Ellie de la Bandera flew from Florida to New Jersey at Christmas time and found it was snowless and 60 degrees. Later her kids and grandkids joined her for four days at South Sea Island Resort on Captiva Island. “It was great to all be together,” except for her college freshman grandson, who was working to help finance his studies. She also went to Uruguay and Mexico to visit other family members. *Ding and Betty Cooper Cochran have lived in St. Louis since 1998 and spend summers in Skaneateles, N.Y., at their cottage on the lake. “We have five grandchildren, and the last one is going to Hamilton College in the fall. It is a different era now. All the grandkids have jobs and no impending marriages!” * Peter Doran and Lois celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 3 with a party given by their family. [Our congratulations!] Among some 60 friends and relatives were Pam (Brockway) ’60 and David Adams, Barbara and Earl Smith, Skeeter ’59 and Karen Beganny Megathlin ’63, and Al ’54 and Mary Pilon Obery ’54. The Dorans’ daughter-in-law, Kelly, was recently named interim director of physical plant at Colby, and their son, Dana, is executive director of the Maine Professional Loggers Association. A history side note: Peter remembers that Bill Millett tapped him as the first ’58 class member to write notes for the alumni magazine. * For Pam (Brockway) ’60 and David Adams, the high point of the winter was watching the growth of their two great-grandbabies, 4 and 1, and happily attending the aforementioned anniversary party. “The Dorans’ classic antique home, where they’ve lived all these years overlooking one of the Belgrade Lakes, was the perfect setting for it.” * On Memorial Day 2014 Jane Gibbons Wood completed climbing a Sierra Club list of 82 lower peaks in Southern California. It took her 14 months—is that about one every five days? Remember a few years ago we heard of Jane’s other climbing feats? I am again amazed at her accomplishments. In December she and husband Patrick went to New Zealand for a trip with Vermont Bicycle Tours, which she recommends highly. “We have the best of two worlds: retirement nine months of the year in Claremont, Calif., and summers in Sweden, Maine.” * Our congratulations again to John Edes—and to teammate Ed Marchetti ’60—who in August are to be inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame. * A note from Mary Ricker Latham in North Chelmsford, Mass., tells us she has no news to report but always enjoys reading about classmates’ activities. * Coleen and Bruce Blanchard recently went to Israel on a tour conducted by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. “His combination of being a minister, preacher, politician and his loyal support for Israel basically gave him a carte blanche in touring the country.” In addition to seeing the major sites connected with the life of Jesus, they toured Masada, floated in the Dead Sea while reading a newspaper, were baptized in the River Jordan, visited the Wailing Wall, and attended a Sunday service at the Sea of Galilee. The highlight of the trip for Bruce was being one of 11 chosen to interview Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for 45 minutes on a Sunday night in his office—certainly the experience of a lifetime! * Writing this in mid-January, I am looking forward to escaping these 4-degree days and heading to Florida’s west coast, where I will probably meet Ellie (see above) for lunch one day and have a reunion with Pam and David (ditto) when they are in my area with their camper, kayaks, and bikes. If any of you other classmates spend some of the winter in that area, please let me know. All the best in 2015 for everyone!