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This is the spot where you can ask about Reunion activities, tell classmates what you have been up to, or otherwise shoot the breeze.  Any questions addressed to the Reunion Committee will be responded to here.

Let us hear from you!

15 Responses to “Alumni Chat Room”

  1. Eve Church says:

    Posted for Greg Cramer:

    This is Greg Cramer from WJ class of 63. I want to thank you for providing the glue and the energy to plan and make such an important event happen.

    Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend. My wife (Fran) and I bought 109 acres in Oregon in 1996 to plant a vineyard. We started from scratch and now have a winery and of course harvest. October 6th will be just at the beginning of harvest so it is unlikely that I will be doing anything other than harvesting grapes and making wine. I have looked forward to coming to the reunion, but it makes sense to do it at a time when most people are not out on their summer trips. Boo hoo!

    Our business is called MarshAnne Landing (our pre-Revolutionary family based middle names and where we landed to pursue our dreams), and we are located about 3 hours south of Portland Oregon. Our website shows off our winery, our setting, our gallery tasting room, our concert schedule, and of course tells our story. I completed my PhD in chemistry at the University of Maryland and worked most of my career in food safety (20 years with the FDA in DC). I became fascinated with wine making early on. After a family reunion in 1995 with my 84 year old father to satisfy his bucket list needs (I still want to climb Mt Hood with the 3 sons) where Fran and I saw sunrise from the top of Mt Hood, we realized that I might be able to retire early and start a vineyard in Oregon. It happened quickly and we have been in Oregon since 2000. We came to make Rhone style wines. Our winery name is sometimes mispronounced as Martian Landing…..therefore we have a flying saucer on our label and a brand message of “Out of this world wines”. Our gallery and our concerts shows off extraordinary works, not ordinary, so we use the “out of this world” descriptor for the art and the music. We live in the land of spotted owls and Doug Fir (Douglas county Oregon), so creating a cultural oasis has been extraordinary. We often host world class musicians in an intimate setting that completes the experience of an “out of this world” event!

    I just got back from New Orleans where I was an invited speaker at the American Chemical Society meeting. The session on chemists who have gone into the food business gave me a chance to tell my story about becoming a chemist and my life in the wine industry. The title of my talk—Oregon Wine-Time Traveler to the Red Planet gave me a chance to talk about our “Red Planet” Bordeaux style wine. My beginnings in chemistry started with Dr. John Woodburn. He was a great teacher, but it was his assignment to write about some famous chemist and their discovery that got me hooked on chemistry. I chose Linus Pauling for my paper. I visited ACS headquarters in DC and was able to search the extensive files on their former president. Ultimately I had to contact Linus Pauling to find out additional info. His letter from Cal Tech included a copy of his 1954 Nobel Prize for Chemistry address. So as I got ready to tell my story in New Orleans I had to search my house for that special box with treasured contents. After 4 hours I found the envelope from 1962. I included slides of my letter from Linus Pauling as well as a slide showing the cover of that speech. It was a lot of fun to tell my story and I am sure that there were many who found my story quite compelling

    One of the other speakers was honored for her cookbooks on the chemistry of cooking. Julia Child used to come to her lectures and take copious notes. Amazing woman.

    Dr. Woodburn came up in a 4:30 am conversation at Portland airport while waiting for a 6 am flight to Italy this January. A “brain surgeon” looking guy I chatted with was actually a surgeon from Connecticut. My story about high school chemistry and Linus Pauling got him to remark…”Not Dr. John Woodburn, he got me into college!” Ah the people who have helped shape our lives. Thanks to so many people and to the many unsung teachers who are heroes in the trenches of making a better world.

    I have include a couple photos to show what keeps the boy in this man.

    I wish you all well. I hope you have a great reunion. I just wish I could be there to share al the old friends.

    Your friend from a while ago.. and for the future too if your travels bring you to Oregon.

    Greg Cramer

  2. Eve Church says:

    I plan to go out to buy some MarshAnne Landing wines and will drink a toast to Greg and all others who could not come.

    • Greg Cramer says:

      Hi Eve,
      Long time no see! Thanks for your friendship back then. Remember Ray Muller? Who wouldn’t!

      If you would like to drink a toast, I can ship wine to Md now that they changed their draconian laws. Until recently it was a felony to ship wine to consumers in Md. I got a licence early this spring. Our website lists our wines. I am fond of our Viognier (white Rhone grape) with its rich lingering finish, but we have reds too including Oregon Pinot Noir, a Cote du Umpqua Rhone style blend, of course our Red Planet and a nice syrah. All our wines come from grapes we planted.

      Wishing you all the best.

      Greg
      541-643-0940

  3. Bonnie Towles says:

    Greg … what a fabulous life story. I am amazed at the number of WJ alumni who mention a specific teacher who made a distinct and lasting impression on them, often channeling their life choices. I have a friend in Portland – I will share your story with her and others headed that way. Hopefully I will be among them in the not too distant future. I did visit your web site:

    http://marshannelanding.com/

    What a beautiful lifestyle and setting! Congratulations on following your bliss.

  4. Eve Church says:

    From Bob Gerrie:

    Retired from General Surgery. Living comfortably in Western Montana. Just enjoying life.

  5. Eve Church says:

    From Judy Fancey Coleman:

    Retired English Teacher (Wheaton High and Chapelgate Christian Academy).
    Married since 1966 = 47 years to Dean. We play and sing Bluegrass/Folk/Gospel/Old Rock music, D. on banjo, J. on guitar.
    Entertain at Nursing Homes. Have 3 grown sons, 1 grown step-daughter.
    Ride our BMW cruising motorcycle wherever we can. Love Lake George, NY, for vacationing.

  6. Nathan Rosenthal says:

    A lot has happened since I graduated in 1963. I served in Vietnam (1968-1969). I then went back to the midwest to work in radio broadcasting from 1970-1976 before moving to Atlantic City, NJ in 1976 just in time to see the beginning of the casino era.

    In 1984 I was laid off but was able to find another job in the Philadelphia area with a commercial sound and background music company where I stayed for 25 years before retiring in September of 2010.

    I never married or had children but my girlfriend and I enjoy traveling. We have been on a number of trips and especially enjoy cruising and long distance train rides.

    While in the Atlantic City area I fulfilled a desire of mine to become a licensed radio amateur and remain so to this day.

  7. Terry Burns says:

    Will not make the reunion; but, that does not mean I do not think about the three years 720 of us spent together learning life’s lessons. I went on to attend Montgomery College and Michigan State University. Married in 1970 to Allyson. Now together for 43 wonderful years. We have two grown children, three animals and still live in the area-Potomac Falls, Virginia. I am a Vice President for ImpactOffice in Beltsville, MD. coaching 46 salespeople on the virtues of commercial office furniture. We enjoy all things involving nature, travel and healthy foods. Would love to hear from anyone interested in connecting. It was a special time in all our lives! I have some wonderful memories.

  8. Barry Rubin says:

    I recently sent in my reservation money, but can’t tell from the list of people who registered if anyone is bringing a spouse. What’s the general sense of this? Is anyone bringing a spouse? I’m trying to decide about bringing mine.

  9. lee trunnell says:

    WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT BOB GERRIE. HE, DAVE HOYLE AND JOHNNY FRANKEL AND I PLAYED A LOT OF BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL TOGETHER AT THE CORNER OF MCDONALD DR. (BOB AND DAVE LIVED ON THIS STREET) AND ALDERSHOT DR. (JOHNNY AND I LIVED ON THIS STREET) FOR MANY YEARS DURING OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DAYS. THOSE THREE WENT TO BRADLEY ELEMENTARY AND I WENT TO POTOMAC ELEMENTARY (BACK WHEN NO ONE KNEW WHERE POTOMAC WAS). UNFORTUNATELY, JOHNNY FRANKEL DIED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT A LONG TIME AGO.

    LEE

  10. Tom Lucas says:

    Tom Lucas says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation.
    September 23, 2013 at 8:15 pm

    After Walter Johnson I worked for a year before enlisting in the Marine Corps. After six years in the Marines, including a one year tour in Danang, Vietnam with the III MAF, I entered the industrial security profession, and ended up as a correctional officer in Montgomery County, Maryland. While working in corrections, I established my own locksmith business, and eventually resigned from corrections when I won the bid to re-key Dulles Airport. I worked there for three months re-keying the entire airport. It eventually provided other contracts to support my new business. These contracts brought me business from the Nat. Archives, U.S.Courthouse, the Carter Barron Amp. Theater, and a cross section of famous people in the DC Metro areas.

    I have served as Chair of The American Society for Industrial Security International, and VP of The DC Area Locksmith’s Assn. for three terms. I obtained the designation of “Certified Registered Locksmith” several years ago, and now have become one of the first licensed locksmiths in this area. This is something the Governor has made mandatory in the Maryland area recently. I am also a member of the Associated Locksmith’s of America International Assn. of Security Professionals, and the International Assn. of Investigative Locksmiths.

    Staying in shape has been a life long endeavor, and I have tried to keep up the workouts, but I no longer participate in my once favorite sport of martial arts.

    Reading current events, and new Vietnam history books on my Nook e reader is my passion, as well as baseball. Magic and woodworking are a close second to reading. When I have a chance, I make Shaker furniture. I still play jazz drums, but don’t have enough time to really get into it like I used to. I recently hooked up with Jack Bryant, of the Fallen Angels fame, who used to be lead guitar with my band, the Viscounts in the late 50′s and early 60′s.

    I have a 3 1/2 year old grandson, and spend week ends with him.

    Recently, my wife and I vacationed at Myrtle Beach and I hooked up with a Marine buddy I hadn’t seen in 50+ years who lived 1 1/2 hours from our hotel. I found him on http://www.tws.com after a few days of searching. He served at 8th & I in DC, with The Presidents Own when we were in the Marine Corps. I found another buddy that I served with in Vietnam on the same site. It was wonderful to see and hear both of the Marines I served with so many years ago.

    I hope to rekindle some of the friendships I had at WJ when I attend the 50th reunion. See ya there.

    Tom Lucas
    Reply

  11. lee trunnell says:

    TO BARRY RUBIN. DAVE HOYLE AND WIFE CAME TO VISIT US FOR A FEW DAYS IN MAY AND YOU WERE ONE OF THE CLASSMATES HE ASKED ABOUT. AT THAT TIME HE DID NOT PLAN ON COMING TO THE REUNION. IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT YOUR WIFE, I AM BRING MY WIFE (OF 41 YEARS) AND I PERSONALLY KNOW OF A FEW OTHERS THAT ARE BRINGING THEIRS ALSO. SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND (HARD TO BELIEVE IT IS HERE ALREADY).

  12. Bob Gerrie says:

    Would like to respond to Lee Trunnal’s request to get in touch. Can you give him my email or send me his?

    Thanks

  13. Rachel Rosenberg says:

    Hello WJ alumni,

    As some of you may know, Walter Johnson HS, is participating in Pennies for Patients (a leukemia and lymphoma society fundraiser) until March 15th. In the past 6 years, Walter Johnson has raised over over $254,000 for the society. Last year alone we raised over $82,000. We were named the #1 fundraising school in the country for 5 years and last year, came in second. This year our goal is to reach $85,000 and I, along with the rest of the Leadership Class, would like to reach out to you for help in doing so. The link for our online donation page is below:
    http://nca.sy.llsevent.org/walterjohnsonhighschool
    Just to show you how much your generosity is doing here’s a video explaining an amazingly successful treatment almost entirely funded by LLS! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nslinX6C1ZM
    Also, here’s something to help you get a sense of just how much you’re doing when you donate!!!
    $1000- provides one week’s salary for a medical researcher at NIH, Johns Hopkins or GW who may discover key information for developing curative treatments for blood cancers.
    $200- provided funding for a Familg Support Group Program for one year where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members mediated by a trained facilitator.
    $150- provides for 5 patients to make a First Connection with a trained peer volunteer patient/survivor.
    $100- helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
    $75- covers the cost of one tissue typing test that is used to become a bone marrow donor.
    $50- covers the cost of one CT scan.
    $40- covers the cost of sending a comprehensive support and informational packet to the family of a child with cancer.
    $35- provides transportation expenses for a patient living in the DC metropolitan area to a comprehensive cancer center for treatment.
    $25- covers the cost of one prescription co-payment.

    Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for all of your help.
    Every penny counts!

    Sincerely,
    Rachel Rosenberg
    2014 Graduate

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