Spring into spring.


Bill Nisen has succeeded Thad King as our Alumni Council representative. Thad did a great job of keeping us informed, and Bill promises to emulate his predecessor. Bill needs to know what questions you want asked of the council and senior Dartmouth administrators, what you think the College’s top priorities should be and what makes you happy, sad, disappointed, encouraged or enthused about being a Dartmouth alumnus. Contact him at william.nisen@dartmouth.org. Note, also, balloting for alumni trustee seats occurs between March 9 and April 6. Be sure to vote!


Well-regarded neurologist David Nye is busy in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he works at the Luther Midelfort Clinic, part of the Mayo Health System. He particularly enjoys the diagnostic aspect of neurology. David’s special medical interests are fibromyalgia and sleep disorders. In his spare time he likes to bike ride and walk the dogs, as well as play the guitar and keyboard. He and his wife, Michaelene, have five children, four of whom were adopted.


In the northern reaches of California Don Lepley is a botanist with the U.S. Forest Service, working out of the Lassen National Forest office. He is quite the nature photographer, and his photos are frequently posted online in relation to Region 5: www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/pacificsouthwest/index.shtml. Don also has been known to sing with the tenors at the annual Handel’s Messiah in Susanville, California.


Stephen Chakwin lives in Norwalk, Connecticut, but is a sole legal practitioner in New York City. “I am a writer, thinker, counselor and lawyer. My work is helping people find meaning and joy in their lives by identifying and connecting with their true values and representing seriously injured people and helping them find the resources they need to rebuild their lives. My higher calling is to awaken myself and those around me to what is true and real.”


Out on Long Island Jonathan Bonelli is president of Island Swim Sales, a four-store swimming pool and supply company. Just about everything one needs to know about backyard pool care and maintenance can be found at his website www.islandrecreational.com.


Rodger Shuback is the construction superintendent for Hively Construction in Canfield, Ohio. He has been with Hively since 1986. Rodger is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of construction and oversees the entire job to ensure safety, timeliness and the best end product. Several significant projects at Youngstown State University have been consuming most of his time, including the Watson and Tressel Training Site, a large indoor climate-control sports venue, and the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center.


That one should never underestimate the value of Dartmouth connections was emphasized recently in a San Francisco Chronicle blurb, as follows: “On a street outside a Mission District apartment, where many temporary ‘No Parking’ signs were in force, a news reporter spotted this note tucked into the windshield wipers on a car with a Dartmouth sticker on it: ‘You dumbass! We had all the other cars towed but yours because we have ties to Dartmouth.’ ”


—Val Armento, 227 Sylvan Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403; val.armento@alum.dartmouth.org