From Jack Dubow:
Hi, my email has changed to surfdawg@scshop.com if
you would like to update it on the PHS website,
also I just saw Terry Reim in
Warren Burnbaum an old student
was there also, and hadn't seen him in 25 years
he lives in
Paul Braverman is still living in
Steve (Boss) Ross lives in
Take it easy, Jack Dubow
From: Robin Bee:
Happy New Year!!
December 26th, 2005
Thought I'd take a few
minutes to reconnect with you all after this long and most eventful year. Eventful not just for me, but for the millions of people on this
beautiful planet who have taken a hit this year.
Many of you already know
about my trevails this past year so I won't go into
it again. Suffice it to say, I am back in
I hope you and yours are
happy and healthy as this year comes to a close. I am doing much better, but
still have some lingering problems with my infections. My Naturopath has me on
Chinese Herbs, ointments, and apple cider vinegar sitz
baths, which seems to slowly be making a real difference for me.
Since the 15th of November I
have been house-sitting for my old friend, Linda, while she is in
I will pick them up on Jan
2nd and then return to my buddy Judy's place until I find a good job, or she
throws me out, which ever comes first. Hopefully I will find a situaltion as an apartment manager with a free apt and
utilities, maybe even some salary.
It has been really great to
have a whole house to relax and spread out in, and just read or watch movies or
do nothing at all. Just this week, I've had 4 different friends come by to
visit and eat and/or sit and talk with me in front of the fire. It's been
wonderful!!! Linda's cat TJ is a treat too. I sorely miss my loving, warm and
fuzzy friend Puff hanging around.
He died of old age while we
were in
I have gotten pretty much
over my heartbreak with John, but I do still think about it quite often. It
could have been so ... right. He does not contact me at all and I stopped
trying to be his friend months ago.
I have been meeting new
friends and going out and having some fun more often than I used to, as I now
see that if I wait for someone to do these things with, I'll miss everything! I
plan to go to the River City Bluegrass Music Festival here in town early next
month, by myself if necessary. I think I will have much oportunity
to dance there, and plan to do that as much as possible. So far, I have had no
offers to go dancing since I've been back, so I am really in need of a
"fix".
Yesterday, I found a really
good buy on a small rocking/recliner chair with a foot stool, and bought it. I
have been looking for a comfortable chair for years actually, as my tailbone
has been giving me quite some trouble for about 3 years and its
become quite uncomfortable for me to sit for any length of time in one place. I
hope to be able to adjust this chair so I can sit for hours if I want to!
I lost at least 30 pounds
while I was sick in Thailand (I had no way of keeping track of it but I was
skin and bones for about 3 months), and that did not help with the sitting
situation either, as I now have no extra padding at all. Just bones against
chair, yikes. I have slowly been able to get my weight up to about 105 pounds,
IF I continue to eat like a horse!
I may never get back to my
normal 115.
I'm really looking forward
to having my own little place and getting unpacked from boxes again. Having my
music available to me again, as well as my reference and reading books will be
wonderful too.
I am torn right now about
where to live though, as I am very aware of the coming bad times (Peak oil,
global warming, health pandemics of various types, more and more earthquakes
and eruptions as the earth changes speed up), and I wish to be part of a
sustainable community (there I go again!) of supportive folks, while at the
same time realizing that the one thing I really know how to do well is manage
rentals (and that includes the free apt etc), which means living apart from a
community probably. I am optomistic about maybe finding
both in the same vicinity and being able to be part of it all, anyway.
I have been making some connections with the Peak
Oil Group here in town and they are really working hard to create more
discussion and action plans on how to bring more people into contact with
others who plan to be more prepared for what is to come, whatever it is!
If you
are not familiar with this
group, I highly recommend checking them out. At this point, they are meeting
every Wed evening from 7-9 at St. Francis Dining Hall, on SE pine Street
between 11th and 12th Aves. I don't go every week because the weather has not
been conducive, but will be going more often as it warms up a bit. I admit it,
I'm a whuss!!
They have potlucks and video
showings and are also looking for folks from other neighborhoods to start doing
the same in their neighborhoods. It's all about becoming a community wherever
you live, getting to know your neighbors and being part of something bigger
than just "I live in such-and such-neighborhood". It's about support and working together
to survive the hard times to come.
I need to have some income
soon. It
has been a very long time since
I had any and without it I cannot stay here in
Eventually I would like to
move out of the
So, if I can find a
functioning sustainable community here, so much the better, even WITH the cold
weather and this horrible government!!
This is probably way too
much news for you, but once I get started... Sorry.
With much love, and interest
in YOUR story, Robin Bloomgaarden
From: Alan Ebnother
pacific highschool changed my life ...
I spent most of the time with my
photography teacher Lars Speyer….
But I went on to become a classical ballet dancer in
I am a painter living in
From: Robin Bee:
The Travelogue
– Robin Bloomgarden March 2005
Well, it has been almost 5 months since most of you have heard from me, what
with getting ready to move to Thailand, some major health concerns
starting in August, going TO Thailand for one month in September to get things
set up, many computer problems, more health problems, and then
moving here on November 1st . I had planned to send a goodbye letter to
everybody before I left, but the computer thing was the clincher,
unfortunately.
So, I promised to send travel updates periodically to anyone who was
interested, and I am finally sending the first official one! It will be
long because so much has happened, but the next ones will be shorter, I
promise. Up until last week, I had NO access at all to 99% of my e-lists
and have only been waiting for people to send me something, so I would have
their addresses again. Not too many of you did. It wasn’t until the
Earthquake and tsunami that I suddenly heard from about 50 people wanting to
know if I was OK. THAT kept me busy for awhile!
February 4th , was the first time I have had my own computer to use since
August. Today, March 25th is the first time I think I can send
out this letter to all my lists! We will see what happens. My Dad had bought me
a used laptop in Sept but it never really worked right, and
was finally declared caput in February!
A really great guy here in Hua Hin,
who is also THE Linux expert in Thailand (he has put all the government
agencies, hospitals, etc onto
Linux systems), has taken me under his wing and arranged to have a brand new PC
built for me. The holidays, the many local celebrations, and then
the Tsunamis, slowed down everything and it took much longer to get it all
done, but with the printer and speakers, it all came to a few
hundred dollars less than the stupid XP laptop, and it has everything!
Omer is NOT a computer nerd. He is a most interesting fellow, indeed. He speaks
7 languages and is originally from Turkey. We have many interests
in common, not least among them, Chemtrails, many
9/11 questions, politics (he is an avid history buff, and I’m learning
much from him),
live music (he plays, I don’t), an interest in DEEP research (on many
topics), and keeping up with what is happening in the world at large.
Recently we both were involved in a Go-Cart Racing Challenge involving groups
from many local businesses and entertainment establishments. That
was especially fun for me because I spent 13 years of my life (another life
before PDX) working the corners, and Emergency Response, at Sports
Car Races in Northern California, mostly. It brought back a lot of memories. Omer
was a driver on another team, I was, and will continue to
be only a spectator at these Go-Cart races. I’m getting too old to run
fast enough to get out of the way, now. Omer is one of only four people
I know here, who are really interested in the more obscure articles I pass on
from my internet travels.
Since my arrival, I have spent most of my time fixing up my little house to a
comfort level I can live with, and nursing my health, which was a
mess when I arrived. To keep a long story short, my White Blood Cell count was
extremely low, probably for a year or so before arriving,
maybe longer (finally had some good blood tests done when I got here), and I
exacerbated it with lots of partying with friends during the last
4-5 months I was in PDX, as well as going on a binge of eating spicy foods at
least 3 days a week those same last months. Have not been able
to handle chilies for years, but for some reason, I decided I could! The upshot
of it all was that every mosquito for miles around saw me coming,
and had lunch on me. I have so far had at least 25 really bad infections (due
to low WBC’s), of which two were serious staph infections and
required antibiotics. Once I got here they also gave me one more antibiotic
regimen for the smaller infections but it did nothing. I then
decided it was time to stop it all together, and get on an alternative plan! I
had not been able to sit down for almost 8 weeks at that time
and was VERY uncomfortable 24/7, including constant high body heat and sweating
in my central core (NOT a fever). Unfortunately, none of my
reference books arrived until the 23^rd of Dec. so I was just guessing what to
do (much of it was wrong). When the books arrived, I figured out
almost immediately what _part_, of the problem was, and within 24 hours I had
knocked down the extreme heat I was experiencing.
By the 25^th , I was much more comfortable but had to leave town on a 26 hour
odyssey to the Burma border to get my visa stamped for another 2
months stay. Many of you now know that I was at the coast when the Tsunamis
struck, but somehow managed to miss the whole thing, as usual.
I missed the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake by 3 hours, too.
So even after the border run and its aftermath, my health has been steadily
improving. I changed my diet radically to keep the heat to a
minimum, and at the same time, build up my White Blood Cells. After 4 CBC’s, and a number of other tests that all proved to
be perfectly
normal, my WBC count is now at the lower end of the normal ranges! Thanks so
much to two very good friends who worked with me by email
throughout this whole thing! You know who you are. I could not have done it by
myself. Actually, I was an emotional wreck for about 2 weeks
before I got them involved, bursting into tears at the drop of a hat for days
on end. It was so frustrating trying to deal with this by myself,
the language barrier, no telephone for first 6 weeks, not being able to see
what the hell I was doing (all on my backside), back and forth to
Bangkok to see dif Dr’s, using up almost all my supplies that were
supposed to last for a year, and basically starving to death, not
knowing what to eat for about 4 weeks. I lost a lot of weight and was looking
emaciated, but the new diet included foods that gave me my
appetite back. Thank goodness! Luckily I had numerous herbs, essential oils and
other “alternative” goodies to work with once I figured out
what I could do.
I am almost back to normal now, but still very leery of any biting insects and
wear long sleeves and socks most of the time. Been getting a
bit headachy lately from all the herbal insect sprays I have been using around
my neck and waist, and am now using DEET directly on my skin at
my waist and pants bottoms. Yuk, that is nasty stuff!
Despite all of the above, I have made many really nice friends here. This is a
small town (just happens to have many tourists at certain
times of the year-boy, they really piled on after the tsunamis!), and because
the King lives here, there is a minimal “bar and girlie scene”.
Consequently, the people who settle here are worldly, well read, intellectual,
very friendly, and mostly anti-US foreign policy! They are
also mostly Northern European, German, some Brits and Australians, and hardly
any Americans. I personally know 6 Americans, and only one is a
republican. I still can’t figure out why he came here. He is a
chiropractor from Missouri. He complains that he has no friends here,
gee, I wonder why? He is the only person in town I have to be careful with,
when we talk. Needless to say, I only see him when I need some
help, which is about once a month. Nice enough guy, but completely clueless!
I have been helping out at a local community newspaper, proofreading and
editing some badly done translations, as well as taking photos for some
events, and now I have started a monthly column on the local music scene and
venues (See below.). I have also begun writing short articles to
help out when they are overwhelmed. Nothing too deep, usually just something
about a local store.
There is a new group in town called the Hua Hin Music Society, spearheaded by a fellow named Gary, from
the Bay Area. He is really
neat-and I have volunteered to do the music calendar-what a surprise! So Gary
and I have been trying to hit as many venues and introduce me to as
many local musicians as possible in a short time, so we can get the calendar up
and running by the March 28^th 3rd meeting, and Jam Session.
I’m pooped, but I am having a ball! I now have a real social life and
someone fun to hang out with, who is also a musician. I have really
missed being around real live music for many years. It just never really
happened in Portland for me. In SF, I had another friend who did the
same thing with me for years, mostly the Jazz scene.
We are promoting ALL kinds of music, since there is so little variety in Hua Hin anyway. There are plenty
of Farangs (foreigners) here who are
dying to play, and many of the Thai guys are interested in mixing it up with
different kinds of music, besides the usual Western Pop and Rock
covers that they have to play night after night in the bars and restaurants
they work in. Our first Jam session was spectacular!!! We
had Jazz guys playing with Hendrix style electric guitars and classical violins
and “western” folksingers, plus much more. One fellow plays the
most incredible classical Spanish guitar! I can’t wait till the next
meeting and jam. I was supposed to leave the country on Feb 23^rd , but
payed the fine and stayed an extra 6 days so I
didn’t miss that event.
March 1st, I’m off to Singapore to change my money into Euros, on the way
to Laos for an exploratory trip to research moving there in the near
future. I’ll be there for 2 weeks. Then back to HH to do the paper and
music calendars before the next deadlines.
Any of you who have any real money should seriously look at the financial
ramifications of the continuing drop in the value of the
Dollar! I have discussed it with many people here and the consensus is that I
am doing a smart thing to protect what little savings I have by
putting it in Euros, even at the current inflated rate.
Reading lots of articles lately and basically, of the 65 Central Banks around
the world surveyed late last year, 47% of them are looking at
limiting their financing of US Debt in the next four years. Malaysia may be the
_first_ country to stop their reliance on the Dollar altogether.
China has been making noises for over a year, and if I recall correctly, Iraq
was about to start or had just started, trading oil in Euros when
we decided he was making WMD and had to be taken out! For many more articles
and related links, check out Mike Ruppert’s
www.fromthewilderness.com <http://www.fromthewilderness.com/>
A girlfriend from PDX visited me for five days last month, and we had a ball.
No one else has come by yet, but this month my Mom is coming on
the 16^th and 3 others are coming around the 18^th for a few days. I have 2
bedrooms and would love to have more visitors. It’s a fun place
to visit and very centrally located to visit other countries nearby. The food
is to die for! Never had so many delicious foods in my life, or
fresh fruits, either. I have been trying to find Organic foods, but not much
luck in that department yet. But there are plenty of veggies to eat
(I cook most of my own food): asparagus, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage,
carrots, spinach and kale, cucumbers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Last but not least, I have been adopted by a huge Thai family of 9 brothers and
sisters and their spouses, kids and friends. They invite me
to every festival and celebration-there are many here in Thailand-and we are
having fun getting to learn each other’s languages and quirks. These
people like to party. I can barely keep up, and have to limit myself to only
one or two gatherings a month, especially with my delicate health
lately. I can’t eat most of the foods they bring when we get together,
but they seem to be enjoying the foods I bring, which are very mild and
include lots of veggies, sweet potatoes, and fruits.
I guess that’s enough for now. Let me know if you want to be on the
travelogue list and I will keep sending them to you.
Ciao, Robin
From: Marc Silber:
I am a photographer, consultant and a Scientology Counselor,
living on the
I love to surf (mostly from
My interest in photography began when I was at
As the etymology of photography is “light writing” I find this
means of writing to be my favorite form of expression.
After Pacific, I studied photography at the San
Francisco Art Institute.
I then went on to study the works of L. Ron Hubbard, educator, writer and artist
who expanded my view of art (and life) tremendously.
As we take pictures with our mind, it only makes sense to understand how our
mental process can be cleared, opening the door to greater perception and
understanding.
An old friend, Van Morrison (dedicated Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
to Hubbard) sang in his BB King duet “If you love me:”
“Affinity and
communication
That makes reality
Understanding is the first thing
It means so much to me”
After these many years of teaching, counseling and
consulting I have returned to my early love of photography and present my site www.silberstudios.com
as a sample of my work.
From: Jutka (Judy) Fisher:
I was at PHS for just one year, 67/68, and spent
most of my time in the art room, where Ken Kinzie and
his wife Patti were a huge influence.
I first began making pots there.
After leaving Pacific, I spent time in different places/ Marin County,
Berkeley, Oakland, doing all sorts of interesting and sometimes not wonderful
jobs.
I also joined a bluegrass group, and went to junior college for a while,
all the time knowing I wanted to do pottery more than anything else.
In 1970 went to England, to look at pottery studios and see work which I had
admired from books.
Enrolled at art college in London, which became my home and where I did a
degree course in ceramics.
Taught for many years in all sorts of places, including prisons and youth centres, as well as doing my own ceramic work.
Married an English musician who taught me to play the violin, which is the
second biggest joy in my life.
The first being my adopted son, who was 3 months old when we adopted him,
and 14 now.
Since my divorce, we have moved to Hungary, where I run courses for
ex-pat people.
I love my work and meeting people from all over the world, and many become good
friends.
But England is still home, and we go back regularly to our house on the Sussex
coast. Ben is thriving.
I would welcome emails from anyone who can remember me from PHS, and do let me
know if there is another reunion planned??
My younger brother still lives in California, so I would have two incentives to
visit!
All the best,
Jutka (Judy) Fischer
From: Tom Motock
Hi, just noting that I went to Pacific around 68-69, and graduated
from there. Mark Sheehan was director, and Tanya was still a student.
I'll write something somewhere along the line. I'd more or less moved
out, to a cabin down the creek, by the time the bubble dome was built, though I
don't think I graduated.
When I did graduate, I was named "class
sorcerer".
I noted I'm not on any of the lists, nor is Alan Ebnother
(sp?) (Mad
Alan), though he also went to Pacific.
My legal name was Howard Thomas Motock, though I
didn't use it. I was generally called Tom by my parents.
I honestly don't remember what name I was using <laughs> Possibly Tom, or
Seth, and someone nicknamed me Fangorn.
I lived in the main hall one winter. I was almost the
only one there over that period. I don't think Alan's bubble dome had been
built then.
Somewhere along the line I moved down the creek to
"
I think the Class Sorcerer came from my having brought along a lot of
STP when we went on some sort of outing, to the beach. I did a reasonable
amount of hallucinogens, but wasn't much into dope of booze, more of a
brown-ricer. I was physically living at Pacific a lot for about half a year,
then tended to come and go until I graduated. I hung out some at Stillpoint in Boulder Creek. I was into Tao and Zen, as
well as hallucinogens, elves and magick, and mathmatics. As another time thing, I think the sub had been
built about a year before. Tanya was doing some sort of plaster casting of
herself in a bathtub. <laughs>
Well, I turned out to be an environmental and social activist, and worked in
Fed Parliament here for a while.
I'm currently doing work in sexual health.
I was there in '68 and
'69. I was in the music and garrilla theatre class
with Arron Manginello.
I was Dean's room mate for a
while. Took a poker class with Peter Marin. Had an Alchemy class.
Was a piano player and was
there for the encounter group thing with Jung. I rode the Bus up most of the
time from Cupertino.
Does any of this make sense? I
don't know.
If you ever come up to Alaska,
do drop into the Red Dog Saloon where I have been the house piano player for
the last 34 years and say hello.
Also I'm announcing my new
project which might be of interest to Pacific High Alum.
We chartered a cruise ship fo seven days to sail down into the "Sea of
Cortez"
Mexico next January, filled
with Classic Rockers. Should be an extrodinary
event, so should any Pacific Highers want to go, I'll give them a big discount.
Cabin selection will go fast
and I'm trying to get all my people on first.
Check out the site............
showboatcruises.com
I was greatly saddened that
I've had to miss the last couple of Reunions, I
found it impossible to attend.
The next one I will attend regardless.
Where the hell is Mark Jacobs?
I talked to Mark Sheehan
awhile ago in Makawow, Maui, as always he's doing
great.
Love, Tag
from Doug
Millhoff:
Hi, my name is Doug Millhoff. I was a student at Pacific from autumn 1975
- spring 1976.
Most of the names and faces I see on this site are unfamiliar, and probably
gone before I showed up.
I still have a copy of that Daily Planet Almanac we all worked on.
Boy, this site brings back some old memories, and my, how times have changed
...
Is there anything left of the old school? Last time I was up that way,
the lake had become part of the park system,
and it looked like someone was about to develop the area for housing.
from Stan Bean:
Hi,
Alan Strain's passing resulted in much thinking about the
founding of Pacific and how much Alan meant to me at the time.
Long and wine filled meetings that resulted in creating
something which, at the time, was new. The content of education
that I learned from him has stayed with me all the intervening
years, and still forms the basis of much of my thinking about
education, children and how we create new futures for ourselves
and our society.
I am Director of a small charter school here in Crestone,
Colorado. I live in a house we built five years ago at the foot
of the Sangre de Christo mountains, looking over the
vast San
Luis Valley. It's a far cry from Newark, New Jersey and even
from the green, lush environs of the Peninsula and the
California coast.
The school here is an expression of my continuing effort to
replicate Pacific, and I have come very close to doing it. I
have teachers working here who are constant reminders of Dave
Werner, Alan, Barry and others who did their work at Pacific in
the first days.
Reading Barrie and Lorrie's poetry evoked their images in my
mind and their voices remained as clear as the days in which we
worked together.
Getting old is interesting, as the memories play King of the
Mountain in their efforts to assert their dominance as the
seminal factors in one's life. I have never gotten over
Pacific. The people and the things we did remain with me as
some of the finest examples of trying to do education right that
I have come across. I had my first teaching job over 50 years
ago, and Pacific still remains the measure of what I do.
Reynold Stan Bean
=====
Reynold Bean
P.O. Box 447
Crestone, CO 81131
from: Warren Snyder:
howdy, my name is warren snyder.
i was listed among the missing as warren s.. i was a student at pacific high from 1975 through 1977.
does anybody remember me?
i am currently living in taos
new mexico, and have lived here since about 1980.
i have a 20 year old son, who is in college, and i have a small business that deals in native american indian jewelry.
if anybody who remembers me would like to contact me, i
would love to hear from you.
i have really good memories of pacific high and
always wondered where everybody went.
my e-mail adress is star@laplaza.org
till later.......peace
from Robin Bee:
Robin's Year End Letter 2003-2004'
Well,
03' was so much better than 02', and it was also much harder than any other year
I can remember. Seems like I was physically moving heavy things the whole year!
In
January I DID go to Cuba with Global Exchange. Originally I wanted to do an
Alternative energy/agriculture tour, but they were not available that early in the
year, so I did the Language & Culture trip instead. I really HAD to get
away from work, and the cold, in January. I was falling apart physically.
So,
I took Spanish classes from 9 am to 12:30 every weekday and then participated
in all the planned events and activities in the afternoons and evenings. I
learned much about the history of the country, the music, education and
government programs, etc. Did some of the touristy stuff with a friend in the
group, and then later, with my Dad when he came to visit for a week. Almost
everyone in the group of 32 left after the first two weeks and at that point
(except for my classes every morning) almost none of the planned activities
happened. The couple that did, had no one to translate or have discussion with
in English. It was like they (Global Exchange subcontractors) just dropped the
last 6 of us on our own after week 2. That was a huge disappointment for me. I
felt like I learned nothing more about the country for the last 2 weeks of my
trip. I did make some lovely Cuban friends in those last weeks but our
communication was on a very basic level. I had much trouble with Cuban Spanish
and only JUST got through the course. I felt like all the Spanish I have known
my whole life was useless most of the time. Disconcerting, really. The weather
was very cool, even COLD, for most of the trip, except for about 3 days when we
actually could wear shorts and sleeve-less shirts.
When
I got back in early Feb I jumped right back into the campaign to condemn the
assets of our local Electric Monopoly (PGE) owned by Enron. We finished
gathering petition signatures for a People's Utility District in Feb and got on
the ballot. Then the rest of the year was spent doing the real work of
educating the masses in Multnomah County about the merits of a change to a
Publicly Owned Utility. I have never been so deeply involved in a political
campaign, and do not plan to ever do that again!! The stress levels for an
entire year were way too much for me. I barely made it to the election on Nov.
4th. In August, 2 of us bought materials and cut and then screen printed 1200
double sided lawn signs over a 3 week period. We had some help with the
printing but basically it was Andy and I who did most of the work, and then I
had to get them out to the people who would distribut
them. At the end, we had to gather them up again to reuse on the next PUD
campaign in Clackamas County. I didn't get too involved with that part. There
are three other counties giving PGE a run for their money with PUD campaigns.
Let's see, at 3 million per campaign, that should keep PGE busy for awhile.
Maybe one of them will actually win.
I
ALSO began seriously to look for another place to live when I got back from
Cuba. My roommate Brooke had made it painfully clear, almost since I moved in
with her in Aug of 2001', that she didn't really like me.
What
I discovered as I looked around was that I am "old" in the eyes of
most young people who have group housing and community-like living situations.
This "ageism" was a bit of a shock for me. So, by the beginning of
June I was already initiating "Plan B". I liquidated a bunch of
possessions and began moving the rest into a large storage area, still not
knowing where I would go, but determined to get out of Brooke's before another
winter came on. A few friends expressed short-term invitations to "couch
surf" for a while. So on June 15th I officially moved out, and went to
stay with my friend Judy Barnes (whom I was working with on the campaign), for
two weeks. About one week later she decided I might not be too bad to live
with, and she invited me to stay for the duration of the campaign and work as a
team with her. I could also help her with things she couldn't handle, as she is
legally blind. I agreed a couple days later after the last two possible roomie situations fell through. She had an extra room I
stayed in and it was very cozy, really. I was able to put some of my overflow
furniture at her place so I could get into my storage area. They STILL live at
her place. Maybe forever. She likes them and has the room.
It
was great working and living with Judy! She is a funny and generous person, and
we worked well as a team. We laughed and had a lot of fun for the first 3
months, but we both got pretty stressed out towards the end of it. I think that
neither of us could have made it to the end if not for having the support of
the other! And I had an extra bit of support. (see Robert, below)
Meanwhile,
around Sept I again started looking for a place to live, knowing that I didn't
want to be moving in November. I found a nice space with another activist
friend, Joyce, which was affordable AND friendly, and slowly started
moving things in over the next 2 months. What a luxury that was! I moved
carloads every day I could and eventually hired 2 homeless friends from the
storage place to help me move two truckloads in over a 3-week period. Deb and
Kenny were a godsend!! Physically I could never have done it myself. I had been
feeling quite run down last summer, and still am. I'm sure that much of it was
stress, but I have also had a number of physical problems last year that
continue into this year. I don't see myself doing the house cleaning for more
than one more year.
Joyce
is great, but she is almost never here, so I am living alone again. Finding
community has really been difficult for me, I have just accepted that it is not
going to happen for me here in Oregon. Joyce does have a cat though!
By
the way, we lost the election. We were outspent by at least 60-1 by the
Utilities. They blanketed the media with lies and misleading and confusing
information. It worked quite well. Even committed people were confused. We
raised about $30,000 total over the 1-½ year campaign and worked very
hard, but...
The
BEST thing that happened to me in 2003' was reconnecting with my dear high
school friend Robert Sumner in May. We started writing long letters and by Sept
we realized that something extra special was happening between us. I went down
to SF in early November for a weeklong visit and we fell in love, big time!
This is the most wonderful thing to happen to me in eons! I'm reveling in it.
Robert came up to visit me over the holidays and it only reinforced our
feelings for each other. We are now looking into moving out of this country,
sometime in 04', and how we can support ourselves after the move. We are both
missing each other over the long months between visits, but long-distance
relationships are always harder. We ARE able to speak together at least once
daily, which helps a lot.
I
have lost all faith in local and national governments' ability, and political
willpower to work for the interests of the public. Everything seems to be about
what "insiders" want - there is no public input into anything
important anymore. I've had it - and want to get out.
I
know there are huge problems in every other country, but I also know that we
can live a simpler, less stressful, less costly life in a warmer climate in a
third world country. Neither of us is crazy about high humidity, but it will be
a small price to pay for some tranquility. We have begun researching our
options. Health care must be paid out of pocket (nothing new for me), but it
can also be much less expensive for the same quality of work/service. I had a
lovely dental "bridge" built and installed in Thailand while I was
there in 02' and the total cost was $300.US
It
would have cost me between $3-4,000. here, meaning it would not have happened.
I can live with that!
Robert
and I can put together off-grid solutions to limit our costs for power and hot
water, and would not have the huge costs of HEATING in a 3rd world country. I
already have some off-grid components. We're looking at SE Asia at this time.
His brother Gus lives in Southern Thailand and would love to have us move
nearby. I am still trying to get contacts for Laos, to see if there are ANY
options there. It is so much calmer and less polluted than Thailand. Southern
Thailand does not have any industry but it still has the hoards of tourists and
the attendant scooter and bus pollution, but with trade winds it should not be
as noticeable.
In
November I began a three-month vacation from any time consuming activism, and
it has been really nice so far. I still go to events I'm interested in, but I
am doing no organizing at all. I'm reading books (for the first time in years)
and writing letters, and calling old friends whom I have not heard from in a
long time. I hardly turn on the computer except to look for personal email and
type a letter. I'm also liquidating more of my belongings, slowly. My rooms are
tiny and it is time to clear it all out. When Robert and I move, I will get rid
of all my furniture except my very comfortable bed. We will need that where
ever we go. I have gotten rid of all the extra "community" stuff I
had stockpiled, including children's books and extra silver and dishes.
I
am still doing my monthly local email calendar of events, as I feel that it is
important for people to stay informed about what is going on in the world,
especially in OUR name.
So,
my life continues, but now there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. A
life with a man I love and who loves me. WOW! Who would have ever thought.
Six
of my friends died in 2003'. 1 was a suicide at about 50 years old, 1 was a
50-year-old woman with cancer, and 4 were a sudden illness and/or old age
catching up with them. All of them were activists and all will be sorely missed
by this community.
Please,
take time for yourself and your loved ones, especially if you are deeply
involved with your work and have forgotten to do that. This is a lesson I am
only just learning, and it feels really good. I have missed my friends. Many of
you will not write a letter. So, I have been doing a lot of long-distance
calling in the past month to catch up. It's wonderful!
I
have a new tel. # of my very own if you don't already have it: 503-281-1441.
Call me sometime. I'd love to hear from you. Best time to reach me is Sundays,
Mon. AM, Wed. AM, Fri. AM, or in the evenings after 7 pm.
That's
it for my yearly report.
With much affection, Robin
From Debbie Rose:
This is Debbie Rose, newly Deborah Rose Libeskind, used to be Debbie Hobson until 1972, then Debbie Gaiser until 1985. I was at Pacific High school off and on 1964-1968. My life during those years (and a few before and after) was one of depression, confusion, almost complete self-unawareness, frantic participation in lots of activities that frightened me, total lack of knowledge of other (better) possibilities. The school in many ways was a refuge, and in many others even more of a pit. I haven¹t at all wanted to attend either of the reunions, yet I am drawn by what feels almost like a desire to recover from an amnesia to peppering my brother Jimmy with questions for details about individuals who attended the recent one, and to the PHS website, and to the photos (I only recognized my siblings, Nelson, and Vincent!) on line.
I am three times as old as I was when my first daughter Jessica was born in 1968; she is twice that age (a math problem!). Her four younger sisters, Kelley, Jeannie, Emily and Anona were born between 1972 and 1980. When Anona was two, I divorced their dad, went to school and came out the other side of that with degrees in English, education (ha) and a teaching certificate. I¹ve worked in an alternative education program in Eugene, OR for the last 12 years, and last year took on the job of coordinating it.
After 13 years alone with my daughters, I met the love of my life. Shlomo and I lived together for nearly seven years before our wedding last June. Five years ago I converted to Judaism, a source of deep spiritual gratification for me. Now I¹m living happily ever after with Shlomo, feeling rich in life, love, work, grown children (we have between us 14 counting their spouses and partners, all living more or less nearby) and grandchildren (7, and more on the way).
Perhaps my contentment--and the fact that I¹m no longer perpetually exhausted--makes me have the desire to look back a bit. Years of co-counseling have also sustained and propelled me.
I loved reading the updates from Lorrie and Barry--I have fond
memories of reading Shakespeare in Barry¹s class, of the ceiling in the
classroom falling on Barry¹s head after one of his blasphemous remarks, of
being at the Goldensohn¹s house while they dressed up to go out while I
stayed to babysit Mattie and Rachel, of mushroom
hunts for all kinds of weird fungi. I also liked reading Dean¹s and
Nelson¹s paragraphs. Paragraphs--this is I¹m sure way too long.
I¹ll stop. Feel free to edit.
Debbie
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From Steve Lubin:
After my one year at Pacific (63/64) I graduated from Woodside High School in 1966. I attended San Francisco State for two years and then moved to the University of Oregon where I studied architecture. I married Thalia in 1969 and we lived outside Eugene, Oregon until 1972 when we moved back to California. I designed and built small construction projects for several years but have had a mostly architectural practice since the mid eighties. Thalia and I are the entire company and we work in a studio behind our house, close to the garden. Our projects are mostly houses. I continue to bicycle with great pleasure, but unlike Nelson, I only ride about 87 miles a week. During a South American trip in 1984 we became interested in Brazil and Brazilian music. Since 1994 Thalia has been producing shows with Brazilian musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area. I help her with these productions. http://www.thaliaproductions.com
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I worked as a physical therapist for 20 years but, near the end, I found that therapists in my area, outpatient orthopedics, needed to be more artful than I in their attempts to satisfy both the employer's demand for documentation that would justify ongoing billable events regardless of the patient's actual condition and the state practice act that prohibits provision of unnecessary services. I am now certified as a systems engineer, teach networking technology at Heald College and I've yet to meet a computer network that was faking an injury.
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From Nelson T. Samuels
I was present at the very first day of Pacific. I attended for four years then went to Sonoma state for fifteen years(sort of) with time off for travel and work. I got married to Lori Cunningham in 1976 we have two children, Katy and Alan. Katy is living with us and studying at San Jose State for her teaching credential. Alan is a sophomore at UC Santa Cruz, a history major. I have been teaching elementary school, bilingual, for about twenty-three years. My wife has also been teaching in Salinas for bout fifteen years. I live in the town of Aromas, Ca. For those who knew me way back then, I'm still riding the bicycle, about one hundred miles a week on average.
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From Bob Wallace
I've been a community organizer and a professional translator (of German philosophy), had a good deal of formal education, "raised" two kids with two more in the works, been divorced twice, and now I'm teaching and writing philosophy. Special interests: the nature of freedom, friendship, ethics, God and the world; Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and especiallyHegel. Life is rich and fascinating, and I enjoy it more every year.
My best to all,
Bob
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From Cliff Bixler:
Since leaving Pacific High I spent time living and building at a yoga retreat, a Zendo on Maui and traveling in Mexico. I started working in construction building phone offices then homes in Santa Cruz County. I became a licensed contractor at 24 and built my first home. I have now run my own company for the past 27 years. I currently build apartment complexes (managed investments) and homes (for sale). I get to work on acquisition, design, and construction (and pretty much any phase I want to). Building multi-family projects is my main interest since it involves how groups of people live together.
I have one daughter, Katie (19). Her half brother, who is a foreman for me, and I remain close. I am re-married (11 years) and have a stepson and step daughter by that marriage as well as a 26 month grandaughter. We live in Bonny Doon. My wife Lise is the director of Childcare Services for UCSC. She will be retireing this summer. That will probably last for a month or two! I plan on semi-retiring in three years.
My wife and I are both birders and have spent the last 11 years birding in the US, Austrailia, Costa Rica, Belize, and Guatemala. Still lotsto see in that department.
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From Audrey Malan:
My partner Daniel & I live in Dayton, Wyoming, town of about 400 souls located on the Eastern foot of the Big Horn Mountains. Daniel does architectural & engineering design & drafting for a small company in Sheridan. I am theExecutive Director of CooperationWorks!, a national organization comprised of 17 cooperative development centers serving primarily rural communities in 45 states. The focus of our work is implementing cooperatively-based community economic development strategies. The primary focus is value-added agriculture, but centers also facilitate cooperative development strategies in sustainable forestry, energy, housing, and worker ownership. I work from an office in my home, and travel around the country as well. I have the opportunity to work with extraordinary people doing outstanding work on a daily basis. We know cooperation is the key to our best future, but we (as a culture) don't know how to do it very well, yet! I'm sure my time at Pacific High School has much to do with my work (for the last 16 years) with cooperatively structured businesses and organizations.
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From Barry and Lorrie Goldensohn
Since 65 we have taught at Goddard College, Hampshire College, theWriters Workshop at the University of Iowa (where Lorrie got a PhD), Vassar (Lorrie) and Skidmore (Barry) Lorrie retired in 2001 and Barry is due to retire in 2003. Lorrie has published a book of poems, The Tether, and a study of Elizabeth Bishop: the Biography of a Poetry, and is work on a book on 20th Century War Literature, for Columbia University Press, called Dismantling Glory. Barry has published three books of poems: Saint Venus Eve, Uncarving the Block and The Marrano, and two chapbooks, Dance Music and East Long Pond (with Lorrie). He has also published many reviews and articles. Our experience at Pacific was vivid and, in retrospect, confusing and delightful. We met many people who have stayed an intimate part of our lives. All in all, it was an experience of a very civilizing wildness.