We find ourselves in June, the month of college reunions, where we learn great things about all the people who attend these functions. However this year we do not have a ’69 gathering in Hanover so there is no such news to report. 


There is some important news involving the class project. You may remember last November Dimitri Gerakaris spearheaded the class effort to work with members of the class of ’12 who had formed Dartmouth for Clean Water. We contributed $9,000 from our treasury to purchase water purifiers for Haiti. Early in May Dimitri received notice that the filters and plaques recognizing the class of ’69 were in transit to Haiti and should become operational during the month of May. Our president, Sandy Alderson, acknowledged this report in a message to Dimitri, thanking him for monitoring this class initiative and expressing relief that our project was not nullified by the earthquake in Haiti but only delayed.


The last column discussed elections past and we should know there are classmates involved in future elections. One of those is John Kitzhaber, running for governor of the state of Oregon. John held this office before in 1994 and again in 1998. 


Sadly we report the loss of another classmate, David Foster. David died unexpectedly on May 29. We extend our sympathies to his wife, Cynthia, son Andrew and the rest of his extensive family. David had retired in 2008 after many years as an environmental analyst for the Minnesota Department of Health. His obituary will appear on the class of ’69 website.


I hope the summer’s activity will bring about a storm of reporting by all of you reading this column. If not, it will only get shorter. Hey, maybe that is what you want! Let me know your preferences. Regardless of the outcome I will happily report them.


—Steve Larson, 9101 W 146th St.; Overland Park, KS 66221; (360) 770-4388; wheat69@earthlink.net