Pearl Turcotte Gapp
Hello, classmates! I am writing this column in March during the global coronavirus pandemic of 2020. All is feeling quite surreal with schools closing, sports seasons being canceled, the absence of March Madness, and nary a roll of toilet paper or hand sanitizer to be found for miles! I certainly hope that by the time you read this it will be summer and these days of social isolation will be behind us.
Steve Kahl ’82G was recently promoted to professor of environmental science at Thomas College in Waterville. He spent 25 years at UMaine in research and graduate education, including serving as founding director of the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. After stints at Plymouth State University founding their Center for the Environment, and as a director of environmental and energy strategies for the James Sewall Company in Old Town, he reports he is happily educating undergraduates at Thomas College.
Tom Jordan provided the following update: “After leaving UMO, one of the things I discovered I enjoyed was volunteering. Through Big Brothers / Big Sisters, I became a Big Brother for two years. During my last five years in Maine, I also volunteered at The Portland Players, a community theater in South Portland. Once I moved to Virginia, I went back to Big Brothers / Big Sisters and became a mentor to an elementary school boy for four years. I also joined the Winchester Little Theater, a small community theater, where I have been a volunteer for the past 30 years. And finally, in the late ’90s and early 2000s I volunteered at a local hands-on children's museum called The Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum. Through my association with the museum, I had the opportunity to travel to Montana twice and China on paleontology-themed trips.”
John Cantlon of Fort Myers, FL, writes: “I grew up in Southwest Florida, but spent summers in Maine. After getting my BFA, I taught at Lewiston High School and entered graduate school at UMaine. I got my master’s in education. When I moved back to SW Florida, I wrote three books about the area. One is thoughts from high school. The second one is poems and observations of the area. The third one is a collection of sayings and thoughts. They are e-books listed on Amazon under my name.”
A big thank you to Steve, Tom, and John for taking time to write. I hope to hear from more of you in the near future. Until then, stay healthy, everyone, and enjoy the summer!