RE LOG - Spring 2017

50 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2017 years ago, “READING WITH GRACIE” at Brockway Memorial Library in Miami Shores. Children are scheduled for 20-min- ute segments to read to Gracie. She is the hook to get them in and reading on their own. I help children learn to read or read more effectively with comprehension. It has been very successful. I am politically active in the Miami Shores local government and on the state and federal levels. Classmate Una Hutton Newman ’67 , her Atlanta friend, and I traveled to the Women’s March in Washington on Jan. 20 to stand with 3 million others worldwide for protecting civil liberties.” Class Notes 1968 Taffy Gould said, “In terms of giving back, for the past 20 years I’ve been giving to every child who is a member of a church in Overtown and is admitted to college or a trade school. I’ve also recently begun work- ing with The Education Fund.” 1970 Deborah Wright writes, “A highlight of my holidays was reconnecting after 46 years with a classmate who was one of my best friends while at Everglades – Dorothy Matheson ! Turns out I live a mere block away from her stepson and family here in Sausalito, CA. We went out for drinks overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge with yearbook in hand and spent hours remembering and catching up about each of our classmates! Dorothy isn’t on Facebook, but many of us are and it has been wonderful reconnecting with so many classmates from my six years there who are living such inspiring lives! All of this is to say that I can’t wait for our 50th reunion! As for a personal history note, I came to the Bay Area for grad school many moons ago, became the first clergy woman in San Francisco, ran into Carol Norton Rogers ’65 through the Junior League right away, and have enjoyed making the Bay Area my home ever since.” 1971 Debi Yohn writes, “Light House Dragons SOS (Save Our Sisters) is a new drag- onboat team paddling out of the Jupiter Outdoor Center, in Jupiter, Fla. The team is composed of breast cancer survivors of all ages, shapes and sizes. I am not a survivor but I am their coach. This has been an incredible experience because of the energy the team shares. The love, the optimism and the fortitude are shared by all. I began dragon boating in 2000 when I moved to Shanghai, China, where I lived for 16 years. I raced throughout China, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand. When I repatri- ated, I joined Puff, a strong racing team that practices out of the Miami Rowing Center on Key Biscayne where Miami SOS paddles. I am currently trying out for Team USA Senior Women’s C, Dragon Boat Team that will compete in the world’s race being held for the first time in China, summer of 2017. Whether I make the team or not, I will continue to coach my favorite winners, The Light House Dragons. If any- one is interested in trying dragon boating, please get in touch with me. You could get hooked by the dragon!” 1972 Tiffany Bell was the guest curator of the successful exhibition of paintings by American abstract painter, Agnes Martin, which just closed at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. http://bit.ly/2dAINe1 Ransom Everglades 1975 Merry Cole Bender says “As RE taught us, and was continually reinforced in my young adult life, I believe we are to give back to those less fortunate, the disenfranchised. I loved that that was a part of the Ransom Everglades education. I have been quite fortunate to belong to, or be on staff of, two very progressive, forward-thinking churches. In these experiences I have been given the opportunity to participate in or lead quite a few mission trips both nationally and inter- nationally. Leading high school and college groups to build houses in the slums in Kenya and Mexico and repair homes in Pittsburgh has given me so much more that I can ever give in my time or presence there. I am headed to Haiti to help with rebuilding and assisting doctors with medical needs. I am excited about going to a new place but I also know that the people of Haiti, like the people of so many other places, will gift me a sense of hope, an understanding of resilience, and a sense of gratitude that is to be practiced at every turn. We are very fortunate to be given an education (most especially the one from RE!) and the opportunities and freedoms we have. It is our responsibility as humans in this race to take this empowerment and go out and do good.” Jeffrey Frantz writes, “I have one para- graph to update you on 41 years! Let’s see … I’m married for 27 years to the love of my life, Marcia, and have three great kids (two boys and a girl). They attended Pine Crest School because we live in the Aventura area; two are college graduates and the youngest is a sophomore at Emory. I got a law degree, MBA, Master in Tax Law, and earned (but never used) the CPA designation. I am a