2014 September

First off, I need to apologize for not putting out a newsletter in so long. The last one I sent out was in April. As I’m sure you experience, life can get so busy. But I’ve also been realizing that there are so many ways that we already keep in touch that maybe it doesn’t make sense for me to continue doing a newsletter.

 

When things finally calmed down for me in August, I started to think about putting together a newsletter. I wanted to tell you all of the news that classmates had sent me in the meantime. Only you know what? There wasn't much! Which was funny, because on Facebook, I'm always seeing things that people post about their jobs or their vacations or kids or grandkids or hobbies or their health and so forth.

 

And that's when it hit me: this newsletter might not be necessary anymore. The idea of the newsletter was to try to help classmates share their lives with other classmates, and help us keep up with what's going on for everyone. But people keep in touch now in so many ways, that a newsletter seems kind of unnecessary. So I will be stopping putting one together. I have enjoyed doing this, but the fun part, actually, is staying connected. So, since we can do that in other ways, I think that it doesn’t make sense to continue.

 

I will definitely continue to keep track of classmate whereabouts. I will definitely do my part for any future reunions or milestone birthday parties (2016?!). And I will definitely pass along any news I come across -- on our Facebook page.

 

Thank you for all the news you've shared. Thank you for all the classmate sightings you've let me know about. Thank you for all the thank yous!

 

Take care!

 

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

 

 

PS

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

and for the recent Birthday Party:

https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

2014 April

I give up. Where did March go? I had the best of intentions of getting a newsletter out in March, but something kept coming up. Work. Avoiding work. Shoveling – still! Something. Always something.
I guess the biggest something was that my daughter went to Arizona for a week on an alternative spring break. She and 10 kids from her college worked at a homeless center there, and stayed at the staff’s group home. She loved it. Didn’t want to come home. Got to see the Grand Canyon, too, which is on my bucket list. A wonderful experience for her.
But a reminder for me. You see, in August she’s going to Denver for 11 months. She’s going to be volunteering at a school for underprivileged kids there, and living in a group home with other recent grads who are also volunteers in the area. 11 months. My little girl. I’m not sure what this is going to be like. I’m not sure how well I’m going to sleep for 11 months with my daughter 1,981 miles away. I’m hoping it’s going to be great for her.
But you know what it means if it is.

Some sad news. Classmate Jimmy Wall died in February. His obituary is here:
http://www.lincolnfuneralhome.org/obituaries/obit_view.php?id=540
As always, please share any remembrances of Jimmy.
Condolences to his family and friends.

Mr. Kenneth Leshner, a long-time teacher and coach at Cranston East, died recently. Here’s his obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=kenneth-leshner&pid=170261530&fhid=28475
Condolences to his family and friends.

The numbers haven’t changed at all since last time. We still think we know the whereabouts of about 672 of our classmates. Let me know if you get some new contact information.

Cosima Fallon is very proud of her older brother, Dave Fallon. “A current news anchor/reporter and afternoon host with RI public radio station WRNI is being inducted into the RI Radio Hall of fame on May 8th at Twin River. A 46 year news career includes 20 years in Boston Radio and 20 years in Providence Radio, including WPRO, WEAN, WPJB and several in Boston and Hartford. Fallon is also a former director of the RI General Assembly's Legislative Press bureau.”
Here's a link http://ripr.org/post/riprs-own-dave-fallon-honored-rhode-island-radio-hall-fame

David Fowler continues to prepare to run the Boston Marathon again this year, as a fundraiser for his son’s foundation. He writes great blogs about his training here:
http://speakerscorner-dave.blogspot.com/

I’m probably the only classmate who doesn’t run into Gene Blair at Twin Oaks.  Luckily, he lets me know what’s going on with him through email. “Things are well here. Our 2 boys are married, homeowners, and parents now. Nicholas is a  programmer and a producer at channel 12, after being a program manager at WPRO radio for many  years. He and his wife have an 18-month-old son. Our younger son Joseph is a Phys Ed teacher and football and basketball coach at Mount Pleasant High. He and his wife (also a teacher, at Matunuck Elementary) have a 5-month-old baby girl. The house does seem empty but when the grandkids show up I feel like I'm 30 years old again. My wife Joanne and I recently traveled to Italy with friends and family, including Napoli, Amalfi, Sorrento, Pompeii, Florence, and Rome, where we saw Pope Francis. Then on to Monaco, St. Tropez, Barcelona, and Madrid. One notch off the Bucket List!”

Carol Safford DeBeradinis is celebrating the recent birth of her new granddaughter, Lily Paige. Lily was born on February 18th and is beautiful and healthy.

Neal Storme is a popular and energetic musician in Seattle. He and his group have a gig in Pioneer Square on Friday. Check him out here:
http://fandalism.com/nealstorme/

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:
www.chse1971.com
(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)
and Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479
and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327
and for the recent Birthday Party:
https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/
Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.
And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

Question: what was your FAVORITE vacation, and what made it so?

Going to see the Red Sox Monday night. Yes, I’m wearing snow gear.

See you next month.

Ed DeJesus
exdejesus@gmail.com

2014 February

I don’t know why it takes me so long to get these updates out each month. They have a similar pattern every time: a witty and insightful opening, review of the numbers, whatever news classmates have seen fit to forward to me, an appeal for contact information, and a graceful exit into the wings. I don’t know what the holdup is, but this month I’m going to blame snow.

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow! Mind you, there’s a lot I like about snow. I like watching it come down, so quiet and graceful. I like how pretty it makes everything look, hiding all the ordinary crud. I like how it sparkles in the sunlight. But this year, it’s all just been too much. Every time it snows, all I think is, Here are another couple of hours I need to spend clearing the steps and driveway, plus all the extra time commuting. And I’m not even getting the skiing enjoyment I used to get. It seems like whenever there’s snow on the ground, it’s way too cold for skiing to be enjoyable, and whenever it’s warm enough to ski without turning into a popsicle, the snow is gone – or I’m at work.

Yeah, snow. That’s the problem. This month.

Our numbers continue at the same plateau. We think we have contact info on 672 classmates. As always, if you come up with any new email addresses for classmates, please let me know.

Condolences to classmate Marianne Votta, whose father died recently. Here’s the obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=anthony-votta&pid=169217648&fhid=28486

Congratulations to classmate Candy (Williams) Gauvin, whose mother recently celebrated her 105^th birthday. Candy says, “Mom is finishing her 2nd book that she has written about the Roger Williams family, our ancestor. The 1st one she wrote was when she was 94!” Here’s the story from the Cranston Herald:

http://cranstononline.com/stories/105th-birthday,89810

I’m envious of Candy’s genes.

Classmate Kevin Dailey wrote to share his retirement experiences: “Do not recall if I have mentioned this but I have just recently retired. December 03 was my final day. I survived 39 years of government service. Some of my time was with the US Air Force, but the bulk of those 39 years were as a canine handler at Logan Airport. Retired as a GS12 with the Bureau of Customs Border Protection.

Looking forward to summer and doing what I enjoy the most - FISHING! I plan to stick around here. Currently I reside in Beverly, MA, which is a small city north of Boston. Prime striped bass fishing territory.

Just recently picked up a new hobby: I am learning the art of fly tying. The local Orvis dealer, fly tying instructor, claims that once I get rolling it will become an obsession. I will be taking his Saturday morning fly tying lessons until I have mastered same.”

Enjoy!

Classmate Dave Fowler is once again running the Boston Marathon as a fundraising event for the charitable organization he started in his son’s memory. Dave says, “Hi Gang! Well, it’s another year and I haven’t gotten any wiser, so I’ll be running Boston again. After the bombings last year, I’m excited to be able to run this year to support some of the victims. You can read about it at http://speakerscorner-dave.blogspot.com/.

Help in the Nick of Time now has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HelpInTheNickOfTime. If you are a Facebook user please take a look and “like” us.

I also want to put in a personal appeal for anyone who can help with donations to Help in the Nick of Time. As I mentioned earlier, this year’s effort will help some of the victim’s families. You can make donations at:

https://secure.etransfer.com/eComm/custom/Essex/donation/donation1.cfm?d2org=EssexCCF&d2tool=donate

Simply click on this link, scroll down till you see the section for donations and where it says APPLY MY GIFT TO: , click on the arrow next to the field and select Help in the Nick of Time.

Thanks again for all your support.”

Good luck to Dave! His blog is always worth reading.

Personal aside: I’ve never been involved with the Marathon before, but after last year I intend to help out wherever I can: passing out water or just plain applauding the runners.

Classmate Ernie Rheaume shares his experience of holidays in an empty-nest home:

“Our son (Ernie) lives in Colorado, our oldest daughter (Nicole), who got married last year, lives in Massachusetts, and our youngest daughter (Christina) currently lives in Gijón, Spain.

For Thanksgiving this year, Jeanne and I were going to be alone for the first time. We were invited to dine with Nikki’s in-laws. It was very nice, but it wasn’t the same.

For Christmas, it was more of the same. Nikki and Chrissy were with us on Christmas Eve. Nikki went home around 9 PM as she and her husband Ben were flying out of Logan at 6 AM Christmas Morning to go to Baltimore to spend some time with more members of his family. Ernie was in Rochester, NY, staying with his future in-laws. Christmas morning, it was just Jeanne, Chrissy and me. We spent the day at my brother’s house.

We finally had our Christmas on December 29th. All 3 children (as well as a husband and a fiancée) were finally together at our house where we exchanged gifts and had a nice dinner.

Eventually, we will probably be spending more Christmases away from our home. However, as long as we all can still get together somewhere, it will be great.”

I think a lot of us can relate to how complicated it can get.

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

and for the recent Birthday Party:

https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

Well, that’s it for me. With football over, and the Celtics and Bruins not really doing it for me, I’m really looking forward to baseball season. And the end of all this snow.

Later,

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

2014 January

The holidays were a lot of fun, but in a slightly different key this year: 

* My son now lives with his girlfriend in their own apartment in a different town, so this is the first year he wasn’t actually home on Christmas morning with us. He and his girlfriend came over later in the morning. 

* At a neighbor’s house party that my daughter usually doesn’t go to, she came and spent the evening reconnecting with her high school friends.

* At my sister’s house on Christmas day, we spent a lot of time discussing the upcoming wedding of my nephew and his fiancée.

I sense that a torch is slowly being passed here. It won’t be too long before the next generation is hosting Christmas at their homes. I won’t be one of the main planners and providers of the holidays any more: I’ll be the guy bringing the applesauce.

But here’s the thing: I’m not ready to pass any torches yet. I like this torch. I’m hanging onto my torch. I’ll let you know when I’m done with this torch, thank you very much. Until then, hands off.

Sad news: Classmate Gary Holt died at the end of December. Gary is one of those classmates I got reintroduced to on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gary.s.holt?fref=ts). I always enjoyed hearing about all the movies he got to act as an extra in, and sparring with him on our differing political views. I’m going to miss that. As usual, please contribute your own memories of Gary for us to share.

Here’s the obituary:

http://www.mayeswarddobbins.com/obituaries/Gary-Holt/#!/Obituary

Condolences to Louis Pullano, whose mother-in-law died recently.

We now are under the delusion that we know the whereabouts of 672 of our classmates, which isn’t bad after 43 years! 

However, of those 627 classmates, we know only about 300 email addresses. I’m trying to expand the number of people who receive these updates by email. If you have any email addresses of classmates, please let me know. I will send them a tasteful message asking if they’d like to receive the updates. If they don’t, I’ll just mark them Private, as I already do with about a dozen others. Thanks!

Classmate Bill Dube, who we usually hear about building and racing electric vehicles, also has a day job: testing air quality for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Recently, Bill traveled to Hong Kong for a month. “I'm collaborating with the folks at Hong Kong Polytechnical University on some air quality measurements. The hospitality of the Hong Kong people has been wonderful. Here is me in a group photo with the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) general that commands the Army radar station that we are using for a measurement site. Several of the HK atmospheric scientists surround me.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=597194396983819&set=a.134928633210400.12094.134690893234174&type=1&theater

Gail Glen Whitfield shared her remembrance of Mr. Clegg: “I had him in 10th and 11th grade.  When I was a senior, I wrote him a letter telling him what a good teacher he was, and thanked him for his tutelage.  I never knew what a good college athlete he was.”

I received a message from classmate Dave Lanni several months ago, and I apologize for not sharing it sooner:

“Just to let you that, since I live in the Detroit area, I attended a Sox/Tigers playoff game. There were many Red Sox Fans walking around the stadium with beards. It is nice to see the support for Red Sox Nation at Comerica Park in Detroit. Overall, many Detroiters were rooting for the Sox in the World Series!! Can't wait for next year!”

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

and for the recent Birthday Party:

https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

We’re plugging on through January. Arctic temperatures one day, 50s and sunny the next: welcome to New England!

Remember: Keep us all up to date on what’s going on for you!

Go, Pats!

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

2013 December

Thanksgiving this year – which seems like a lifetime ago – was different from most years. Usually, my family and my sister’s family go to my brother’s family’s house in Newton. This year, my sister and her family were going to her in-laws’. And my son’s girlfriend is severely allergic to my brother’s 2 cats. Bottom line, we hosted Thanksgiving at my house. It was a very casual meal. I think we actually forgot one of the vegetable dishes in the warmer.

What I remember most was what I felt thankful for that day. Not my health, which fortunately is good. Not for our material possessions, with which we are blessed. Not for my job, which I know I’m lucky to have. It was the people. I was so thankful for my wife and daughter and son and son’s girlfriend. For my brother, his wife, and daughter. My sister, her husband, and 3 sons. My mother. My other family. My friends from work, school, town, church, college, high school, and, yes, Facebook. Bottom line, it’s the people who are most important in my life.

I was reminded of that feeling after the very sad events of the last few weeks. It’s terrific that we can have each other for the good times: the parties, the celebrations. But it’s even more important that we have each other for the hard times, the sad times.

Sad news. Classmate Richard McGovern, husband of classmate Jean Colaneri-McGovern, died on December 4. Our condolences to Jean, their children and grandchildren, and family and friends.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=richard-mcgovern&pid=168489167

More sad news. Classmate Michael Mizer died on December 6. Our condolences to his children, granddaughter, and family and friends.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=michael-mizer&pid=168473745

And more. Gary McKenney, brother of classmate Gail McKenney Marsigliano, died in October. Our condolences to Gail and her family and friends.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary-preview.aspx?n=gary-mckenney&pid=167609937

And still more. Judy Carcieri, sister of classmate Linda Carcieri, died in November. Our condolences to Linda and her family and friends.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary-preview.aspx?n=judith-carcieri&pid=167962093

And even more. Michelle Aquilante, daughter-in-law of classmate Donald Aquilante, died in November. Our condolences to Donald, his son, and grandson.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=michelle-aquilante&pid=168004420

And finally. CHSE math teacher and basketball coach Alvin Clegg died in November. Our condolences to his family and friends.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=alvin-clegg&pid=168004431

So many passings are hard to hear about. Please reach out to the people involved. And, as always, please share your memories and connections with each other here.

I also hear happy things from classmates, of course. Grandchildren being born, special vacations taken, personal and professional accomplishments. But I don’t feel quite right about including them right now. Does that make sense? I’ll pick up here next month.

For now, let’s treasure the people in our lives. Take care of each other. And let’s connect again in the new year.

Happy Christmas!

Best wishes in the New Year!

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

PS

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

and for the recent Birthday Party:

https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

2013 November

My mouth is still hanging open in stunned surprise that the Red Sox have won the World Series. Through this whole season – every win, every walk-off, every time they took or hung onto the lead in their division – my reaction was always: *these* guys? Really? *These* guys? Not a team of superstars, by any means. Definitely more than the sum of their parts.

You know, there was a time when I felt that following sports was a pointless and even frivolous waste of time, but I changed my mind about that some years ago. Because life is hard. Even when life is pretty easy, it’s hard. And sometimes it’s very hard. We *need* diversions from life sometimes, whether they’re funny cat pictures or Facebook discussions of superhero movies – or the wacky escapades of the Boston Red Sox. These things can take our minds off of life for a while. They are rescuing. They are restoring. They are blessings.

I know that people in the Boston area are walking with a lighter step these days. There are more smiles, more handshakes, more backslaps. Of course, winning the World Series doesn’t fix everything or change everything. But it helps. It really does.

Go Sox!

The count is at 672 this month, which is how many classmates we think we know the whereabouts of. So, whatever you do, don’t move!

Condolences to Susan Rotella, whose mother died last month.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary-search.aspx?affiliateId=519&daterange=180&lastname=rotella

Mary Caldarola Smith reports: “Life as a retired teacher is great. Running a lot. Playing lots of tennis too. Life is good!” Mary ran in an 8.8-mile race at the beginning of October. Then she and her sister, Beverly Caldarola McFarland, ran the Marine Corps 10K in Washington DC to raise funds for the Travis Manion Foundation, which helps returning military. See their smiling faces here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=665417170158070

Tom and Nancy (Goldis) Iacono recently took a trip to San Jose, Costa Rica. “It is indeed a land of beauty with warm, welcoming people. This is Nancy's second trip here. We also traveled with two couples that we met during our trip to Turkey last year at this time. They are from Minnesota. They arrived at our house a couple of days before the trip to check out our beautiful state of RI and then we spent a day in Boston before flying here. We have a long day of travel ahead of us today, but will be glad to return to RI. I have been able to keep tabs on the Red Sox and saw most of their 2 wins vs. the Rays.”

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

and for the recent Birthday Party:

https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

I’ve just had my snowblower serviced to be ready for winter. That ought to keep the snow away!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

See you!

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

2013 October

I wanted to tell you all about my camping vacation in a state park on Cape Cod in July: the scent of the pine woods, the peaceful quiet of the forest, the days sitting in the summer sunshine reading, watching adventurous birds and little creatures up close at our campsite, the occasional walks to the lake for a lazy swim, and the crackle and glow of the campfire at night.
But I couldn’t because we got totally rained out by a horrendous thunderstorm on our very first night: the tent battered by winds and completely soaked through, the sleeping bags a soggy swamp, our dining canopy crushed and blown into the bushes, half our gear washed away. It was like trying to camp under a waterfall. We gave up, packed hurriedly, and retreated home. I read in the back yard. We went out to eat. We saw a couple of movies. It wasn’t the same as what we’d been planning for six months.
That’s why Ellie and I went back to the Cape a couple of weekends ago. We stayed in a hotel with floor, roof, walls, and beds. When we walked out our door, we were right on the beach. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and mild the whole long weekend. The summer crowds were gone, so there were no lines for restaurants. We walked along the beach, drowsed on chaise lounges, and relaxed.
Sometimes you have to persist to get to the happy ending.

So, sorry I missed August and September. Real life intrudes sometimes.

The number of classmates we think we know the whereabouts of has dropped to 671. This happens whenever we have a reunion, because we find out that a lot of the addresses we had were wrong. It’s actually going to get worse than this, because I haven’t gone through all the returned invitations yet. So it goes. As always, if you get any contact info on a classmate, please pass it along.

CHSE science teacher Mr. Martucci died recently. Condolences to friends, family, and students:
http://easyfhweb.com/mobile/obituary.aspx?MemberId=125375&MName=ERNEST%20%20MARTUCCI&FLVId=245

Two memorial concerts for Ronnie Stabile were performed at URI at the end of September. I wonder if anyone could report on either of those?

Bill Dube and his wife Eva continue to set speed records for electric vehicles. Here’s a video of Eva doing a couple hundred mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjaOiO0fkiM

I don’t have a lot of news other than that. A lot of people post news on Facebook – new grandchildren, weddings, and so forth – and I’m realizing that I probably should keep track of those items here for those who aren’t on Facebook.
Which brings up a related question: if you aren’t on Facebook, why not? You can have an absolute minimum private presence there, and still be able to enjoy what goes on. Come on, all the cool kids are doing it! And me, too.

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:
www.chse1971.com
(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)
and wiki:
https://chse1971.wikispaces.com/
(also thanks to Ernie)
and Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479
and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327
Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.
And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.


Let us know what’s going on in your life. I personally am thinking of joining a new rock-climbing gym in my town, so next month I may be able to tell you all about what the emergency room is like.

Go Sox!

Ed DeJesus
exdejesus@gmail.com

2013 July: post-party update

Why, yes, we did have a 60^th birthday party for the entire CHSE class of 1971 a few weeks ago! It was in the Stage Door restaurant, which is part of the newly renovated Park Theatre, right across the street from Cranston City Hall. A great location, with a nice bar area in front, and lounge area with dance floor inside. It was a beautiful summer night, and about 120 classmates and guests turned out to party and catch up on their friendships.

As always when attending one of these reunions, my goal was to meet old friends and make new friends. I always see plenty of people I knew in the day and, in a class of 720, where it’s impossible to have known everybody, I also get to meet and hang out with people I’ve never met before. I talked to all kinds of classmates about all kinds of things, including retiring and starting new jobs, kids and kids’ kids, caring for or grieving parents, dealing with ailments minor and major, and discovering and rediscovering faith. People laughed, talked, ate, showed and took pictures, and danced. We keep moving forwards, and it’s inspiring to be part of such a great group of people.

These events don’t just happen. You would not believe all the work that has to go on behind the scenes. There were hundreds of emails exchanged during the year before the big night. All of this effort is led by Dan Barry. I am constantly reminded how lucky we are to have such an active class president. I know other CHSE classes whose presidents are MIA, but Dan is always front and center making things happen. This time around, Paul Verduchi did a ton of work, including finding and negotiating the place we actually used, creating a web site and online payment system for the party, printing and mailing ALL the invitations, getting all those birthday cupcakes made, and finding a last-minute DJ when the scheduled one fell off the earth. Pat Giarrusso handled all the money once again. Ernie Rheaume managed all the checks. Many people, including Dale Waterman Bonanno, Cosima Fallon, Linda DiMuccio Pontarelli, Juliana Pastine Reilly, Pat Dewey Giarrusso, and Susan Rotella, called missing classmates. Several people, including Pat Dewey Giarrusso, Carol Myron, and Cosima Fallon checked people in. Contrary to popular belief, my role in this was very small: sending emails and keeping lists. Please take the time to thank these people, without whom, literally, this party never would have happened.

If you’re looking for pictures from the party, check here:

https://www.facebook.com/cwilliamsgauv/media_set?set=a.4873612527025.1073741828.1498783292&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/ccmcallister1/media_set?set=a.10151471298285334.1073741824.715635333&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=639240429419353&set=gm.10151560592234480&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4865749642171&set=gm.10151575511409480&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200564124239491&set=gm.10151563700924480&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200143730265281&set=gm.10151572111534480&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152488563478475&set=gm.10151561824074480&type=1&theater

and here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/51722469479/photos/

And if you want to see video, check here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2C8ifA54HZk

(thanks to Art Toegemann for this gem)

This is our Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/51722469479/

And this is the Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/529679410426095/

I’m not going to give the usual monthly count of numbers of classmates this time. I’ve just been handed the 89 invitations that were returned because the addresses are no longer correct. Whenever we have a party or reunion, it’s always a rude reminder that we don’t know as many whereabouts as we thought we did. Oh, well. Back to the people-finder sites.

I do have some sad news to report. At the party, I found out that classmate Robert Geller died in 2007. Condolences to his family and friends.

Dan Deery couldn’t make it to the party, for a very good reason: “my 2nd daughter getting married in SC on 6/15 and some visitors hanging out afterwards”. Congratulations on your daughter’s wedding!

Harry Law also couldn’t make it. “I am working on a project in Long Beach . The project is to provide shore power stations for the container ships, so that when the ships are at the dock being unloaded or loaded, they will no longer run their diesel engines, which are extremely dirty. Having the shore power up and working will be the equivalent of taking 33,000 cars off the road every day.” Cool work!

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and wiki:

https://chse1971.wikispaces.com/

(also thanks to Ernie)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

That’s all from me. Share your photos. Share your stories. Enjoy your summer!

Ed DeJesus

2013 May

Illness sucks. My wife has had stomach aches for almost 4 months now. She’s over the original problem – a “minor” infection – but she’s still trying to get her digestion back on track. She’s had to totally change what she eats, when she eats, and how much she eats – and she still feels crumby even after all her precautions.
As for myself, I have a leaky mitral valve and, even on my best days, my right eye sees the world as if looking through crinkly cellophane.
But you know what I’m talking about. Many of you or your loved ones have far worse issues that you’ve been dealing with for far longer. We’re all getting older, last time I checked, and we’re accumulating issues as we go. It’s kind of inevitable.
What isn’t inevitable is how we choose to spend our time DESPITE what we might be dealing with. Despite feeling lousy all the time, Ellie still somehow managed to look for jobs and interview for one, which she got and which she loves. I might have a defective heart valve, but I was still able to help haul tables and other paraphernalia around for 6 hours on Saturday at my church’s community day. And whatever our classmates are dealing with, I’m sure they’re giving it their best shot at getting the most out of life despite what’s going on.
Let’s all hang in there and be there for each other, as we always are.

Our numbers have changed for the better. We now believe we know the whereabouts of 702 classmates, a new maximum. Yay us! That belief is about to be sorely tested as we try to contact everyone for the upcoming party (see below). It’s always interesting to see how many people have moved or changed their phone number or email address. It’s almost as if notifying me ISN’T the most important thing they have to do. :)

Condolences to Paula deCaro, whose mother died recently.

Condolences to David Fowler, whose brother Niles died recently.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=niles-fowler&pid=164393784
Tom Iacono remembers Niles as “one of the funniest guys I knew in high school,” which I can second.

Condolences to Pat Giarrusso, whose mother died in February.

Condolences to Mike Bellotti, whose father died in March.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=michael-bellotti&pid=163665924

Condolences to Nancy Hunter Diodati, whose husband died in January.

We learned that Miss Bressler, who taught girls physical education during our time, died recently.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=marilyn-bressler&pid=163741055&fhid=3953

David Fowler successfully completed another Boston Marathon to benefit the foundation he’s set up in his son’s memory:
https://www.facebook.com/HelpInTheNickOfTime
Luckily, Dave was unhurt in the bombing at the marathon. He’s written about his experiences here:
http://speakerscorner-dave.blogspot.com/
By the way, Dave’s son in law, Marshall Lewy, is a film director. His latest film is called “California Solo” and was released in November. It’s available on Netflix and On Demand.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/california_solo/

Roberta Martellucci was happy to see Dean Bengtson mentioned in his role as a missionary in Japan. “Because of Facebook, Dean and I can communicate with one another.” Roberta herself has been playing guitar, singing, and teaching in orphanages for more than 25 years.

John Kennedy has this remembrance of classmate Marc Plante, who died recently:
“I am taken aback by the death of Marc Plante. Marc and I played a lot of hoops together and were teammates at Park View. I even played on a summer league team in East Greenwich with his older brother Freddy, who is one of the great schoolyard legends of RI hoops. Freddy beat out Ernie D. for the MVP award in the N. Providence League in consecutive summers.”

Philip Winsor sent a list of the many kinds of jobs he’s had: USMC electronics tech, manufacturing aluminum windows, forklift driver, bronze caster and moldmaker at Gorham’s, house painter, carpenter, furniture moving, getaway driver (just checking to see if we’re reading), gambler, home and business maintenance, bouncer, ski instructor at Killington, truck driver, plumber, electrician, heavy equipment operator, bartender, bookkeeper, gun dealer, and accountant. Phil has been married for 28 years and has two daughters, one of whom helps out with his accounting business. His hobbies include rowing, biking, camping, and guitar. He hasn’t slowed down since hip replacement surgery in January.

Cosima Fallon brags about her brother, well-known radio broadcaster Dave Fallon. “April 1st, 2013 was his 45th year in radio. He started out at the age of 18 on PRO-FM, then went on to PRO-AM, WEAN, and WBZ. He is now at RI NPR- RI Public Radio as afternoon host, news anchor, producer, and editor. You can tell I am proud of him!”

Must brag! My daughter Katie McConnaughy won a Leadership Award at Stonehill College this semester, where she’s a junior. This year, she served as a student minister (kinda like an RA) in her dorm. This summer, she’s doing an internship at the My Brother’s Keeper charity in Easton, MA. In the fall, she’ll be an RA in the dorms.

Did someone mention a party? Oh, right! You are invited to a 60th Birthday Party for the entire Class of 1971! Saturday, June 22, 2013 at the Stagedoor Restaurant at the Park Theatre in Cranston. All the details are here:
http://www.chse60th.com/
This will be our first class get-together in Cranston and should be a lot of fun!
Dan Barry initiated this effort and has been tireless behind the scenes, reviewing venues and making the decisions and commitments necessary to make this party happen. Pat Giarrusso and Ernie Rheaume are handling the money. Paul Verduchi created that web site and all the technical wizardry behind it, and has put a lot of effort into the planning.
We could use help in several areas, such as making phone calls to contact classmates. If you can help out, please let me know.

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:
www.chse1971.com
(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)
and Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479
and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327
Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.
And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.


That’s about it for me. Enjoy spring!

Ed DeJesus
exdejesus@gmail.com

2013 March

Sorry I missed February! My wife has been ill, we had a blizzard, and I was doing the documentation for a major product delivery at work. All conspired to throw off my schedule for the month.

Our numbers are holding at 699, meaning we are under the illusion that we know the whereabouts of 699 classmates.

January and February were hard months for our classmates.

Condolences to Corrine Kilpeck Fortune, whose mother died recently.

Condolences to Christine Altieri, whose mother and father both died in the fall.

Tom Iacono shared this tribute to classmate Marc Plante, who died recently:

“I don’t know if you knew Marc, but he was my childhood friend. His parents and mine were good friends. Marc and I were born 2 weeks apart, so we spent time together from when we were babies and went to the same schools together from pre-K through high school. During the high school years, we drifted apart as often happens and I have not seen or spoken to Marc since high school. But the memories have stayed with me. I spent more time with Marc than any other kid growing up. We were always at each other’s homes. We served as altar boys together. If I had a dollar for every one-on-one basketball game we played, I wouldn’t be worrying about my son’s upcoming college expenses. Marc was a quiet kid, but I think that those that knew him know how funny he could be and what a good kid he was. By all indications, he was a fine adult too. Even though we have not had contact for years, it is sad when someone you were once so close to passes on. Here’s to his memory.

We do have a little good news. David Lanni is proud to report that his brother, John E. Lanni Jr., was just inaugurated as one of three City Wide Councilman for the City of Cranston and was also elected City Council President. Congratulations!

David Fowler is once again training for this year’s Boston Marathon, and he is once more blogging about his progress. You can read his always-fun and thought-provoking column here:

http://speakerscorner-dave.blogspot.com/

Dave runs each year partly as a fundraiser for the foundation he started in his son’s memory. You can read about that here:

http://helpinthenickoftime.shutterfly.com/

Speaking of running – wait, this involves a little more complicated introduction. In the position I have, hearing about everyone’s news and activities, I’m starting to notice different clusters of interests among our classmates. I want to start writing about these common interests as I notice them. Please chip in with your own observations. We have a lot in common that we might not know about.

For example, I know that Jakki Kougasian Horan and I share the same current profession: we’re both technical writers. In fact, because we both live in the Boston area, we routinely swap job leads as needed.

And, speaking of running, I know that there are a few serious runners among us, including David Fowler, Mary Caldarola-Smith, and John Kennedy.

I believe I have already mentioned in the past that our class also has a number of clergy, including Dianne Saffron Dugan (minister), Dean Bengtson (minister, in Japan), Jacob Adler (rabbi, Temple Shalom of Northwest Arkansas), and Alan Mittleman (rabbi and director of the Tikvah Institute for Jewish Thought at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America).

Lots of current and former teachers, including Linda Gronneberg Gaulin, Lauren Goding Johnson, Jean Colaneri, Debra Donnelly Cronin, Mary Caldarola-Smith, and Ronnie Stabile.

I know I’m missing some people – and some interests like musicians and artists. Help me fill in the blanks here. What do you know you have in common with other classmates?

We are still thinking about the possibility of a “We’re 60!” party sometime this year. Still trying to sort out possible venues and dates.

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

We’re inching toward spring. Enjoy!

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

2013 January

For a number of years during my career, I’ve worked as a consultant or contractor, meaning hourly pay, no benefits, and no paid vacation. That’s why it’s so wonderful to be an employee again, with actual paid holidays and actual paid vacation. The ability to take time off work without impoverishing my family is fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed taking some time between Christmas and New Year’s.

Not that I did anything special. Oh, I had a list of fun things to do during my time off. Saw some movies. Hosted a game night with some friends. Went to some parties. But a nasty cold put me in bed for a few days. Maybe you’ve had the same experience I do: you kind of mentally keep yourself going for work and obligations and holidays and special events, but when those things are done: crash! Something inside of you says, “That’s it. The important stuff is done. Time to shut down for a while.”

Then again, maybe sleeping was the best way to spend my time. On work days, I’m up by 5:30 every morning. The luxury of sleeping until 8 or 9 was nice. Sometimes the best thing you can do is not to do anything.

Some new people may be reading this month’s update. Due to an error on my part that I can’t even explain, I don’t think I’ve been using the right email addresses for some people. Hopefully, that has changed. Welcome to the party!

Our numbers haven’t actually changed, although I’ve gotten some better information on some people, thanks to straightening out those email addresses. We still believe we know the whereabouts of about 699 of our classmates. Not bad after 40 years! If you’re in touch with any classmates, please pass along their contact information. Every bit helps.

Condolences to Catherine Iaciofano Joseph, whose father died in December.

Details are here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=pasco-iaciofano&pid=161644083

Condolences also to David Fowler, whose mother died in December.

Details are here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary-preview.aspx?n=grace-fowler&pid=161550340

Condolences also to Robert Avakian, whose father died in December.

Details are here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=robert-avakian&pid=161850228

Joe Ricci has an update on his daughter, Elizabeth. She is now the Operations Manager at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum in Maryland. “She loves what she is doing and they love her. In a very short time, she has straightened out a lot of issues they had and streamlined their processes and they feel she is a godsend.”

Here’s a link:

http://www.hdgmaritimemuseum.org/

We are working on plans for a massive birthday party for all of us, probably this summer. I’ll let you know details as soon as they’re settled.

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and wiki:

https://chse1971.wikispaces.com/

(also thanks to Ernie)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

Waiting to see how far into the post-season the Patriots get. It’s been a weird season, with them having a lot of trouble with teams whose mascots are birds. ;)

Until next time, enjoy!

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com

2012 December

Each Thanksgiving, my sister and I bring our families to my brother’s house in Newton, MA. This year was a little different, because my son James brought his girlfriend Becky along to meet the extended family. Brave child. She didn’t run screaming from the house, so I think it went okay.

When you’re dating someone, you want it to go well, and you put a lot of effort into that. I’m surprised to learn that I, as a parent, feel a similar way about my son and his girlfriend. I want it to go well for them. But there’s not a heck of a lot I can do about it. I’m a nervous spectator. All I can do is watch and hope.

Sorry I missed sending out a newsletter in November. I was up to my eyeballs at work, and too tired to do anything worthwhile when I got home.

We are still thinking about holding a big 60^th birthday party for all of us in 2013. Many people have contributed lots of good ideas about where and when to have it. I’ll let you know when we get it all sorted out.

Thanks to some better information about some of our missing classmates, we now believe we know the whereabouts of 699 classmates, a new record! I’m grateful to everyone who forwards sightings of classmates. There’s a lot of us, and it’s a lot for me to keep track of. I appreciate your help.

Condolences to classmate Joyce Singer Lee, whose mother died in October. Here is more information:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=eleanor-singer&pid=160476636

Condolences to classmate Maria Zuena Perry, whose mother recently died. Here is more information:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/providence/obituary.aspx?n=mary-zuena&pid=161550330

Classmates Tom Iacono, his wife Nancy Goldis Iacono, and Monika Szynkarski Curnett recently took a 2-week tour of Turkey, including visits to Istanbul, Pergamon, Troy, Ephesus, Antalya, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia, which included a hot air balloon ride over the amazing landscape.

Jakki Kougasian Horan has lots of family goodness to report. Her oldest daughter, Victoria, passed the MA and NH Bar Exams in October, all without taking a Bar prep course, and also while holding down a full-time job in a law firm as both receptionist and paralegal. Victoria also worked at the same full-time job for the entire time she attended law school full-time in the evening. Victoria and her husband George have custody of George's children, Dominic (11) and Jada (7).

Jakki’s middle daughter, Corie, graduated from Middlesex Community College in May 2012, with an AS in Early Childhood Education. While Corie is looking for a job in a daycare center or as a nanny, she is working at Marshall's.

Jakki’s youngest daughter, Maggie, graduated from American University in 2011 and is a forensic accountant in Manassas, VA, “which is much too far away”!

I have two items to report myself. My son James now has a full-time job at the Boston Museum of Science. He was a volunteer there for more than a year, then a part-time employee for another year. He is now a guide at many of the special exhibits (such as the Underwater Treasure and the Mastodon exhibits there now), and helps run school trips to the museum. He loves his work and loves living in Boston.

My daughter Katie is a junior at Stonehill College, majoring in psychology and communication. This year, she is also a Student Minister in her dorm. This is something like an RA: she helps kids out, and they can come to her with problems. She’s a junior on a floor with 28 freshman girls, so it’s like having 28 little sisters. She’s enjoying it a lot. She also volunteers 2 or 3 days a week at My Brother’s Keeper, an organization near Stonehill that delivers food and furniture to folks in need in southeast Massachusetts.

Ellie and I are really proud of both of our kids!

We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we have a web site:

www.chse1971.com

(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)

and Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479

and a Facebook event for the last Reunion:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327

Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.

And, by the way, I post these updates online at http://chse1971.blogspot.com/.

Happy Hanukkah!

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Ed DeJesus

exdejesus@gmail.com