THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2010-9 OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

Hello Hornets:

Here are some items that might be of interest:

1.  FOUNDATION PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO CHEERLEADING SQUAD.  Last month, the Foundation's Principals/Faculty/Staff Memory Fund provided financial assistance so three members of the Hornets cheerleading squad could join their fellow squad members to attend an out-of-state cheerleading camp.  This latest gift is from a special Foundation Fund, conceived and initially endowed by Charlie Cooper (52), that is designed to provide financial assistance to individual Surratts students who require a financial boost to achieve some academic or extra-curricular goal.

(For information on past gifts from the Principals/Faculty/Staff Memory Fund, see the Foundation overview on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.  A number of generous donors to the Foundation designate their donations as additions to this very special Fund.)

2.  ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT EMPHASIZES SURRATTSVILLE ROOTS.  We received this interesting email from Sheila Carlson (71):  "Henry:  I just happened to switch the news channel this morning to Baltimore's channel 13 (WJZ).  Marsha Gay Harden (76) was on the show promoting Bausch & Lomb's contact lenses.  While she was giving her B&L pitch, she mentioned Surrattsville and Clinton, not once but twice.  Sheila"

(Marcia is one of the world's most talented film actresses, and won an Oscar for her extraordinary performance in "Pollock.")

3.  HORNET APPOINTED TO THE BENCH IN TEXAS.  Proud brother Tom Negron (73) informed us that former judge and bar association leader Victor Negron (71) will be sworn in this month as a judge of the Bexar County District Court in Texas.  Victor served as President of the San Antonio Bar Association during 2009, and just had to resign his seat on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas in order to assume his role on the bench.

Victor has noted that he is especially honored because he will be sworn in by Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court.  The Chief Justice is the great grandson of a slave from Waco who went on to become a judge during Reconstruction.

Congratulations to Victor!

4.  CLASS OF 65 UTILIZES REUNION TO MAKE SPECIAL CHARITABLE GIFT.  We received this great report on the Class of 65's 45 Year Reunion from Marge Richardson:

"Henry:  On June 26 the Class of 65 held its 45th reunion at the Crowne Plaza in Alexandria, Virginia.  At each reunion we pick a classmate to recognize who has achieved some level of acclaim or success in a particular field.  However, this year was a bit different.  This year we honored Judy Hardesty Repass who in January of 1975, at the age of 27, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

The average survival of an ALS patient is typically three to five years -- Judy has been living with this disease for 35 years.  Last year Judy, who is a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic, took part in a “Walk to D’Feet ALS”.  The “walk” was three one‑mile loops around the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Many of our classmates have fought wars, written books and run marathons, but when they are over, they go on with their lives.  The war that Judy fights on a day-to-day basis is never over but Judy never wavers in her determination to live her life to the fullest and be counted.  Judy was presented with a plaque from the Class to express our pride in our classmate. 

At the same time we also wanted to honor Judy Gordon who has acted as our scribe, organizer and tireless supporter since we graduated from high school.  Only through Judy Gordon’s efforts have we all stayed in touch and come together every five years.  Knowing what a giving, selfless, altruistic person Judy Gordon is, who truly believes that helping someone else is much more important than doing something for herself, we decided to tie the two honorees together by donating to The ALS Association - DC/MD/VA Chapter in Judy Gordon’s name. 

The great Class of 65 presented the sum of $5,800 to Colleen Maguire, Director of Patient & Family Services of the ALS Association.  Colleen was overwhelmed by the donation and spoke to the Class explaining how much a donation means to the chapter.   ALS receives no federal or state funding and every dollar comes to them solely through the generosity of people like the Class of 65.

This Class has always been extremely “bonded” and now we have proven that even after 45 years a Surrattsville class can come together to reach out and make a difference.  Marge”

5.  HORNETS ARE CANDIDATES. We've learned that two members of the Surrattsville community are running for County Council in District 9 of Prince George's County: Carol Sue Acree Brown (65), whose website is at citizensforcarolacree.org, and Foundation Board member Catherine Taggart-Ross, whose web site is at friendstoelecttiger.com.

Carol Sue and Catherine join a long line of members of the Surrattsville community who are involved in service to their communities.

6.  SURRATTS COOKBOOK UPDATE.  Here's an update we received from Surratts Cookbook Coordinator Leslie St. Clair (70):  Hi All:  I am not receiving enough orders to go forward at this time with the professional publishing company on the cookbook. I am going to give it until the end of September and if we don't get to the required minimum to publish, then I'll move forward with Plan B -- I will print the cookbook out and scan it as a PDF file and will email it to everyone who sends the Foundation a ten dollar donation.  If we get to the minimum, the professionally produced book will cost $30 and I'll start collecting the money in October.  If we end up doing Plan B, it will still be a nicely formatted book. You could then print it out and put in a notebook of your choosing. If you're interested in purchasing a nicely bound, professionally printed book, please email me at Surrattscookbook@yahoo.com.  Leslie"

7.  HORNET HONORED FOR COOKING PODCAST PRODUCTION.  And speaking about Hornets and food, we've learned that Garvin Smith (60) recently won the 2010 Bronze "Telly" Award for best instructional podcast video for his Signature Chefs of Orlando podcast “Making Fresh Pasta.”  The podcast was recognized with one of only two category-specific awards in a field of over than 11,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents.

The Telly Awards honor the best in film and video production, web videos, commercials, film, and local, regional and cable television production, and the Signature Chefs of Orlando is an Orlando Event Photographers production in association with the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association and Orlando Tech/Orlando TV. 

The Signature Chefs of Orlando podcasts highlight the culinary mastery of Orlando’s top chefs, showcasing a specialty recipe that can be replicated by the home cook.  The podcasts can be viewed and downloaded at:  www.podbean.com/signaturechefs. or at www.itunes.com/podcasts search for Signature Chefs of Orlando.

8.  ALL CLASSES/FACULTY/STAFF DIRECTORIES AVAILABLE.  Thanks to the herculean work of Pat Becker Oles (71), the Foundation's 2000 Alumni/Faculty/Staff Directory has been updated for 2010, and now includes fascinating "what I'm up to" paragraphs from those who submitted directory information.  If you would like a copy of the Directory, send a $20 check payable to the Foundation to:  Henry Smith, One W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 950, Towson, MD 21204.

9.  “SURRATTSVILLE ALUMNI" WINDOW STICKERS ALSO AVAILABLE.  Pat Becker Oles (71) also kindly handles the Foundation's "Surrattsville Alumni" window stickers project.  Pat notes that the stickers are not the "static cling type," that stick to the inside of a window.  Instead, they are the "stick to the outside type," that can stick on a window or bumper, and use "repositional adhesive" (meaning no sticky residue).  Information about purchasing the stickers can be found on the web site at surrattsville.org.

10.  CLASS OF 2001 PLANS REUNION.  The Class of 2001 is beginning work on planning for its ten year reunion.  Please contact Jacquelyn Towns at or Courtney Graham at azia22@comcast.net if you have any contact info on members of the Class of 2001 or if you would like further information.  The Class also has a Facebook page called “The Official c/o 2001 Reunion Page,” which contains photos and information to date.

11.  CLASS OF 60 TO HOLD 50TH REUNION.  The class of 1960 will be holding their 50th Class Reunion at the Holiday Inn in Solomons, MD on Saturday, October 9, 2010 from 6 pm to 10 pm.   Contacts are:  Dick Wildes, 301‑373‑5858, buffalodick@md.metrocast.net; Becky Moyle Hintze and Benson Perrie, 301‑475‑0132; and Diane Kirchmer Black, 301‑392‑0992.

12.  BOOMERANGS AVAILABLE.   The Foundation has a limited supply of yearbooks from 1991, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.  If you'd like one of these yearbooks (which are available for $15 including shipping and handling), please send me an email to hsmith@smithdowney.com.

13.  POSSIBLE 80/81 REUNION.  The Classes of 80 and 81 are planning a possible reunion for June 2011.  They need a contact person for the Class of 80.  Please contact Teresa Blandford Pepper at teresa@dlpinc.net to provide contact info.

14.  SURRATTS FACEBOOK PRESENCE UPDATE.  The "Surrattsville Alumni" Group on Facebook continues to grow (with 1200 current members), as do the various Class-specific Facebook Groups, and lots of photos from the June events are posted there.  Please consider joining these free on-line communities as a way to keep in touch and to stay informed.

I hope this finds your summer season winding-down in an enjoyable and relaxing manner.

All the best, Henry Smith (71)

MANY THANKS TO THESE (EARLY) DONORS TO THE 2010 CAMPAIGN

• Bob Marr (71)

• Debbie Cox Marr (72)

• Steve Profilet (71)

• James Coffren (68)

• Margaret Edmondson Loveless (39, and former School Nurse), In memory of Truman S. Klein

• Dan Bayne (71)

• Linda Dorsey Blum (66)

• Vicki Forsht Williams (65, and former faculty), In memory of Eugene Colgan and Mildred Biedenkapp)

• Susan Curtis Sturgill (65), In memory of Greg White (65)

• Vince Antonioli (69)

• Terry Zinneman Antonioli (70)

• Helen Bovbjerg Niedung (54), In honor of Band Director John Mathena

• Victor Negron (71)

• Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. (60)

• Janet Goddard Sullivan (54)

• J. Paul Rickett (69)

• Gloria Blandford Rickett (71)

• Jean Hurley Wilhelm (39), In memory of members of the Class of 39

• Carol Fite Mothershead (65)

• Larry Mothershead (65)

• Edward Webster (65)

• Sharon Till Webster (66)

• Jaquie Goss Leach (65), In memory of Fred Goss, brother, and Class of 70 valedictorian

• Jeanine Carroll Maclary (73)

• Coach Lew Jenkins (Former faculty for 25 years)

• Mike Gifford (84)

• Mary Watson Crowley (37), In memory of Ruth Affron Sellner (36)

• Ruth Kessler (Former Faculty)

• Mary Garner Whittington (46)

• Deborah McAllister Brown (72)

• Richard Brown (72)

• Mary Jo Sputo (76), In memory of Cindy Thompson Vutsinas (76)

• Tom and Sally LaPla Travis (72)

• Lawrence Romjue (57), In memory of Lois Marie Osgood (57), "You were always on my mind"

• Vicky Simontacchi Young (57), In memory of Lois Marie Osgood Honeywell (57)

• Vera Twigg (Friend of the Foundation)

• Tom Shultz (71)