Our Plans for the Reunion June 11th - 13th

William Green has been found!

Hi Carol,

I am alive as you know and am chair of landscape architecture at URI. I will try again on the blog, but if I failed the first time, it can happen again. Keep me posted.
Cheers,
Will

--

Will Green, ASLA
Chairman, Department of Landscape Architecture
University of Rhode Island
94 W. Alumni Ave. Room 201
Kingston, RI 02881
401-874-2142

George Frantz has been FOUND!

Carol,

Thanks for the post card reminder about Cornell Reunion. I plan to make it to Reunion, if I am in Ithaca.

Since graduation in 1980 I have migrated into land use and environmental planning after going on to get a Masters of Regional Planning from Cornell. I left Ithaca for a few years to work in Pennsylvania before returning in 1988 to work for the Town of Ithaca. After a 12-year stint I left government work and went into private planning practice here in Ithaca. I’ve worked for Tetra Tech Architects and Engineers here in Ithaca, taking care of their environmental impact review and State Historic Preservation Office compliance, as well as a principal of my own firm, George R. Frantz & Associates.

One of my areas of expertise is agricultural land protection strategies and economic development. I do consulting work for American Farmland Trust. Currently I am also working for a half-dozen towns across New York to draft agriculture and farmland protection plans, and new zoning regulations to better protect agriculture and enhance economic opportunities for farmers. In September I will be speaking on the topic at the ASLA Annual Meeting & Expo in Washington D.C.

It appears that I am coming full circle: at Tetra Tech I was officially nested in the Site/Civil section and about half of my time was spent as a landscape designer. As a result I have begun the process of becoming a registered landscape architect in New York, and have passed the first three of five exams. I also have on the boards (OK ,the hard drive) small scale cluster subdivision designs for two clients here in Ithaca and a subdivision/site plan for an urban infill site.

In addition to my private planning practice I am a visiting lecturer in the Department of City & Regional Planning, where I teach one course per semester. Because I am a practicing planner I teach one of the planning field workshops – courses that place the class in a real world community, with a real world client. Currently I am teaching a class that is completing the inventory component for a new master plan for the village of Cayuga Heights next door to Cornell, but I have taken classes as far as the Lower 9^th Ward of New Orleans (Spring ’06, Spring ’08) to help complete recovery plans for ACORN and other neighborhood groups.

I’ve made a total of 8 trips to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast since Katrina, four with students from the field workshop courses and four with student volunteer work teams that have gone in to do actual clean-up and reconstruction. My Spring’ 08 undergraduate field workshop trip was featured in the May ’08 Cornell Alumni Magazine. (Author Dan Baum shadowed us during our Feb. ’06 trip to the Lower 9^th and mentioned us in his story “The Lost Year," that appeared in August in The New Yorker.)

I’m not totally sure at this point if I will be in Ithaca for Reunion, as I may be representing Cornell in Shanghai during the first half of June. There I will be teaching in a joint Cornell University/Tongji University urban design workshop for three weeks. The project is pending the receipt of funding, but I will know within the next two weeks. Although I will have to bring myself up to speed very quickly for the Shanghai workshop, I will be able to tap about 10 years of research on urban form in cities in Vietnam as well as research on Clarence Stein, Ebenezer Howard and the Garden Cities movement.

Overall I’ve had quite the adventure since graduation in 1980. My teaching appointmentis only a quarter-time position so I am not on campus on a daily basis, but I do have occasional contact with Landscape Architecture people.

Since the early 1990s I’ve also collaborated with Prof. Sherene Baugher on a project utilizing pre-emptive archaeological surveys as a land use planning tool. Since wrapping up a project in the Inlet Valley south of Ithaca we’ve co-authored several papers and collaborated on a design studio project focuses on two new public parks designed to highlight Ithaca’s Native American history that were established in the wake of our archaeological project.

I see Peter Trowbridge on occasion as we cross paths in our respective consulting work

In March we also alerted the Town planning board to the potential for archaeological resources on a site proposed for a new Ithaca Beer Co. brewery. They are fortunately in the very early stages of design, and Sherene and I are now working with Ithaca Beer to ensure any cultural resources are protected. (and the brewery gets built!)

I did run into (Prof.) Bill Green in October 2006 at the ASLA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. He is on the faculty at Rhode Island School of Design. I was there to speak on the abovementioned Inlet Valley archaeological survey.

I hope all is well with you, and barring a trip to Shanghai hope to see you in June.

Best regards.

George Frantz

More Vintage Photos

Katy Weidel

Tom

East Roberts Hall no more

Karen Williamson has been FOUND!

Hi, Helen -

It's good to hear from you. Yes, I got the postcard from Carol, but am not
sure that I can attend the 30th reunion. I kept in touch with Ginger for a
number of years, but we eventually drifted apart. The last address that I
have for her is from our class directory which was printed in April 2000:
110 Hollywood Avenue, East Orange, NJ 07018-4104. No phone number was
given. It would be nice if we could contact her too.

I visited your work website and it looks like you are doing well. It is odd
that we were in the middle of a bad recession when we graduated and we find
ourselves in the middle of another bad recession at our 30th anniversary.
Just our luck! Will have to check out the blog to learn more about how our
classmates are doing and what ideas they have for the reunion. Should be
interesting...

Talk to you again soon...

Karen

Hello Karen,

Hope all is well with you, may have received a card from Carol Kroehnke
Lattman that the class is trying to get as many together as possible for our
30th reunion in Ithaca in June 10-13th this summer. I'd love to hear back
from you either at this email address or at my work address. My firm's
website is www.udkstudios.com and there's contact info about the firm and me
and some bio there too. The Urban update feauture newsletter is about 6
months old but I'm in there and some of my current projects. We don't
update it too often but should. From viewing your site it seems there's a
few of us involved in various regional planning aspects. But Carol has set
up a blog so I'll point you there first.

http://cornelllandscapearchitecture1980.blogspot.com/

I found Tracy Pearl Finn today and she should be posting there shortly too.

Have you kept in touch with anyone?? Ginger is really the last of the
undergrads we have no trace of. Did you two stay in touch??

Let's get back in touch and if you think you can make it to reunion come on
up!!

Warm regards,

Helen

Pamela Page has been found!

Carol,

What a surprise to receive the old and alive card! I often wonder where everyone ended up after deviating from academia. I do keep in touch with Chris Capone Sandy, currently in Myrtle Beach, and have heard occasionally from Melanie Davies in Seattle. The reunion most likely won’t be possible for me this year as I am pushing to complete another masters thesis due June 18^th. However if it progresses ahead of schedule I would like to attend if the group will be reuniting. Please catch me up on your endeavors for the past 30 years! I spent the first decade after graduating in private sector landscape architecture and land planning. My second decade was committed to nonprofit social conscience passions. This past decade has been devoted to public service. Trying to decide if I will remain in public service or dabble in academia or a mixture of both for the next decade. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks for pulling us back to our roots. Would love to have everyone’s emails as they surface and please feel free to share mine. Pam

Pam Page

ASL, CPRP, CPM

Assistant Director

Parks & Recreation

City of Lakeland

228 S. Massachusetts Ave

Lakeland, FL 33801

Group Picture from Helen

Was a photo in the Cornell Chronicle.

Left to right I can recognize: Bill Green, Paul P., Tom McG. , ??,Kirby?, Bob M. , Pam P.?, Alice? ,Karen W., George F., I’m in the yellow jacket with the rake,??,??, and Tom Johnson.

Are you in this photo? I’m sorry if I missed you , we were all so drenched looking.

We should plan on taking some group photos at reunion with whoever meets up there.

Tracy Finn has been FOUND!

Hi Carol,

You found me! That postcard cracked me up! How's it going with you?

Let me give the brief 30 year (really??) summary. I married my Cornell-Risleyite boyfriend David Finn June '80 right after graduation. Lived in Hoboken. I worked in NYC for about 6 years for Bond Ryder Architects, minority firm. Hired to work on Morningside Park renovation, and went on to do drafting & rendering work for them...the peak of my career there was having my renderings of Battery Park City published in Progressive Architecture.

Then had 2 daughters, in '86 and '87, and started painting full time. You can check out some out my work on my website, www.tfinnstudio.com Although it hasn't been updated in a while.

At age 40 I finished nursing school and got my RN, and have been working as a psychiatric nurse ever since, while painting part time. I worked for several years on an in-patient mental health unit, and for the past 6 years have been the psych nurse for a drug/alcohol rehab facility.

Dave is one of 3 partners in a small company in NJ doing all manner of corporate communications. Back in '90 we moved up to the exurbs (Orange County, NY) on a property next to a large farm, and never looked back. So this year is also our 30th wedding anniversary!

Had one trip back to Cornell when we were college shopping with the girls, was great to be back on campus. (but alas, neither daughter went there....Schuyler graduated U of Rochester 2 yrs ago and Rose graduated from Skidmore 1 year ago)

Unfortunately, I'm not able to make it up for the reunion. I had a disastrous botched gall bladder surgery July '08, with a lacerated liver, pancreatitis, and permanent damage to my stomach, and have been plagued w/severe nausea ever since. Have been going to Temple Univ Hosp in Philly for treatment since this winter, they have a premier GI clinic, do a lot of research there....so have been gradually working my way through the various treatment options. May eventually end up w/a gastric pacemaker.

So at the present my activities are pretty limited. Only working one day/week. Not up to traveling. Just started a new anti nausea medication this week, and have my fingers crossed that we're getting somewhere.

Please give my best to all my fellow Larchies. Would love to see pictures of the reunion!

Take care, & would love to hear what everyone is up to. Feel free to share this e w/our classmates.

Best,

Tracy

Old Pictures

Landscape Group LABASH

PETER

PETER

TOM

Carol and Nancy

Nancy

William

Pamela

Tracy

Helen

TOM

Reunion Committee ideas

Hi Nancy,

I am trying to arrange a get together of my department, Landscape Architecture 1980. I have contacted as many names as I could find and have gotten interest in planning something. I contacted the Dept Chair, Peter Trowbridge to arrange for a reception. My question is about organizing the accommodations. Who do I contact about that? Where can I get more information?

Thanks for any direction you can give me.
Carol

Nancy Hollinshead to me

show details 9:52 AM (10 hours ago)

That’s great! I’ve forwarded your question on to our contact at Alumni House. The whole weekend obviously is very busy, and coordinating spaces gets complicated, but I’m sure they will be able to find a nice spot. Did you have a time in mind? And, they’ll probably want an estimate of the number of expected attendees (which would influence what type of space you need). Will you need refreshments? If so, you need to consider any cost associated with the reception. You are of course welcome to use our HQ in HR 1 Lounge on the 6^th floor, which has lovely views, and would not require much in terms of coordination with the University. Let me know what kind of help you need from me, and thanks again! N

Peter Trowbridge - What the plans are.....

Carol: Thanks for getting back to me. I do have someone looking into the contacts for your class reunion. Please let me know who you have made contact with. The department has a reception in the afternoon of the Friday of Reunion Weekend, from 1 until about 5 PM depending on attendance. Overall, it is the University’s Reunion schedule with the department focusing only on the Friday afternoon reception. Kris Flahive and Kristie Oplinger copied on this email are helping to coordinate the department reception.

Kirby Date has been FOUND!

Hi Carol -

l got the postcard, of course a surprise. It would be great to hear how and what you are doing. As I remember you didn't go the normal landscape architecture route; I hope all has been good and you love the place where you are (literally and figuratively).

I have heard about the reunion this year from a friend or two I am still in touch with, but really have no interest in attending the whole shebang. My work and personal lives are exploding right now (in a good way) and there is not enough time to get it all done. I would, however, as I am fairly nearby in Cleveland, be able to come for a night if there were plans to get the landscape architecture group together. What are you planning?

The amazing thing about that postcard is that there are a few faces on there I just do not remember AT ALL. I don't know where I was! I think I saw Helen Cohen's picture - am I right? - I was able to track her down via google fairly easily. She is a landscape architect in Florida, working at a firm called UDK; there is no e-mail address on the web site, but there is a phone number, 561-366-1100 x 125. I think I will try to call her myself and see if we can connect her in. Tracy Pearl I came up with nothing on; too bad, I would like to see her. I have a feeling she took her boyfriend's name, but I can't remember it. Maybe Helen will know.

Who else are you in touch with? I assume Karen __________ (can't remember her last name), since she's not on the card. Paul Pietropaolo? Any others?

If you're wondering what I'm up to, after 14 years in the S.F. Bay Area as a landscape architect, I moved to Cleveland, and have become a community planner based at Cleveland State University, here is the web page: www.urban.csuohio.edu/cpp

I am working statewide in the Ohio Balanced Growth Program: www.balancedgrowth.ohio.gov (check out the "Best Local Land Use Practices" menu items, that's my program), and in the Lake Erie Basin on a project; also am involved with individual local communities, and have a project pending to help with a regional plan for land use and tax sharing among 16 counties.

Thanks VERY much for taking the initiative to get us all together. My plate is very, very full at the moment, and my health has been an issue; I'm afraid I can't be much help with the logistics. If there is a small piece I could take on, ask and I'll see what I can do.

I'll let you know what I find out about Helen and Tracy...

Yours,

Kirby Date

Paul Pietropaolo has be FOUND!

Carol,

I just got your post card about the 30th Year (ouch!) college reunion this June, I am considering making the trip. Please keep me posted on what ever you are planning.

I am doing pretty good, I have been living and working in the NY City metro area forever. I work for the Port Authority of NY & NJ, I have had various Project Management assignments doing just about everything from urban planning and airport work to currently working on security planning. It's been a pretty interesting place to work at, I have been very fortunate to work on some of the big public transportation projects in the NYC area.

I have been married going on 25 years, I have two college age daughters, one is graduation this year and the other is in her sophomore year. I have been back to Cornell for some visits, but never to any of the reunions. I keep in touch with a couple of guys who were on the wrestling team and in my fraternity. I did run into Peter Trowbridge, a few years ago, he had a class doing a project on urban design and I got them onto the World Trade Center construction site.

How about you, what have you been up to?

What ever the plan turns out to be please keep me posted.

email: ppietrop@panynj.gov or ppietro@verizon.net

Regards,

Paul Pietropaolo

Amy Nettleton (Graduate Student) has been FOUND

Carol, I wanted to get in touch with you, since you are listed as the contact person for the 30^th college reunion, class of 1980, landscape architecture graduates. I did graduate in 1980, but I had just completed the first year of the landscape architecture program at that time. (I later finished with an MLA in 1988.) So I don’t think I know any of the people in your class, although I do of course recognize the picture of Peter Trowbridge on the post card. I lived in Ithaca and worked with him and Kathryn Wolf until 1997.

I worked for Peter and Kathy for nine years, although for the last three part-time as I also started doing work on my own. I started Elemental Landscapes while still living in Ithaca and then started out here (really started anew, especially given learning about CA plants and CA issues – like fire and water) when we moved in 2001. Now I am well settled out here.

I haven’t seen Peter in a couple of years, but we do get back because we still own a house there. I have stayed in closer touch with Kathryn Wolf, his partner in Trowbridge & Wolf.

And what kind of work are you doing? I look forward to your blog and hearing what Cornell landscape architects are up to. Thanks for taking the lead in all of this.

I will not be at the reunion this year, but I hope you all have a great time. I now live in southern California (near Pasadena) where I have a solo practice. I would be interested in meeting with other Cornell landscape architects who might be in this area, so you can add my information to whatever list you are putting together.

Have fun at the reunion this June.

Regards,

Amy Nettleton

Elemental Landscapes

landscape architecture balancing ecology & design

www.elemental-landscapes.com

Piera Weiss (Graduate Program) has been FOUND

Got your card. Sounds like fun. What are you thinking?

And where?

I am a planner with a bi-county agency in Maryland and a licensed LA. I live in Maryland. Are you trying to have a get together in Ithaca at Cornell?

There is a Alumni Cornell Club in Washington. I am presenting a plan to the club in May. There is probably a Cornell Club in your area, but it is for all Cornellians, not any one Department or school.

Piera Weiss
1980 Graduate program MLA

Sara Robertson Aibel has been found!

Hi Carol,
So nice to hear from you! I know...to think that it's been 30 years is terrifying at best. I received the 'wanted' postcard -- what a hoot!
Funny coincidence that you lived on MV. We have a house in Vineyard Haven, and I spent last summer (actually May to Nov) living there and working for the Martha's Vineyard Art Association.
I've lived in Watertown year-round for the last 27 years with my husband, Bill and my two kids (both in college now in VA).
I'm not sure if I can make the college reunion --- I will be returning to MV with my parents that week following my daughters graduation from UVA.
Keep in touch, maybe we can have a small reunion on MV.
Best, Sara
best email is sraibel@gmail.com

More from Helen March 21, 2010

Hi again Carol,

It’s been a long hard road for me, not settling in one place or job until I moved back to Florida in 88. Still single, no kids but very much at peace with myself in a lot of ways. Had some health problems to so the first email was the good without the bad.

Yes you can forward the email to Sara and this one too and I’ll get in touch with her too. We’ll have a lot to talk about in retail, that was my second career. I even managed a store and an online business in sports memorabilia selling on Ebay about 8 years ago for a short time between LA gigs with a partner, but it’s been a progression and I’m in a good company and as I said a good place now. With my IT background I’ve even worked for a retail software company for a short time as a consultant for new installations. Jack or Jill of all trades….Ie. survival.

Tracy Pearl got married to her Cornell boyfriend David Finn so she goes by Tracy Finn now. Have been out of touch with her and I think she wanted to be out of touch with Cornell. Last known whereabouts was Jersey City back about 1982 or 83, she came down to visit me in Florida. And I went up to NY/NJ to visit her and David a few times. I’m pretty sure she wanted a family of kids but never heard anything more.

Hard to believe so many of us have families , kids, established lives somewhere. I was back to Ithaca and Cornell first time in 1997 I think for an Cornell Adult University program and met people and had a great time, but haven’t had a chance to do that since.

My colleague at work Collene Walter keeps me in touch with Cornell news in general and they’ve done a tremendous master planning effort. I also can’t wait to see what they did in front of Bailey Hall. I had walked past the new LA building and thought it was intrusive to the AG Quad but I’m sure Marvin and Peter arranged for top notch facilities. Plant Science and old East Roberts were fun to work out of.

Katy Wiedel was in NJ and worked for The Meadowlands and became a Fellow of FASLA so I think she may be found through her work maybe.

Last I heard from Bob Mesorobian he was in business for himself in New Hampshire.

Have seen mention of George Frantz and I believe he is still in Ithaca and I think he went on for a MRP, he is also on one of the ProPractice networks a blog on ASLA.

I have access to ASLA member info so could look up some names for you too. Is it just the most wanted your looking for or are there others, like Kirby, Karen, Ginger??

Last I heard about Paul Pietropolo was he worked for the city of NY Housing deparment, that was from Ginger back in 1986 and she had done quite we for herself too. She ended up managing contracts for one government agency NY or NJ somewhere.

I’m not into Facebook or Linked In yet but have been toying with joining Linked In to try to reconnect with some of my Office Depot contacts to try to drum up some marketing contacts.

Cornell should be sending Reunion info out now about any week so can plan on making arrangements. But was the department planning a reception for the LAs or something??

Have you been in touch with Peter Trowbridge?

I know Tom Johnson passed away in like 1994 which happened about the time I moved into an new house in Boca Raton, FL so by the time my mail caught up with me it was too late to send any remberances for him, I remember his wife too. I never heard what happened to him though…any info you have would be appreciated.

Let me know names of who you are looking for I can research some, and some may be in the Cornell directory too.

Others like myself if they heard the LAs from 1980 were getting together may be interested too. I’m thinking like Tracy.

Take care.

Helen

Helen Cohen

Sent March 20th 2010

Hello Carol Kroehnke Lattmann,

What a surprise to find my photo on the Wanted Poster. Not a half bad photo either. Thanks for that.

How are you? What are you up to?

It would be great to meet up with you and everyone at Cornell 30th (urgh!) LA Reunion. I’m pretty sure I could make it. Would love to catch up with as many of the LA group as you can find.

Am working in West Palm Beach, FL for a firm known as Urban Design Kilday Studios and even got the job in part due to a Cornell connection. Have been with the firm 5 years.

www.udkstudios.com My photo should be on the home page as one of the LEED AP’s (put on some weight but I’m working on that), small firm but we do a lot of Zoning approvals, planning and site planning. Some landscape design with projects we mostly had done zoning & site planning for. I am also the Network Administrator as IT has become my thing now too. We just merged two smaller companies about a year ago, what great timing with the recession and all, several people laid off, and working 4 day weeks so grateful to have work at the moment. But I had the chance to merge two very graphic intensive networks together and reconcile two disparate filing systems. Everything went hectic but smoothly down to getting our CO for office renovations and moving the 2 offices together the same day.

Preceded by 6 years of “retirement” to work on my house and de-stress from previous job. I worked 10 years with Office Depot’s corporate store planning office here in south Florida as an financial and systems analyst through the growth spurt of the company, store 50 to store 900+. Your probably real familiar with Staples in your part of MA. We went through a failed merger / buyout with Staples. Basically I analyzed the space in the store for the elimination of my job and then the merger failed. Didn’t like my boss so I retired!

Managed to go back to school at the University of Michigan 1985-87 and get my MLA. Worked for William J. Johnson and Associates in Ann Arbor, before and after grad school on Florida, Midwest and Michigan projects. Moved back to Florida to be closer to family and worked for the SWA Group for a short time on construction documents for my 2^nd regional shopping mall. 1^st regional shopping mall was here in Florida. Working on my 2^nd full hospital here in south florida and have worked on several other medical hospital type facility additions. A lot of institutional work and work on Airports for palm beach county including the west palm airport but also a lot of commercial work for me anyway. A lot of infill and redevelopment right now.

Get out to Colorado to see my brother and his family about once a year and his inlaws are in Orlando so they, Brother Rick , sister-in-law Kathy and my 2 nephews Michael 15 & Jordan 21 come down here pretty regularly too. In between jobs took up road cycling and had logged a lot of rides and miles, but sanity got the better of me and it really is pretty dangerous. Had too many close calls and some friends in bad accidents. Was president of the Boca Raton Cycling Club and did PR for them for a number of years. We did a cycling trip to central France in 1994 and I helped turn the club into a Non-Profit. Our fun ride for one of the member’s birthday in July became so popular because of the time of year we made so much money even after expenses that we teamed up with Heart Association/Lung Association and the non-profit route was the way to go. We worked a lot with kids with bike safety and even had a bike advocate who still lobbies the city of Boca & the county.

A lot of my family cousins and assorted family friends have migrated to Florida so it’s a place to meet up with people on a regular basis. My parents both in good shape, here in FL for 30+ years and I look out for them now but they still get around pretty well. Weather a number of hurricanes including the most recent Jeanne , Francis and Wilma. Katrina blew thorough our area too in about an hour before heading west out to the Gulf and to Louisiana & Mississippi. Summer storms come, now we duck for cover, there’s no getting away from them but at least we have warnings they’re coming. Two roofs and some storm renovations later….

I’ve lost track of just about all my Cornell LA contacts. Kept in touch with Tracy for a few years, but I’ve moved several times and we lost touch. Saw Karen and Ginger at an ASLA conference in Cincinatti while I was in grad school in 85-86 or so but haven’t heard from them in years either.

Collene Walter Cornell BSinLA ’84 from my firm went to her 25^th reunion last year so she’s always forwarding Cornell stuff my way. Had heard Marvin retired and sent some photos when the call went out for remembrances of him and updated my contact info with the department, so that’s probably how my address was findable.

Take care and let me hear about yourself and others you’ve tracked down so far.

Regards,

Helen Cohen

Wanted Poster!

Yes we are all old, but still ALIVE! This is the place to check the postings on who has been found. You can add anything you know or want to share.