Performing Arts Update

Despite Mother Nature’s best attempts to slow down construction, the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts building continues to be on schedule for its 2009 debut.

Below are the most current pictures of the construction. The first picture is from College Ave. on the sidewalk in front of the Lynch-Raine Administration Building. The second shot was photographed from the guest house.

Second Annual Gala to be Held May 30

“A Night in Casablanca” is the theme for the second annual Wesleyan and St. Joseph’s Hospital Gala. The Buckhannon social event of the summer will be held on May 30, at the Upshur County Regional Airport. The Gala will feature mouth watering cuisine from 88 Restaurant, music by Pittsburgh’s No Bad Ju Ju, a live and silent auction, and a variety of other entertainment activities. Tickets are $100 per person and sponsorship tables start at $1,250. All proceeds will benefit the David E. Reemsnyder Research Center and the hospital’s Emergency Care Center Central Monitoring System.

The auction played a key role in the success of last year’s event. Auction items included a week’s stay at the beach, Duke University basketball tickets, other sports tickets, a weekend package in Canaan Valley, paintings, and many other goods and services. If you have an item you would like to donate to this year’s auction, please contact Rochelle Long at 304-473-8556 or long_r@wvwc.edu or Bob Skinner at 304-473-8557 or skinner_b@wvwc.edu.

You are invited to take a step back in time and relive the mystery and intrigue of the 1940’s “Casablanca.”

Class Notes: March 2008

E-mail your class notes to alumni@wvwc.edu

1940  CHARLES C. TAYLOR, Murphyshore, IL, is in his 24th year of retirement from teaching at Southern Illinois University. He is now and has been directing church choirs for over 55 years, 47 of which have been in Methodist churches. Charles states that his training under MARIE D. BOETTE, HON ‘82 at Parkersburg High School and Wesleyan has served him well.

1956  JAMES H. WIMER and his wife, IMOGENE MOSS WIMER ’60,  Weaverville, NC, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, January 25, 2008.

1961  ESTHER WILMOTH DYER, Buckhannon, WV, was named the 2007 St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer of the Year. Esther is active in the Buckhannon Community. She is the president of the local Delta Kappa Gamma and the American Association of University Women.

1962  T. MARLO MILLS, Canal Winchester, OH, and his wife, Bonnie traveled thru Ireland and Scotland in September 2007. Traveling with the Mills were WILLIAM C. PEPPER ’61 and his wife, NANCY JO FUNK PEPPER ’59.

1963  JACK R. GEORGE, Cumberland, MD, is now a retired pastor serving three churches in the Cumberland area. Jack is the husband of ELISE MATTOX GEORGE ’65. * THOMAS M. WRISTON, Midlothian, VA, and his wife, Polly, will be volunteers at the 2008 US Open Golf Championship in San Diego, CA, this June. * WILLIAM R. WOOD, Allentown, PA, will be inducted into the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in May 2008.

1968    JILL IREY, Rockville, MD, remembers fondly her time and friends from Wesleyan and would love to hear from them.

1971  CHERYL A. NICK, Harrisburg, PA, is retired, but stays active working with pre-school age children and kindergarteners at her neighborhood center, a mission of the United Methodist Church.

1970  CAMILLE CAY CUTRIGHT, Denton, MD, is retired from teaching after 30 years. She and her husband, Mike, enjoy taking their four grandsons to their new beach house at Bethany Beach. Cay is active in Character Counts, CASA, Alpha Delta Kappa and other service organizations. * JOANNE LUKMIRE WOOTTON, Durham, NC, and her husband, Frank, announce the birth of their second grandchild, Ella Gray Lynch, born June 12, 2007. She is the daughter of Steve and Kelly Lynch and joins older sister, Hayden, at home.

1975  ROBERT D. EASTON, Matewan, WV, will be retiring from the position as band director/music teacher at Matewan High School at the end of the school year. He has taught at Matewan for 32 years. Robert will become a grandfather for the first time in March or April.

1981  WILLIAM K. ST. AUBIN, Wyoming, DE, was married to Elissa Dempsey, November 3, 2007. The ceremony was held at Wild Quail Country Club. Among those in attendance were best man, DAVID R. SALMON ’80 , ROBERT DIETRICH ’80, and Karen and FREDDIE (TRIPS) LANKTON ’81.

1983  ETHEL M. BRINK, Binghamton, NY, is 90-years old. Graduating from Wesleyan’s Port Charlotte, FL campus was the highlight of her life. Her diploma has a place on her coffee table where she can proudly display it.

1984  RANDY W. BROWN, Holland, MI, is director of marketing at ODL, Inc. Hi wife, SANDI SNOW BROWN ’84 works as a RN in a cardiovascular lab at Holland Hospital. * MURRY HARRIS III, Miramar, FL, is the assistant football and the assistant boys track coach at Miami Booker T. Washington High School. The school was the Florida State Champions for the football 2008 Class 4A, and the Track and Field 2007 Class 3A.

1985  KAREN STUDZINSKI BUELOW, Pensacola, FL, and her husband, Douglas, announce the birth of their third child, Nicholas Alexander, born February 7, 2008. Nick has two older sisters, Anna Marie, (11) and Jane, (9).

1988  STEPHANIE OLSON KLEINSCHMIDT, Cincinnati, OH, and her husband, Rick, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Kendall Stephanie, born January 12, 2006. Kendall joins big brother Connor at home. Stephanie is a procurement manager at Peter Cremer North America, a full line Oleochemical supplier.

1990  BRUCE GOODMAN and VICTORIA BURGESS GOODMAN ’89, Pittsburgh, PA, are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Bruce John Goodman Jr., born November 26, 2007.

1994  POLLY EDMONDS BALDRIDGE, Damascus, MD, and her father, Walter G. Edmonds, released a CD in September 2007 entitled “Christ Is All To Me.” With $5 of the sale of each album going to charity, this album of sacred songs and hymns has raised more then $1250 donated to the ministry of Dr. Matthew Sleeth, Earth Stewardship Missions. Dr. Sleeth is the nephew of Natalie Sleeth, composer and wife of the former president of West Virginia Wesleyan College. Polly is the wife of THOMAS S. BALDRIDGE ’93.

1995  AMY FEHL BURCH, White Plains, MD, and her husband, Charlie are proud to announce the birth of their daughter. Savannah LeAnn, born November 9, 2007, joins her brother, Colby. * JOSEPH A. SUTTON, Graham, NC, and his wife, Jenny, welcome their first child, Joshua Andrew, born December 30, 2007. Joe is currently serving with the United States Army Reserve deployed to Mosul, Iraq as a communications officer. Normally, he is employed with the Industrial Extension Service of North Carolina State University working as a Technology Support Analyst.

1996  THOMAS NEUMARK, and his wife, PATRICIA ARNOLD NEUMARK ’97, Point of Rocks, MD, welcome their son, Matthew Thomas, born October 17, 2007. He joined his big sister, Laura at home.

1997  COURTNEY TALLMAN TILL, Saint Charles, MO, was married October 20, 2007 at Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington, VA to Jeffrey Till. In attendance were student JESSICA ARBOGAST ’10 and alumna MARY BETH SKINNER MORRELL ’81 and bride attendant TARA THOMAS ’97. Courtney is the owner of Stella Marina Creative in Saint Charles.

1998  ANDREA MORRIS EHMEN, Orlando Hills, IL, received a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications through the online program at West Virginia University. * THOMAS KARASTAMATIS, Orlando, FL, and his wife, Jackie, announce the birth of their son, Alejandro, born January 15, 2008. * STACEY FRYE KERR, Greensburg, PA, announce the birth of her daughter, Regan Grace, born August 9, 2007. Regan joins older brother, Levi, at home.

1999  CURTIS L. WILKERSON and his wife, KRISTI R. LAWRENCE WILKERSON ’99, Charleston, WV, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Rebekah Elizabeth, born September 25, 2007. * LORI COCHRAN WOODS, Buckhannon, WV, achieved National Board Certification for teaching in 2007 and is currently teaching pre-kindergarten. * GEORGIA HUGHES-WEBB, Cottageville, WV, and her husband, Michael, announce the birth of their first child, Lucia Grace, born November 21, 2007.

2000  JESSICA VILLELLA WACHTER and her husband, RYAN SHAD WACHTER ’99, Abingdon, MD, are pleased to announce the birth of their first daughter, Mickaela Corinne, born September 18, 2007. Jessica and Shad have both recently completed their master’s of education degrees at Loyola College.

2002  IVERY LESLIE BROOKES, Cross Lanes, WV, and her husband, Eric, announce the birth of their daughter, Emery Paige, born November 26, 2007.

2003  ERICA MILONE MUNOZ, Brighton, MA, has been appointed as Coordinator of Children, Youth, and Young Adult Ministries for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, effective May 27, 2008. * JASON R. BARTON, North East, MD, and his wife, Carrie, would like to announce the birth of their son, Jonas James, born June 4, 2007. He joins his big sister, Alivia Marie, at home.

2005  SETH HOFFMAN, and AMY SHERWOOD '06, Buckhannon, WV, would like to announce their engagement and forthcoming marriage. Seth proposed to Amy on December 19, 2007 and the wedding is set for December 13, 2008. All friends and fellow alumni are invited to attend the ceremony which will be held in the Wesley Chapel at 5:30 PM. The reception and other festivities will be by invitation only. Amy is currently working in the West Virginia Wesleyan College Learning Center with the Mentor Advantage Program and Seth is the owner of Level 3 Solutions and Incognito Consulting, an IT and web development company. The couple looks forward to their future in Buckhannon and a continuing relationship with the Wesleyan community.

2006  MICHAEL J. SPAGONE, Bridgewater, MA, is currently in his second term on the Bridgewater Master Plan Committee. Michael is also writing for a local newspaper, “The Town Observer.”