I chatted with Austin Beutner four and a half days into his new role as CEO and publisher of The Los Angeles Times. Noting that Los Angeles needs a vibrant local media to thrive, Austin sees the challenge ahead as making the business viable. He added that L.A. is the most diverse community in the world, and the Times is first and foremost a news organization with 500 people in its newsroom. “The world values news. The challenge is to get people to pay for it.” 


While Austin works to keep the media strong, two classmates have thrown their hats in the ring for public office. Kass Spanos Ardinger is running in the Democratic primary for New Hampshire State Senate District 15. As a former government major, Kass’ interest in public service is longstanding. She has served as a member and president of the Concord, New Hampshire, school board. On the other side of the aisle, Steve Schuh is the Republican nominee for county executive of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Steve became politically aware while at Dartmouth. Early in his business career he adopted a philosophy of learn, earn, return—spend the first third of life learning, the second third earning and the final third returning, or giving back. As part of his give-back efforts Steve entered public service and has served as a Maryland state delegate since 2006. 


Since 2009 Steve Hathcock has been practicing and teaching in the family medicine department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Keene, New Hampshire. “It was a magical five years, living in an 1830s school house in the village of Nelson on a classic 200-year-old New England dirt road complete with maples and vistas of mountains and lakes and the ubiquitous stone walls.” Steve has returned to Arkansas to be with his two sons and to participate in a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine. “Going back to school is an intellectual and financial challenge, but it is without a doubt the most enriching experience I’ve had as a physician.” 


I also have a new job. As senior executive officer of individual and family support at the Arc, I am focusing on supporting families that include an adult with intellectual and developmental disabilities living at home with aging parents to plan for the future. 


New jobs aren’t for everyone. Mike Cummings is a release engineer with Avention. Mike started at Lotus in 1984. “We have gone through various stages of being private, public and owned by larger companies. So while the names on the paychecks have changed numerous times over the years, from my point of view I have been working for the same company for three decades.” When work slows down Mike hopes to get back to learning to play the Irish tin whistle.


Unfortunately, I need to share the sad news that George Huntington died on August 19 in Laramie, Wyoming. George is survived by his wife, Anne Marie Powell, their two young children, Sophie and Sam, and his parents, Charles and Louise Huntington. An obituary will appear online.


—Robin Shaffert, 5044 Macomb St., NW, Washington, DC 20016; robinshaffert@yahoo.com; David Eichman, 9004 Wonderland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; dme4law@sbcglobal.net