CLASS OF 1976 | 2025 | SPRING ISSUE
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My deepest condolences and sympathy to all our classmates who were affected by the Los Angeles fires. I know of at least one classmate who lost her home, and I’m certain there are others. (With so many of us working in the film/TV industry, it’s inevitable that some of us lived in the Palisade, Malibu, Topanga, or Altadena.) My heart goes out to you, not just for the loss of your home, but for the loss of uniquely beautiful neighborhoods. I hope the eucalyptus, jacarandas, and oleanders grow back quickly, and that you’re all home again as soon as possible.
Rob Briskin missed the deadline for the last notes by just a few days! Here’s his news from last fall: “It’s been a very long time since I posted anything so here it goes. This is my 40th year in private practice in concierge internal medicine in Jupiter, Florida. I have been on staff at an excellent and rapidly expanding community hospital, Jupiter Medical Center, since 1986 and serve on their corporate board. In the year 2000, I found the first concierge practice in Palm Beach County. I also served on the national board of the American Society of Concierge Physicians about 20 years ago. I have been very active throughout the years in trying to make affordable health care available for all Americans, and I presented in 1996 to the Faith Caucus of the American Public Health Association on using community and faith partnerships to fill in the unmet health-care needs of communities. It was very well received, but Don Quixote ultimately fell short! I have also served on the National Physicians Council for Healthcare Policy in Washington, D.C., a few years ago under Congressman Pete Sessions.
“On a personal note, I have four children ranging in age from 14-year-old twins to my 27-year-old son, who just started law school at the Denver University Law, and a soon-to-be 29-year-old daughter in her second year of a PhD program in clinical psychology at the University of Miami. I live in beautiful Palm Beach Gardens at the Mirasol Country Club with my lovely wife, Limor, who I adore, our twins, a cat and an Australian shepherd named Layla. I also founded a classic rock club at Mirasol, which is going strong in its second year. Of the past two years, I have seen an abundance of concerts, including the Eagles, Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason, the Rolling Stones, John Fogerty from Creedence, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Santana, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Beach Boys, the Allman family revival, the Temptations, and a plethora of very good tribute bands! I’m slated to see Billy Joel at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood on January 17 for my 71st birthday! I am very active with pro-Israel and Jewish causes and attend the Chabad in Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Synagogue, and Temple Judea. I love pickleball, do spin, and enjoy working out, [as well as] some running and hiking with my wife. We also love to travel, but this is somewhat limited due to the fact that I still work full time and enjoy it immensely. I am a prolific editorialist, and I have published over 100 letters to the editor in The Palm Beach Post. I had one letter published in The New York Times in 1996, which was a legacy to Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead!
“I would love to hear from any of my former classmates.”
Robert Briskin ’76, MD, FACP
210 Jupiter Lakes Blvd.
Ste. 3205
Jupiter, Florida 33458
561-746-9404 (o)
561-346-5504 (c)
Alan Miller notes: “In June, during the East-West Center’s International Media Conference, I received its award for Journalists of Courage and Impact, which ‘recognizes the contributions of exceptional journalists from across the Asia-Pacific region.’ I was a student participant at the center in Honolulu, Hawaii, following graduation from Wesleyan.
“In September, the Alumni Association at Ridgewood (New Jersey) High School named me and three other graduates ‘Distinguished Alumni.’ The honor ‘recognize[s] the achievements of alumni who have made significant contributions to society through their personal lives, individual passions, talents, professional accomplishments, and/or community service.’ The awards cited both my careers as a Pulitzer Prize–winning former reporter with the Los Angeles Times and as the founder and former CEO of the News Literacy Project, the largest provider of news literacy education in the U.S. NLP’s award-winning programs and resources are being used by middle school and high school educators and students in every state in the country.
“I was previously honored by Washingtonian magazine as a Washingtonian of the Year in 2020 and was named one of five recipients of the 2022 AARP Purpose Prize, awarded to people age 50 and older ‘who use their knowledge and life experience to solve challenging social problems.’ The East-West Center also presented me with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022.”
Nic Collins has a new book coming out! Bloomsbury says in part: “The book follows a personal chronology of observations and experiences with music, technology, economics and culture—from youthful encounters with John Cage and Minimalism, to the Downtown and East Village scenes of the 1980s, the assimilation of avant-garde sensibilities into European concert halls and global pop, the burgeoning of sound art, and the transformative influence of digital technologies both positive and negative.”
And Oliver Griffith also has a new book out! You can find A Sense of Place: Journeys of a Musician Diplomat on Amazon. It recounts his career as a foreign service officer in Africa, South America, and Europe while continuing to work as a jazz musician.
Cheryl Alpert writes: “My oldest son, Eben Timko, married sweet Melissa on November 2 in New Orleans, where they met at Tulane. I have never been to a more spectacular wedding and dance party in my life. The Second Line parade was so joyous! Jon Spector ’78 and spouse, Wendy, came all the way from Vermont to attend.
“I’m in my sixth year as a REALTOR®, and it’s a very strange market out there after the National Association of Realtors went through major litigation, interest rates went up and down, and up and down, and inventory is sparse. Ceramics is my safe haven. I have a little show this month and am joined by many other local artists including Anne Van Nest, wife of Jeff Van Nest ’75.”
Byron Haskins shared joyous news: “My eighth and newest grandchild, Edie-Jayne Rose was born in Meriden, Connecticut, to my oldest son, Josh, and his partner, Katy, on December 13. Josh works for MSNBC and it was great to see Jen Psaki announce Edie’s arrival to the world on her show. Josh directs Inside. Gabrielle and I were in Connecticut but not long enough to stop in Middletown. After Meriden, we headed north to secure our pied-à-terre in Montreal before returning to Michigan for the holidays. Wishing everyone the best we can get out of 2025!”
And, finally, David Harmin and I have been having a wonderful time for the last six months. After 20 years of having the best possible time working in Mike Greenberg’s lab at Harvard Medical School, David eased into part-time status in July and eased out of the lab altogether on January 1. He has worked steadily since he was a teenager and is having a glorious time being gainfully unemployed. We got together with Tom Kovar, celebrated the wedding of David’s son, Calvin, and then moved him out of his office on December 19, as HMS closed for winter break.
KAREN HARMIN | karen.harmin@gmail.com