Dennis Leary. The show
is set in a New York City fire
department station still reverberating from the shock of
September 11. Rescue Me
appears on the FX network.
Fall 2004
Class Notes
Adam Cline ’93 and son Andrew in
Charlotte, North Carolina, with Ken
LaRocque and Peter Evans. Adam
works for Lowe’s Home Improvement
at the corporate office in North
Wilkesboro.
1992
Damien J. Egan
Head Class Agent
degan2@hotmail.com
T.J. McDonald and his wife,
Beth, announce the arrival of
Brady Andrew on April 14,
2004. T.J. works for a third
party administrator owned by
fellow Avonian Brian Rasnick.
Brian and his wife, Melanie,
who also became parents to a
son, William James Rasnick,
born November 12, 2003.
1993
Travis Merritt
Class Agent
23 Church Street
Flemington, NJ 08822
merrittt@hotmail.com
Ben Mallory announced his
engagement to Jodi Kennedy.
A June 2005 wedding is
planned in the Chapel at
Avon. He is employed as an art
director for AOL and resides in
Leesburg, Virginia.
Avonian
Upton Shipley visited campus
in September from Santa Fe,
New Mexico, where he now
lives, painting and doing art
therapy. He attended Hartwick
and Rhode Island School of
Design, as well as Parsons in
New York. He has also been
involved in the movie-making
process, working on a few sets.
He has worked with Ron
Howard on The Missing, and
Adam Sandler on The Longest
Yard, and has been a production designer (blueprints for
sets), and involved with set
design and purchasing for sets.
Before settling into the art and
movie world, Upton traveled
and lived in Eastern Europe,
Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and
Jordan, leaving Europe and the
Middle East in 1995. He still
keeps in touch with friends
from Avon. His artwork is in
galleries from Oregon to
Florida and he still finds time
to play ice hockey in Santa Fe.
He plans to return to
Philadelphia, eventually, to be
closer to family and friends.
each other, I’ll miss Reunion.
Please say hello to everyone for
me, and I hope to be able to
attend the next Avon reception
in D.C.” [Editor’s note: Tim
graduated with his MBA in
August. Tim attended the
reception at The Chevy Chase
Club December 7th.]
Jason Murgio and Patricia
Anne Purcell of Schenectedy,
New York, were married in
October in Saratoga Springs.
Currently the couple resides in
Atlanta. Jason is a principal at
a boutique investment bank
specializing in mergers and
acquisitions for the insurance
industry.
1995
10th Reunion Year
ªeunion
T
he Class of 1995 will gather
for their 10th Reunion the
weekend of May 6-7. Alumni
may view details as they are
updated on our website —
www.avonoldfarms.com.
1994
Graham C. Fuller
Class Agent
100 Llanalew Road, Apt 8
Haverford, PA 19041-1564
gfuller816@aol.com
Tim Waterman wants Avonians
to get in touch if they are coming to the D.C. area (twaterman@generaldynamics.com).
He wrote, “I have been living
in D.C. now for two years. I
received a promotion to the
corporate office of General
Dynamics; that’s the real
reason for my moving to D.C.
Although I love all that D.C.
has to offer, I miss Connecticut
and the water. I have been
going to school at night and
am almost done (in August)
with my M.B.A. from George
Washington University.
Because I am in the wedding
of two friends I introduced to
From the Class of ’94: Mike
Rozinsky, Paul Matthews, Eric Grey.
Anthony D. Silvestro
Head Class Agent
1001/2 Main Street, Unit R
Andover, MA 01810
tsilvestro@intellicorp.com
Ben Harper is working in the
import/export clothing field.
Ben enjoys racing bikes competitively.
Mike Halle joined the National
Guard after 9/11. After graduating from Elmira, Mike served
in the 143rd unit in Baghdad
as an MP and currently works
full-time for the Guard in
homeland security. On
September 24, 2004, Mike
married Amanda Narog in
Wethersfield, Connecticut.
Terry Cutler, recently retired admissions director, was back to Avon for a visit
with Kyle Youngquist ’97, Tim Stay ’97, and Frank Leavitt ’52.
42
Class Notes
Members of the Class of ’99 — Top Row: Chris Gateman, Joe Montineri, David
Gryboski, Mark Floyd, Bill Pollak, KC Tenukas ’00, Bottom Row: Jon Carroll,
Greg O’Leary, Brooks Garber, D.J. Knecht, Erin Borger, Coulsen Barbiche.
John Hayes resides in Chicago
where he is a third-year student
at John Marshall Law School.
Last spring, Mike Fish emailed,
“I am still with Genatt
Associates, which is a retail
insurance brokerage out of Long
Island. I am the Genatt Environmental representative, and
specialize in environmental
insurance. I also get involved in
all types of insurance, though,
and our company is one of the
largest writers of real estate
insurance. I moved within New
York about eight months ago
from an apartment I shared
with Todd Norton for four
years. Todd moved to Miami in
February and is enjoying it. I
am regularly in touch with Tim
Waterman ’94, who has been in
Washington, D.C., for a few
years now finishing his M.B.A.
at George Washington. He was
promoted a couple of years ago
to the home office of Electric
Boat and now works in their
General Dynamics office out
there. He seems to be doing
exceptionally well and has been
studying for his M.B.A. at night.
I have been getting the enews
and it is nice to catch up on
Avon events when I receive it.
I am glad to see that all is well
and please let everyone know
that I say hello.”
1996
Mark A. Caruso
Co-Head Class Agent
78 Hollow Tree Ridge Road
Darien, CT 06820
mcaruso@gmail.com
John T. Jones
Co-Head Class Agent
88 W. Marshall Road
Lansdowne, PA 19050
jtjones1@sju.edu
Brian Lemek ’98 has been in Durban, South Africa, since last December
where he works as a program co-coordinator for Playing for Peace (PfP).
Playing for Peace is a non-profit organization that uses the game of
basketball to bridge divides and develop leaders in regions of the world
historically separated by strife. PfP uses a life skills program to train
young South African adults to be peer mentors/role models while educating thousands of children about HIV/AIDS and other critical health
and social issues. Basketball is the vehicle PfP uses to engage the children.
Brian writes, “What we are really doing is bridging divides, developing
leaders, and sustaining health in youths. I would love to talk more about
PfP and what we are doing. If you are interested, please contact me at
blemek@playingforpeace.org. I will be returning home in December.”
Peter Obre graduated from
the University of Southern
California in 2000 with a major
in English (thanks to the inspiration of AOF English teacher
Tim Beneski). He wrote in
February 2004, “Since college I
have been working for Home
Depot Corporation in outside
sales and sales training.
However, I have just been
hired by a commercial real
estate firm, CB Richard Ellis,
the largest of its kind in the
world and will start the job on
March 15. Needless to say, I’m
overwhelmed!”
1997
Timothy B. Stay
Co-Head Class Agent
431 Clayton Manor Drive South
Apt. 5
Liverpool, NY 13088
timstay33@yahoo.com
Kyle R. Youngquist
Co-Head Class Agent
60 West 23rd Street, Apt. 950
New York, NY 10010
kyle.youngquist@marsh.com
43
P.J. Chesson, after joining Mo
Nunn Racing’s new satellite
team, beat series championelect Thiago Medeiros at Pikes
Peak. P.J. scored three consecutive Menards Infinity Pro Series
victories in August, including
one win at Kentucky Superspeedway. According to IndyCar,
younger brother, James ’99,
made his debut in another Mo
Nunn Racing car at Chicagoland. [Editor’s Note: This fall
in California, James and P.J.
Chesson made Indy racing
Fall 2004
Class Notes
league history: Brothers finishing 1 and 2. James finished first
on only his second start, having
followed older brother P.J. into
the Indy League.]
Jay Coscia visited Connecticut
from Fukushima, Japan, after
working at AEON, a Japanese
company/English conversation
school. He is enjoying the
cultural adventure and plans
to be there one more year.
1998
Geoffrey R. Barlow
Co-Head Class Agent
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, CT 06001
Barlowg@avonoldfarms.com
J. Andrew Corrigan
Co-Head Class Agent
2410 Shakespeare Street, Apt. 8
Houston, TX 77030
corrigan@rice.edu
David Ayers is currently working on his M.F.A. for motion
pictures producing at the
University of Miami, Florida.
David is engaged to Erica Lustig.
Greg Kraczkowsky lives in
D.C. and works as a consultant
with Brailsford & Dunlavey, a
group specializing in sports,
recreation and university facility
planning. Greg wrote, “I am
working on projects in Las
Vegas, Pittsburgh, Kentucky,
and Maine. There’s lots of
travel and tons of work, but I
can’t complain. I have been
following the development at
AOF, and I believe that Mr.
LaRocque’s vision for the campus
master plan is one that has the
support of every alum. The
plans for the field house and
student center look terrific.”
The 1999 Class Dinner during Reunion Weekend was held at Dr. Bob Gryboski’s
Farmington home. Some of those gathered were, first row: K.C. Tenukas ’00,
D.J. Knecht; second row: Joe Montineri, Dr. Bob Gryboski ’57, Chris Grosch,
Chris Gateman, Bill Pollak, John Carroll, David Gryboski, Brad Stewart, Will
Blanchard, Jayme Dorr; third row: Coulson Barbiche, Mr. Coons ’71, James
Aborn, Adam Stifel, Mrs. Leis, Mrs. Custer; fourth row: Mr. Schleer, Steve
Zappone, Marc Phaneuf, Rob Dowling ’91, Casey McCanta, Matt Michaleski,
Brendan Mooney, Glenn Berglund, Pat Tabb, J.R. Rakolta, and Mr. Custer.
Jonathan M. Carroll
Co-Head Class Agent
29 Champlain Drive
Old Lyme, CT 06371
jmcar@conncoll.edu
Barry Joyce married Taylor
Leigh Reilly of Cotuit,
Massachusetts, at the home
of the bride’s mother. After a
honeymoon on St. Bart’s, the
couple resides in Cotuit. After
completing two years at the
University of Delaware, Barry
attends Massachusetts Maritime
Academy in Buzzard’s Bay where
he is a senior, on the President’s
list, and lacrosse captain.
Todd Marr ’99, pictured in the foreground, played goalie his senior year
at Cornell.
1999
David R. Gryboski
Co-Head Class Agent
29 South Ridge Road
Farmington, CT 06032-3020
david_gryboski@bus.emory.edu
Retired Admissions Director, Terry Cutler and husband Les, back to Avon for a
visit with Mark Floyd ’99 and Erin Borger ’99.
Avonian
44
J.C. Landry emailed Peter
Evans, “I am currently working
for a medical publishing company in New Jersey. We publish a physician publication
called MD Net Guide, and I sell
advertising and other promotional tools to pharmaceutical
companies and their advertising agencies. I’ve been here for
about seven months now and
things have gone really well.
Besides that I have not really
been up to much, I’ve been to
Florida to visit my parents a
few times, and I am still adjusting to the working world, and
Jersey. My parents are doing
well; they just returned from
Florida, and my dad was upset
that he missed both hockey
and baseball seasons at Avon.”
Rafael Bárcenas wrote Dean
Peter Evans that he was unable
to make his 5th year Reunion
because he had started a new
business venture. Rafael saw
P.J. Chesson ’97 win the I.R.L.,
an Infinity Pro series race at
Pikes Peak, on television. He
wrote, “I would like to congratulate Jamie ’99 and P.J.
personally. I was looking at the
Internet today and noticed
that Jamie signed with Mo
Nunn Racing and will be
teammates with his brother.
That is just awesome.” Rafael
and his brother, Mario, are racing touring cars for Hyundai in
Central America. They have
been doing pretty well and are
thinking of going outside of
Panama to test drive in a more
competitive Formula series.
Class Notes
Todd Marr graduated cum
laude from Cornell in May
2004 with a degree in business
and applied economics. During
his time at Cornell, playing
Division I hockey, Todd worked
out five hours a day. His parents
sent a letter to Avon this fall
thanking Avon faculty, staff
and administration for helping
Todd develop important skills
like time management, a strong
work ethic and perseverance.
They also mentioned Todd was
elected to the Quill and Dagger
Honor Society at Cornell which
recognizes academic achievement, leadership and service.
2000
5th Reunion Year
ªeunion
T
he Class of 2000 will gather
for their 5th Reunion the
weekend of May 6-7 at Bill and
Barbara Seiden’s home (PP Dan
Seiden ’00). Alumni may view
details as they are updated
on our website —
www.avonoldfarms.com.
Grif Leahy ’04 (left) is attending
Columbia University. He is pictured
at Avon’s graduation with his mother,
Carmen, and brother Brandt ’00
(Harvard ’04). Brandt is employed
by Delaware Financial in Pennsylvania.
He will be working for Jude Driscoll,
a former Avon faculty member and
brother of Dean Kevin Driscoll ’72.
Ken and Heidi LaRocque and Al and Willa Thiess, parents of Brandon ’04,
meet Josh Groban after one of his concerts.
Dan Seiden began teaching
English at Avon this fall after
graduating with a B.A. from
Emory University. Dan is
coaching “The Mighty Mighty
Fourths” team and is faculty
advisor to the spirit club. When
asked how he enjoys being on
the faculty, Dan commented,
“It is amazing being on the
other side of things. The Avon
faculty is a dedicated group of
individuals who really care
about these young men. The
time and effort that everyone
puts forth on a daily basis
speaks volumes about their
character.”
2001
Michael J. O’Neill
Co-Head Class Agent
34 Anderson Street, Apt. 4
Boston, MA 02114
moneill2@bowdoin.edu
Christopher D. Coleman
Co-Head Class Agent
35 Adelaide Avenue
Barrington, RI 02806
Colemanc@dickenson.edu
Daniel J. Seiden
Co-Head Class Agent
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, CT 06001
seidend@avonoldfarms.com
Nicholas H. LaRocque
Co-Head Class Agent
43 Oakwood Road
Brewster, MA 02631-1867
NLaRocqu@bowdoin.edu
Tom Villeco graduated from
Hamilton last spring and
wrote, “Four years at Avon
went by quickly, but four years
of college felt like a blur. So
now it’s on to the next stage,
and for me, that’s law school.
I have been accepted into
Western New England Law
School, but I am still waiting
to hear from many other
schools. In the end, I hope to
be attending either Seton Hall,
Pace, or Quinnipiac. I am
interested in possibly entering
the field of criminal law, but
that may all change if I find a
different area of law that piques
my interest. From reading the
school website, I can tell this
has been an exciting year for
the School with Coach Gardner
winning his 500th game, and
his team winning the New
England Championship with a
near perfect overall record. I
Alex Dean bought his first car
and attended jump school at
Fort Benning during the
summer. His brother Tom ’01,
who is finishing up at the U.S.
Naval Academy, spent his
summer doing plebe detail and
going on an aviation cruise.
Patrick Dowling ’00 graduated from
Dartmouth in 2004 and served as
captain of the baseball team as a
senior. He is currently living in
Boston and is looking forward to his
5th Reunion this May.
browsed through some of the
pictures of the playoff games,
and I’m glad to see how much
student support there was. It
brought back memories of my
senior year when the hockey
team won the championship.”
45
Craig Chester is a senior at
the University of WisconsinMadison, where he is president
of his TKE fraternity. He works
as a campus tour guide for
prospective students and is a
member of Men Making a
Difference, a sexual assault prevention group. Fellow Avonian
and University of Wisconsin
student Dustin Lowery lives in
his Madison neighborhood.
Last spring, Jon Berry emailed
Mr. Evans, “ I will be graduating
from Whittier College in the
fall of ’04, an entire semester
Fall 2004
Class Notes
earlier than planned (very
excited about that). I will be
earning my B.A. in economics,
which has been very challenging. I came to Whittier to play
lacrosse, but my freshman year
I had an ankle injury that kept
me from playing the entire season. I wanted to get back into
lacrosse but I was persuaded to
play football by many of my
friends. In the summer of 2003
I tore my MCL playing hockey.
Injuries have been rough in
college but I still continue to
play hockey at least four days a
week. I am no longer playing
goalie; instead I have pursued a
career as a defenseman. During
the summer I’ll be attending
the Long Beach Ice Dogs training camp. I currently work at
hockeygiant.com, the largest
retailer of hockey equipment in
North America. I have earned
the position as the manager of
the goalie department. I hope
to stay in the hockey industry
as long as I can, whether it’s
playing or working. If any of
our current students or alumni
need any hockey equipment,
feel free to give them my work
email which is jberry@hockeygiant.com, or my work number
which is (714) 940-1705. I’ll
give a special discount to anyone at Avon Old Farms. This
season I have attended all of
the San Jose Sharks (my
favorite team) vs. the Mighty
Ducks of Anaheim games to
see former Avonian Niko
Dimitrakos ’98. He has been a
real inspiration for me not only
playing for my favorite team
but also attending my favorite
high school. I hope to come
back and see all the changes to
our school in the near future.”
Sam Taber is an economics
major at University of Vermont
with a minor in English. He
has been playing rugby as a
club sport and will help run the
club hockey team as co-captain
this year.
Avonian
Mike Boggs, a history major
at the University of Oregon,
plans to study abroad in Italy
or Poland. Mike spends time
teaching skating and hockey to
handicapped children at the
local rink.
2003
Jamie Tang
Class Agent
111 East 80th Street, Apt.3B
New York, NY 10021
TangJT1@aol.com
The Custer family from left to right: Michelle, Charlie, Art, and Tim (Ben, 12,
is not pictured). Charlie Custer ’04 won the following commencement awards:
Excellence in 12th grade english, government, civil war in film and fiction, and
French and was given the Order of Old Farms. Charlie is now a student at Brown.
His father, Dean of Faculty Art Custer, was honored with the Swan Award,
which is given by the board of the WALKS Foundation. Michelle teaches French
at Avon and brother Tim is currently a senior. Charlie and Tim’s great-grandfather taught at Avon; a grandfather and a great uncle were also Avon alumni.
(See also page 8.)
Warith Deen Madyun emailed
Headmaster LaRocque, “Penn
is treating me well, and
Philadelphia is a great city. It’s
an amazing opportunity learning at an Ivy League university;
all the professors are authorities
in the particular fields of study,
and each student is unique and
ambitious. Sometimes when I
think about Avon, it seems like
a dream that never really happened, only existing in memory,
photos, and my imagination. If
Avon has helped me with one
thing it would have to be time
management. In college the
days are filled with seminars,
lectures, work-study, symposiums, and board meetings. So
I have to plan each day, down
to the hour.
2004
Morgan Barrieau ’04, surrounded by family and friends at graduation. From
left: Gib Barrieau ’02 with his girlfriend, Cheyney Lanergan, Morgan’s girlfriend,
Danielle Storer, sister Jackie Barrieau, parents, Joan and Gerard Barrieau.
2002
Luke Archambault
59 High Street
South Hadley, MA 01275
Karobert3@aol.com
The Avonian appreciates receiving alumni photographs and
news. All news, including obituaries, may be edited for space.
William P. Beatson
Class Agent
Mistfield Farm
PO Box 148
Butler, MD 21023
Beatwi02@gettysburg.edu
Please send your pictures and news to Liz Abramson at
abramsonL@avonoldfarms.com, or by mail, to Liz’s attention,
Alumni & Development Office, Avon Old Farms School.
Note: We love electronic images, but please make sure they
are of publishable-quality resolution.
46
Class Notes
∞lumni Receptions
From the alumni reception at The Fours in Boston on October 26
(from left), Kyle Sheffield ’95, Pat Dowling ’00, Brian O’Neill ’96,
Peter Conlin ’94, former faculty Ian McGinn, Tony Silvestro ’95,
Mike O’Neill ’00, and Mike Cuccia ’00.
At the Charlotte Reception, back row, from left, Tom Purnell ’68,
Headmaster Ken LaRocque, Dean Peter Evans, Andrew Patterson
’89, Evan Bobbitt ’97, Brett Taylor ’87, Andrew Fisher ’91, Adam
Cline ’93, and Cliff Hansen ’91. Front row, Peter Duggan ’91, Jason
Taylor ’86, and Nick LaRocque ’01.
Enjoying the evening at The Chevy Chase Club were Will Beatson ’02,
Board member Bill Beatson ’59, Board member Dean Graham ’84,
Deb Graham and Dean Peter Evans.
From the alumni reception at the Harvard Club in New York City on
October 19, from left, Todd Marr ’99, Kyle Youngquist ’97, Paul
Rhodes ’98, Ashton Crosby ’97, Drew Stroud ’98 and Mike Fish ’95.
2005
Alumni Hockey Game
Saturday, February 12, 2005
1:00 p.m.
Varsity Hockey plays
Deerfield at 2:30
Register with Henry Coons
@ coonsh@avonoldfarms.com
or 860-404-422
Hosting the Avon reception at The Chevy Chase Club were Peter
Connolly ’83, his wife, Julia, and Honorary Director Captain Victor
Delano.
47
Fall 2004
Faculty Notes
Richard Loveland
Former faculty member Richard Loveland
and his wife, Margot, enjoyed dinner at the
Headmaster’s over Reunion Weekend and
sent in the following remembrance. Richard
Loveland taught history at Avon Old Farms
School from 1953 to 1960, and was head of
the history department from 1957 to 1960.
“It all began when I wrote to
Rolf Olson ’59 to congratulate him on
becoming chairman of the Board of
Avon Old Farms School. I was proud of
my lanky, red-headed student of long
ago. Rolf’s response, characteristically
thoughtful, was to invite Margot and me
to his Class’s 45th Reunion in May. I was
‘as happy as a clam at high tide,’ as Patty
Tripp used to say, to return to the school
where I began to teach and to see once
more my students of the 1950s. But there
was a problem. When those boys last saw
Margot and me we were in our late 20s.
Now our mid 70s! What the heck, we
said, those guys are in their 60s now.
Let’s go. So, on the mellow spring
evening of the headmaster’s dinner for
certain alumni classes, there beside the
leafy Village Green, we lingered before
entering the house we still thought of as
Don and Nan Pierpont’s home.
Avonian
Graduates, mostly of the classes of ’59
and ’64, drifted past us. Suddenly Ken
LaRocque was there talking with
renowned alumnus Pete Seeger ’36. As
I sat there, warmed by the incomparable
ambiance of that room Mrs. Riddle
designed, and by the men’s poignant
stories, I felt profoundly thankful for the
beginning Avon gave my career of 37
years in private schools. ‘I had slipped
the surly bonds of earth.’ And, incidentally, I happened then to reflect upon
the seven schools in which I had worked.
I realized that of all of them, Avon
seems to have kept the tightest grip
upon timeless virtues and valued ideals.
Considering the difficult passing times,
we who love Avon should thank Don,
George, and Ken for preserving those
values Mrs. Riddle planted there.
“The private talks of youthful
escapades I heard at my table would
have curled Dean Kinkade’s already wavy
hair into tight little knots. Told with
tongues loosened by the years, those
stories were mighty amusing. Avon boys
might have been more daring 50 years
ago. Maybe the students of this decade
are daring too. Those who greeted me
seemed most confident, also pleasant,
cheerful, and courteous. I used to think
50 years was a long time, but now I’m
confused. My clear remembrances, face
after face, of the gray-suited boys I
taught in the 1950s in those stone classrooms and coached down on the field,
are still fresh; must have been only a
moment ago. The same reuniting of
these men in 2004 looked not greatly
different; I felt comfortable with them
and loved their company now as before.
Sure, we all looked older, but after first
greetings we didn’t seem to notice.
48
“The private talks of youthful
escapades I heard at my table would
have curled Dean Kinkade’s already
wavy hair into tight little knots. Told
with tongues loosened by the years,
those stories were mighty amusing.”
“Of course, I wasn’t surprised to
discover that the Avon faculty I knew
had been totally replaced. My old pal,
Seth Mendell ’52, is probably the only
survivor today with a title — President
of the Alumni Association. There is a
legend for you. I felt a sad emptiness as
I roamed familiar campus places before
the parade on Saturday, for not only
were my colleagues all absent from
Avon’s stage; a great many have died.
In a wink though, I realized there was
nothing sad there at all. Like every good
school, Avon had achieved smooth
transition of years and people. All the
venerable positions, and many new
unexpected slots, are occupied now by
educators probably far better than we
were in the School’s first raw decade
after reopening in 1948. How could all
those splendid new buildings have been
created overnight? How can an Avon
boy’s life suddenly leap from age 18 to 63?
How can such wonder be accomplished
at Avon in my brief absence, even without my help? When Avonians return to
their school after long absences, they
must be impressed by the perfectly
blended architectural additions greeting
them and inspired by the human talent
they observe. Moreover, like me, they
must be comforted to know that dear old
friendships powerfully endure at Avon
Old Farms School.”
In Memoriam
Nancy Pierpont Lehr H’67,
daughter of Nan and Donald
Pierpont, died in her sleep on
June 12, 2004. As the only child
of the Headmaster, Nancy was
a fixture on campus for many
years. She had fond memories
and stories to tell about all of
her “big brothers”. Many
became life-long friends. Nancy
and her mother made several
trips to Avon in recent years to
enjoy reunion weekend and be
part of the rededication ceremony of the school chapel in
the spring of 2000. On graduation day in 1999, Nancy
received a school diploma as
an honorary member of the
Class of 1967.
Philip Knight Schenck ’30,
one of the last surviving members of the Class of 1930, died
in Avon on September 29, 2004
at the age of 94. He attended
the McCallister School,
Concord, Massachusetts,
Milton Academy, Milton,
Massachusetts; Avon Old
Farms School, Avon; and the
Connecticut Agricultural
College (University of
Connecticut). According to
school records, Mr. Schenck
started at Avon in 1927, stayed
a couple of years, but did not
graduate; he then worked on
Mrs. Riddle’s farm. He received
his 1930 Avon diploma in 1990,
presented by his grandson
Michael Schenck ’90 at the
request of former Headmaster
George M. Trautman and
former Board of Directors
Chairman F. Reed Estabrook,
Jr.’36. He served in the Army
during World War II in Europe
and was in the Reserves for the
Korean War, as an officer with
Logistical Command in Japan.
After 20 years of service, he
retired from the U.S. Army
Reserve in 1960 as a major.
Having lived in both Wilton
and Westminster, Massachusetts,
he served in a number of leadership positions throughout his
lifetime in numerous volunteer
and civic organizations. He was
an avid gardener and forester,
and owned Maple Height Farm
in Westminster. He is survived
by his wife of 61 years, Kathryn
Thompson Schenck, of The
Gables, Farmington, Connecticut; his three sons, Philip
Schenck Jr., (town manager of
Avon), Stephen Schenck of
Kentucky, and Frank Schenck
of Ohio; a sister, Jeanne
Schenck Erskine of Nevada;
three grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren. (Excerpts
from the Hartford Courant,
September 30, 2004)
Herb “Coach” Cochrane died
in his sleep August 12, 2004,
just six days short of his 97th
birthday. His son, Warren
Cochrane ’55, wrote, “Herb
still talked of ‘the best job I
ever had’ coaching ‘my boys’
at Avon. One of his boys, Al
Pettingill ’59, visited him only
a month before where Herb
joked, ‘Football practice at two
o’clock, but today we won’t
have to run up the hill!’ One
of his last statements was about
how he needed to get stronger
so he could walk again and
begin coaching again this fall.”
Charles Cavendish Bennett ’33
died in June 2003. At Avon,
he received the Order of Old
Farms and then graduated from
Yale in 1937. He also attended
Yale graduate school and in
1938 taught at the Foot School
in New Haven. He later did
advertising work in New York,
was a radio writer, a staff
radio-television-film writer,
and worked for the National
Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis in New York City. By
1965 he was a science editor. In
1974 he was director of public
education for the Arthritis
Foundation. He also spent
time in Atlanta, Georgia, and
LaPointe, Wisconsin, before
moving to California. Before
his death, he had been living
in a retirement community in
Davis, California.
John K. Gile ’39 died on March
27, 2004, after a brief battle with
cancer. John was class agent
for many years, and an Avon
employee during the 1960s. He
would have celebrated his 84th
birthday on April 14. John had
retired to Asheville, North
Carolina, in 1986.
Peter Burchard ’40 died at
home at the age of 83 in
Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Long-time friend Dick Price
’40 wrote, “I am sad to have
to report that Peter Burchard
passed away on July 3rd of this
year. Peter and I had arranged
to have a sail together in
Marlblehead this summer. He
49
was a lovely man. We discovered
each of us had gone into the
Merchant Marine during World
War II, and Peter spent considerable time sailing in convoys
on the North Atlantic. Peter
was modest about his lifetime
interests in writing and art,
but he was truly productive.”
His son, Peter Burchard
Jr., sent the following obituary:
Peter was the author of 26
books, nonfiction and fiction,
adult and juvenile, published
by Random House, Atheneum,
Putnam, Little Brown, Crown,
and St. Martin’s, among others
— and the illustrator of more
than 100 books. His biography,
One Gallant Rush: Robert
Gould Shaw and His Brave
Black Regiment (1965), became
the main source of historical
material for Glory, the Academy
Award-winning film featuring
Denzel Washington, Morgan
Freeman, and Matthew
Broderick, who portrayed
Colonel Shaw, commander of
the first black regiment in the
Civil War. Mr. Burchard’s first
published illustrations appeared
in Yank, a magazine published
by the Army, in which he
served as a signal operator
during World War II on troop
ships between the United
States and France, Egypt and
the North Atlantic. His short
novel Jed (1960), the story
of a friendship between a 16year-old Yankee soldier and a
Southern boy that the Times
called “an effective little
sketch, evocative and touching,” went into 14 printings in
the States and was published
in several languages, notably
Arabic. The American Library
Association and the Library
Journal bestowed special recognition on his books, and he
received a Christopher Award
Fall 2004
for the humanitarian value of
his illustrations for Clyde
Robert Bulla’s Pocahontas and
the Strangers. In 1966, Mr.
Burchard was awarded a
Guggenheim Fellowship for the
Shaw biography. From that time
on, he wrote much on black
history, focused mainly around
the Civil War, slavery, and the
antislavery movement. Other
subjects of his books are sailing, including ocean racing,
the history of flight, World
War II, and New York City
during the Boss Tweed era. Mr.
Burchard’s most recent book
was Frederick Douglass: For the
Great Family of Man (Simon
and Schuster, 2003), a Parents’
Choice honor book. He was a
member of the international
PEN Club and, up to the time
of his death, served on the
panel of advisers for the George
Polk Awards. His final work, a
fictionalized autobiographical
story of a young serviceman’s
first love affair in New York
City, is entitled Paper Shoes.
W. Dexter Bryant ’44 died
February 22, 2004. He was a
veteran of the U.S. Navy,
serving in World War II. After
more than 40 years, he retired
as chairman of Bead Industries,
a family-owned company that
manufactures beaded chain and
electronics. He was predeceased
by his wife, Jeanne Bryant, and
survived by his two sons, three
daughters, three step-daughters,
and 14 grandchildren.
Arthur Blumberg ’55 of Forest
Hills Drive, West Hartford,
died February 17, 2004, at
Hartford Hospital. Born in
Hartford, he was the son of the
late Robert and Jean (Selden)
Blumberg. After graduating
Avonian
from Avon Old Farms School
he graduated from the University
of Vermont with a bachelor of
science in economics. He was
the president of Blumberg
Associates, Inc., Blumberg
Worldwide Associates, Inc.,
and Blumberg Countrywide.
He was a charter life underwriter and certified insurance
consultant. Mr. Blumberg
served as a director of the
Hartford Jewish Federation;
was a life director of the Hebrew
Home & Hospital, a corporator
of St. Francis Hospital &
Medical Center; a trustee of
the Mount Sinai/St. Francis
Foundation; and a member of
the board of the National
Conference of Christians and
Jews. He was a former trustee
and executive committee
member of the Hebrew Home
& Hospital; former chairman
of Hillel at the University of
Hartford; and a former director
of the Bradley Air Museum.
He was a member of the professional ski instructors association
and taught at Ski Sundown; a
life member of Beth El Temple;
a life member of the Million
Dollar Round Table; and a
member of United Tae Kwon
Do. He leaves his wife, Ellen
(Meshken) Blumberg; a son,
Matthew Blumberg; and a
daughter, Carolyn Blumberg,
both of New York City; a
brother, Harold Blumberg of
Avon; and a sister, Ruth
Fleegler of Sarasota, Florida.
From the 1983 Yearbook.
Major Patrick Teichgraeber ’83, a career Marine, died
Sunday, September 12, 2004, at the age of 40, after a
valiant struggle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”),
also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Pat graduated from
Denison University in 1988 and served in the Marine
Corps, ultimately rising to Major. Pat served his country
with distinction. “Patrick will be remembered as a dutiful
son of Richard and Jacqueline; a respected brother to John,
Rick, and Michael; a proud father of Matthew and Justin;
and a loving husband to Alison. Patrick will be most
remembered as a friend, Marine, son, brother, father,
husband, friend, and hero.” (The Houston Chronicle) Just
last January, Pat’s wife Alison and his old friends from Avon
and Denison, threw a surprise birthday party for Pat, which
he enjoyed immensely. (See the Avonian, Spring 2004.)
Kevin Driscoll ’72, Avon’s dean of students and
varsity football coach, began the 2004 football season by
dedicating the season to Pat, who wore No. 66 on the
varsity football team as a student-athlete. At Avon’s first
home game on a beautiful September day, everyone
paused for a moment of silence in Pat’s memory. All 100
Avon football players have No. 66 on their helmets in his
honor. Coach Driscoll told all players on the Varsity, JV,
and Thirds teams about Pat and what a determined football and lacrosse athlete he was during his years at Avon.
Tom Smith ’74, age 47, died
after suffering a debilitating
stroke. His mother flew to
Washington and took him off
life support and he quietly
passed away in February. He
was an organ donor and his
donations have gone on to
save many other lives.
A college scholarship fund (independent of Avon
Old Farms) has been set up for Pat and Alison’s two sons,
Matthew (age 9) and Justin (age 6). Anyone wishing to
make a contribution should email Dan Lavoie at
daniel.r.lavoie@marsh.com for the details.
50
By Dane Lemeris ’05
Big Doors Swing On Little Hinges
The following was delivered as a Chapel
Talk on October 14, 2004 by Dane
Lemeris ’05, who serves as secretary
on the student council.
then on, we would chat every time
B
her life had ever gone wrong.
ig doors swing on little hinges.
Most of the time, we don’t see
she came in. Her attitude toward life
was excellent. The way she described
everything, it seemed as if nothing in
One day I asked her if she had
the hinges on a door. We don’t even
any children. After pausing for a
pay attention to them. However,
moment, she said, “Well, Dane, I did.”
without them, the door would not
She went on to explain that her son
function. Our attitudes are the little
died in a car accident when he was
hinges on which the doors of our
18. She described her son as a great
lives swing.
kid, who did well in school, was a
I want to tell you a story about
a woman I met this summer who
great soccer player, and loved life.
I was shocked. This woman —
taught me a lot about the power of a
one of the happiest women I had
positive attitude. I worked at a bank,
ever met — had had to deal with
and I saw this woman, Janet, twice a
such tragedy, losing her only child at
week. She was retired, in her mid-60s,
such a young age. I asked her how
and came every week to do her bank-
she got through those tough times,
ing. One day when we weren’t busy,
because she looked so happy now.
Janet and I struck up a conversation.
“Dane,” she said, “at that
She asked me where I went to school,
moment in time, I had a choice to
and where I lived, and I asked her
make. I had my life in front of me. I
what she used to do, where she lived;
could decide to be happy, or I could
stuff like that. She was one of the
decide to lead a miserable, grieving
nicest ladies I had ever met. From
life. I decided to be happy. It isn’t
51
Fall 2004
easy and not a day goes by that I
gesture, but multiplied thousands of
don’t miss my son or wish that he
times, think of the cumulative effect
was a man named James Andrew
was with me. But I have a good life.
that that must have on the lives of
Morger, who was severely retarded.
I am a happy woman.”
other people!
James came in every week to cash a
Looking into her eyes, listening
Then, as the story goes, some-
Another regular at the bank
check. This, the most simple of all
to her talk, I could see she wasn’t
one who traveled the route often and
tasks that a banker has to do, for me,
superficial or hiding her true emo-
knew of this cheerful toll-taker got in
was the most difficult. You see, James
tions. She was not someone who
a cab one day and started talking with
had partial use of his left hand, and
papered over the negative aspects of
the cab driver. He asked the driver if
that was all. He could only control
her life with some sort of artificial
he knew of this “toll taker.” The cab
the power wheel chair. He even had
façade. She knew that, even though
driver said, “Oh yeah, I know that
trouble talking, because he had to
she had dark days behind her, her
guy! I wait in his line every time I go
consciously think to breathe. Every
attitude would be the determining
through!” And it turned out that a
time he would come in, I would walk
factor for the rest of her life. She
lot of other fellow travelers waited in
around the counter and hold a clip-
could choose to either sink into grief
his line as well. Sometimes, his line
board and a pen for him to have him
and resentment over her son’s death,
would be twice as long as the others,
sign the check. Because of his disabil-
or rise above it and create an excep-
all because people enjoyed his posi-
ities, he had a lot of trouble writing
tional life, and that is what she did.
tive attitude.
even his initials. I would stand there
Granted, this may be an extreme
example, but we all have that power
as well, regardless of our circumstances.
Attitude is a mind set. A good
attitude is positive, loving, affirmative,
with him for at least five minutes
We cannot control the curve
balls that life throws at us. Yet
we can control how we relate
to them. It's a simple choice. A
good attitude makes a good life.
and open. It doesn’t look to life’s
challenges, it looks beyond them. We
while he signed — J A M. It was
difficult, even painful, to watch this
man struggle with something so
simple. Yet, despite the hardships he
faces every single day of his life —
The right attitude is everything.
writing, talking, breathing; he
cannot control the curve balls that
It puzzles me sometimes to see people
remains positive. He always says
life throws at us. Yet we can control
with material wealth, great athletes,
hello and asks how you are with a
how we relate to them. It’s a simple
great students, all people with
smile on his face. He laughed all the
choice. A good attitude makes a
friends, freedoms and good means
time and, when he did, all of us
good life.
indulge themselves with bad attitudes.
laughed with him … genuine laughs.
Another example: recently, I
They have problems, as does every
A positive attitude can bring out
read an article about a man who
other human being, but they can’t
the best in all of us. And the best part
worked in a tollbooth. He greeted
seem to get beyond their negative
of the whole thing is, your positive
every person who came through with
outlook on life.
attitude will rub off on someone else,
an enthusiastic, “Hello! How are
On the opposite end of the
and their’s on someone else and so on
you!? What a great day!” Consider
spectrum, it amazes me to see people
down the line. It is a never-ending
how many cars pass through a toll
like Janet, who might have reason to
cycle. And it all starts with you. A
booth in one day. Thousands! And
be negative or bitter, yet they have
positive attitude is one of the few
he says this to each and every car
chosen to have a positive attitude.
things of which you are in total con-
that passes through. It is such a small
trol. So oil up your hinges and open
the door with a positive attitude.
Avonian
52
Make a Difference:
Give to the Annual Fund
T
he Annual Fund is an essential part of Avon Old Farms’ operating budget.
Avon depends on your thoughtful annual fund contribution to help bridge the 20 percent gap
between tuition and the actual yearly cost of an Avon Old Farms education.
The Annual Fund directly upholds the mission of Avon Old Farms School. It
enhances teaching, learning, student activities, arts, athletics, financial aid, faculty needs, and
our magnificent and historic campus.
The Annual Fund makes a significant difference in the life of Avon Old Farms
School. The annual fund is necessary for your school to function.
If you have not made your annual fund
gift this year, please do so now.
You can make an annual fund contribution in many ways. To make a gift, please call the Alumni &
Development Office, 800-336-8195, Director of Development Peter Evans at 860-404-4276, or
visit the alumni page of our website www.avonoldfarms.com.
pub 11.2004.7M
Your generosity makes a Difference.
Thank You!
Save the Date!
Come Celebrate and Join the Parade!
For details, visit www.avonoldfarms.com
or call Liz 800-336-8195
Avon Old Farms School
500 Old Farms Road
Avon, CT 06001
www.avonoldfarms.com
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