Saturday, September 11, 2010

Paul Pietropaolo Runs in NYC Marathon


I just heard from Paul Pietropaolo with the news he plans to run the
NYC Marathon fund raising for the children of 9/11. Please go to his
link and read his message. I think it is amazing. I hope we all can do
what we can to support him !


http://tuesdayschildren.org/component/content/article/41/209-ppietropaolo

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Our Hike to Buttermilk Falls


We had a busy day on the Saturday of the reunion weekend. After the brunch at Peter Trowbridge's house we regrouped at Buttermilk Falls for a hike lead by George. Some of us got a little wet caught by a late afternoon shower but then continued to hiked up to the falls. Afterwards we had a relaxing picnic met by Lenny Mirnan. That evening Helen and I went to the Class of 1980 tent. Capping off the evening was a touching performance by the Chorus. Can you find Kirby? She is in the back and has her eyes covered as she tries to find us!

Sunday Helen and I stopped at Taughannock Falls after a early morning breakfast back at the dorm.

It was only two days, but we got a lot in. I hope we can get together again soon! It was awesome!!!!!









Group shot in the garden



The Group shot in the garden. Carol, Paul, Will, Peter, Kirby, George, Helen and two others from later years studio.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Peter and Nina's Garden

























Peter and his wife Nina graciously invited us to brunch at their lovely home and shared their amazing garden. Their tour of the gardens included a discussion of the different plants used, the reason for different structures and separate gardens and antidotes of how their garden evolved.

It was unbelievable and unrecognizable from the 1980 version. Reportedly they have planted over 120,000 daffodils, that would be fun to see.


Brunch at Peter and Nina's Home




Peter and his wife Nina hosted a beautiful brunch with home baked goodies! Everything was just wonderful.

Peter and Nina in their kitchen.

Pickled delights from the garden!

LA Class of '80 Reunion Recap...








Our Class’s 30th Reunion was a success and great fun thanks to the planning efforts of Carol Lattmann, input on local sites and color offered by George Frantz and the Department of Landscape Architecture faculty and staff including, Peter Trowbridge, Kathryn Gleason, Chris and Cornell Reunion staff who readily provided helpful input on organizing our mostly self-directed reunion fun.

Attendees from our class included Carol Lattmann, Helen Cohen, Kirby Date and daughter Johanna, George Frantz, Paul Pietropaolo and William Green.


If you were there, thank you for coming. If you weren’t there we missed you, we talked about and remembered all of you, and hope to meet up and do this again at another Cornell Reunion with an even better turn-out next time.


There seemed like no end of things to talk about catching up on career paths, family, friends, Cornell and LA Department memories including our class trips, projects, all-nighters and the campus grounds and sites in general. Yes the Green Dragon is still in the basement of Sibley Hall and according to George, the murals on the wall are original to the 1976-1980 era and have been restored! Same slate table tops. Yes, they are still there. Much has changed on campus, new buildings all over the quads, Alumni fields and the skyline looking towards Cornell up Libe Slope from West Hill looks very built up. The Johnson Art museum and school of Architecture are currently being built up and renovated.


Most noticeable and unfortunate as made national news this spring, a rash of suicides on campus this past year, led to the University constructing chain link fence around all of the campus gorge crossings. What a site that was and noted by all who crossed the Triphammer and Cascadilla Gorge bridges. If you received an email from Cornell Reunions take the opportunity to share your thoughts about your recent time on campus too.


Our group meandered into the Landscape Architecture Department Reception on Friday afternoon hosted by Professor Peter Trowbridge, current head of the department, and department staff. As this was the first reunion and trip back to campus for many of us, the new (to us anyway) department facilities are outstanding. Peter gave tours of the facilities and as we all gathered and met up with alumni of the department from other classes as well. Later that evening we sat on the patio of the Moosewood Restaurant downtown and shared stories as we ate a wonderful dinner there.


Some of us stayed on campus with the class of 1980, and some with local friends, but a number of us stayed way up on North Campus, with Non-reunion year housing, in a low rise where we had individual rooms, singles and doubles, in a suite of rooms, with our own mostly private bathroom and a shared kitchen and lounge area that we shared with several other, mostly empty suites. Parking was pretty lenient and none of us had any difficulty finding nearby parking. Libe Slope on West campus was unbelievably covered with parked cars, not much parking there, but no more U-Halls and all newish housing there. We purchased reunion buttons that gave us access to bus service and the Arts Quad Beer tents that was available for the over 6,000 Alumni and family who made it back to Ithaca this year.


Saturday morning Peter had our class and several other alumni over to his and wife Nina’s house to enjoy a delicious brunch of fruits and pastries and other sundry goodies, homemade of course, and tours of the amazing grounds, gardens, house and guest house. He had just started construction of his home and on the property as we were leaving campus. We took lots of photos of the house and grounds (and all weekend), so take some time and look through the blog. Ask if you would like any of the photos emailed to you if you can’t download them from the blog.


Saturday afternoon most of the group headed to Lower Buttermilk Falls and we hiked up the Gorge Trail and down the Ridge Trail. Much to our surprise, no swimming is allowed in the pools at the State Parks due to budget cuts to lifeguards. George provided an ongoing narrative while we hiked and while we did get rained on at the beginning of the hike, the weather for the weekend was mostly perfect and warm. What we found most interesting was that all three state parks in the Ithaca area, Buttermilk, Treman and Taughannock Falls are now connected by contiguous land or rights-of-way with what will eventually be developed as a hiking trail known as the Black Diamond Trail. George clued us in to this and had us park a short distance away from the park, (where we got drenched in the rain) so we could walk up the first section of the trail that has been cleared and mowed (and not have to pay to park at the Falls).


Saturday dinner was at nearby Tutelo Park in under a pavilion where we shared a self-catered dinner of sandwiches, deli platter and salad and washed down with a case of micro-brew Ithaca Brewery beer and soda samples. According to George, Tutelo Park was a significant Native American town site and is located on the lower part of West Hill at the south end of town, not far from Buttermilk Park. There are several State Champion, largest trees in the state, within the park including Black Walnuts, Pignut Hickory, and amazingly, an American Chestnut tree. Will Green called Professor Lenny Mirin, who stopped by the park and caught up with all of us there. Lenny still teaches Landscape Architecture History in the School of Architecture after 30+ years!


Later Saturday evening several of us headed to a newly renovated Bailey Hall and plaza for Cornelliana Night, where Kirby joined in the Alumni Glee Club and Choir and sang for us, all alumni songs including the Alma mater. There was a recap of all the funds raised by the reunion classes, in excess of $58 million dollars, about 600+ members of the Class of 1980 were at Reunion, making our full class the largest in attendance at reunion, Baby Boomers, go figure! There was a special tribute to Cornell Veterans and the oldest alumni there, from the Class of 1931. Do the math. He was over 90 and in a wheel chair, but made it back for reunion! Also one younger alumni rode to Ithaca by bike for reunion over 500+ miles. He was recognized as well.


Sunday morning as we ate breakfast, we said our goodbyes and all made our way back to our homes.


Again, thank you to all who came and helped to organize this little adventure.


We have most of the class emails. No pressure, no class president, maybe a newsy email newsletter occasionally. So stay in touch from time to time. Take care and be well.


Helen

Friday, June 18, 2010

Group Pictures from the Reunion!



At the Friday reception Peter Trowbridge tells us stories and shows around the new studio.

Helen Cohen, George Frantz, Kirby Date and Paul
Pietropaolo on the upper terrace of the new studio space.

Helen Cohen, George Frantz,Peter Trowbridge, Kirby Date and Paul Pietropaolo.

















Helen Cohen, George Frantz, Kirby Date,George Frantz, Carol Kroehnke Lattmann, William Green, Peter Trowbridge and Paul Pietropaolo.

Standing at the base of the stairs to the new mezzanine recently constructed in the new studio space.

The studio looks a little different than in our day!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Thanks Carol & Peter & Nina!

Thank you Carol for getting the word out and organizing a great reunion get-together. It was great to reconnect again after all these years.

Many thanks too to Peter Trowbridge and Nina Bassuk for hosting the brunch Saturday morning and opening their home and their fantastic gardens to us.

We'll have to do it again in five years...

George Frantz

George Frantz - 30th Reunion Photos
















Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Our Updated Plans for the Reunion June 11th -13th

Hi everyone,

As we get closer to our 30th Cornell Reunion I wanted to let you know what we have planned for the June 10th- 13th weekend.

Friday June 11th

1:00 – 5:00 Reception at 440 Kennedy Hall, followed by an evening gathering.

Saturday June 12th

10:30 Brunch at Peter Trowbridge’s home and garden located at 1345 Meckenburg Rd. Ithaca. It will be great to see what he has done with his garden over the last 30 years ago!

2:00 – 5:00

Hike to Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca. It will be great to see the gorges and waterfalls of the Ithaca area. George Frantz will lead the walk and talk about talk about the genesis of the park other interesting land use planning, archaeology park development and open space preservation stuff that has happened in the Inlet Valley south of Ithaca over the past twenty years.

7:00

Chorus performance at Bailey Hall an (additional charge of $10.00 for tickets). Kirby Date will be performing with the chorus!

Sunday June 13th

Morning coffee and bagels.

We have decided to go the non reunion year plan. This means you just show up and ask for a room. Non-Reunion Year group will be housed in Lowrise 6 on North Campus. Housing rates are $52 per adult per night or $123.50 for all 3 nights (Thu., Fri., and Sat.). Then you can purchase a reunion button for access to the tents and transportation. This seems the simplest plan since we have our own activities planned

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Plans for our Hike and Picnic

Carol,
I can reserve the pavilion at Tutelo Park for Saturday afternoon. We could meet there about 2 PM and I could talk about the genesis of the park other interesting land use planning, archaeology park development and lopen space preservation stuff that has happened in the Inlet Valley south of Ithaca over the past twenty years.
Given the time constraints we should carpool over to a parking lot off Rout 13 and hike about 1/2 mile through the Flemming Meadows section of Buttermilk Falls S.P. to the gorge itself.
Ithaca Beer Co. does offer beer tasting session, and a tour that would take about an hour. I'm not sure we would have time but instead we might buy some mixed six-packs and have an informal beer tasting back at Tutelo Park along with a light supper there. They make both beer and soda, for those who may not drink alcohol.
Best regards.
George

Update from George

Carol,
Thanks for your note.
My summer schedule has taken a pretty dramatic turn in that I won't be traveling to Shanghai in June, but in August instead. So I do plan on attending the Reunion after all.
I am really excited about reuniting with everybody again. I'm still hoping to dig around for a couple of old photos that I know exist in some old box to share as well.
The Tutelo Park is only about a mile from Buttermilk Falls S.P. so a picnic at the park and walk at BFSP would be very easy to do. Parking at Tutelo is free so we could park there and carpool to BFSP.
It also happens that the Ithaca Beer Company Brewery and tasting room is hallfway between the two parks!
This week I am immersed in end-of-semester grading and completing a major report before heading off Saturday to southeastern KY with some Cornell undergrads on an 8-day service worktrip. I will be back in town May 30th and can help with any local arrangements if you like.
Best regards.
George