Greetings from the unusually warm and recovering East Coast! I hope you are doing well and that if Hurricane Sandy made an impact you are healing. Gina Cassetta was among the witnesses of the fury of the storm, “I co-chaired my 30th high school reunion this fall, and I am currently training to be a Kundalini yoga teacher. We were without power for five days after Sandy and the museum where I work was without power for 10 days, but we fared pretty well.” Laura Fanelli said, “I recently flew to Baltimore for Mia Pefinis-Jensen’s mom’s funeral. We spent some time together after catching up and renewing our friendship. From the funeral I drove to Baltimore’s Federal Hill and visited my little sister Anna Leventis ’87. Anna opened a new restaurant called SoBo Cafe and in the first few months of ownership was named best new restaurant by Baltimore’s city paper! Congrats! Any Hoodlums traveling through Federal Hill need to stop and support a sister Hoodlum and have a fabulous meal. As for me, after much thought, I have decided to put my house on the market, leave Connecticut and relocate to the Palmetto State, S.C. No matter where I end up I look forward to reconnecting with Hoodlums in that state.” We send our condolences to Mia.

Linda Price Bohager is in her 15th year at Stanley Black & Decker, working as a systems analyst on the global I.T. engineering systems team. She added, “Being on council and missions with my local church keeps me busy. I led a mission trip to Sunbright, Tenn., this past summer to do some home refurbishing. I keep in touch with Diana Webber Mosley ’68 who worked with me at SBD in I.T. and was also a Hood College French house resident. She retired from SBD last year and is loving it. My husband Bert retired two years ago and is working part time in facilities at our church. Our son Foster graduated from high school this past June and is a computer-aided design drafter.” Christina Vitabile has exciting news––her second book on the historic resort beach of Cape May, N.J., is scheduled for publication in spring 2013. It will be offered for sale on Amazon.com and local bookstores. Congratulations!

Lin Caywood Marsh wins this issue’s award for the most news reported. “After 12.5 years with Citigroup, I returned to Freddie Mac in February 2009. I have been a senior director with them for three years. Since the summer, I am now a performance and relationship manager for one of the country’s largest mortgage servicers of our loans. In January 2012, I earned my mortgage bankers accreditation and I hope to become a certified mortgage banker by the end of 2013. I am still flying my 2007 Cessna 182T and raced for the third time in the all-women transcontinental Air Race Classic, a 2,500 statute mile handicapped race that has its roots with the 1929 National Air Derby. My co-pilot and I improved our previous 13th and 10th place finishes to place fifth out of 55. In July, I was elected for a two-year term to the board of directors of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots, a prestigious all-women organization that was formed in 1929 by Amelia Earhart and 98 of the 114 certificated women pilots. We are thoroughly enjoying flying our tin baby, N624MC, all over the East Coast. No news on a wedding date yet––we are thinking of having the ceremony in Carlo’s hometown of Somerset West, just outside of Cape Town, South Africa.”

Krista Ballentine Bland has joined the teaching ranks. She reported, “I am on my third career now. I started out as a software engineer, then a stay-at-home-mom. I went back to school last year to get my teaching certification in the state of Texas and I am now a fifth grade math teacher. I am still in Frederick, just a mile or so from campus, so if anyone is in town, please feel free to look me up!” Marsha Evans ventured across the pond to the Burgundy and Provence regions of France with her mom. They spent a glorious week on a riverboat cruise on the Saone and Rhone Rivers enjoying all of the regional wines, and touring Beaune, Lyon, Tain-l’Hermitage, Tournon, Viviers, Avignon and Arles, where they were thrilled to stand on the very spot where Van Gogh painted some of his most famous works. They are already planning their next adventure.

Christine Santrizos Chagaris also visited France recently. “George and I visited Paris and its outskirts in May of this year on a weeklong trip. It was his first trip there, my third, though I had not been since between my sophomore and junior years in college. One of the highlights was visiting Normandy. I also loved Montmartre with its many street artists. In addition to my freelance writing, I am publishing a book to be released in early 2013. It is entitled Trilogy: A Collection and has a paranormal theme to it.”

First time reporter, Annemarie Edwards sent a lot of news, “We live in Salt Lake City. I have two high school kids, Alysa, 12th grade, and Sean, 9th grade, so we are prepping for college. My husband is in real estate and I am in practice with Intermountain Health Care for the past 11 years in podiatric medicine and surgery. We are busy with traveling for lacrosse for my son and my daughter travels for debate across the United States. Please tell any Hood alums to stop in if they are in Salt Lake City.” Thanks to all who responded. I had to edit several items for length, but wanted to include everyone!

Class Reporter: