Compiled by Adam Fornear
Ice skating the Big Lake with the Duluth Skyline in the background – Sweet!
I’m not really sure how to describe winter thus far here in Duluth. It was off to a great start and then suddenly just went kind of… blah. Snow has been non-existent, which really takes away from the season. There has been a mix of cold/warm/cold that is making it difficult to adjust. Last week, recreationally speaking, was a bit odd. Saturday, I headed out ice climbing at an old quarry in the city. Had to hit the ice early as it was going to hit 40 degrees by early afternoon… not great conditions for ice. Then the next day I was out in a small boat on Lake Superior trolling for salmon over by the Apostle Islands. We did ok, and I had some fresh brown trout for dinner over at my brothers. My eight-year-old nephew, Niko, can’t stop eating fresh baked salmon or trout. Anyhow, it’s just been a weird start to the winter and it has many of us up north wondering what the deal is. Well, nothing to do but cope with the hand Mother Nature deals you! So, the skis stay in the basement and back out to the ice with some skates — deal with what you are dealt, and keep those wheels moving. I think many of us can relate to that with our experiences at camp. I remember a couple summers back when the first round of trips went out and at the same time a cold front dropped in from Canada. We had eight trips out and all of them experienced rain, temps in the mid 40’s, and some early hatches of mosquitos. When those trips started rolling back into camp and the campers piled out of the vans, we were there to ask them, “How was it?” Some responded that it was tough…highlighting the cold, the wet, the bugs…but when asked if they would go out again…they all said absolutely. They pushed through the unexpected and still had a sweet time out in the backcountry. Moments like that reassure me that what we are doing with our wilderness trip program is spot on. Of course, we all want bluebird, bug-free days in the backcountry but if Mother Nature deals some weather our way, Nebagamon campers and staff are ready for all challenges.
Winter break is upon us in the Nebagamon office. Soon though we shall be hitting the road in mid-January for more reunions (lots of jelly donuts in Chicago!), and hopefully we will be able to cross paths. If you are unable to attend please pass along news so I can make you famous in the Arrowhead! Email me (Fornear) at [email protected]. Best wishes for a great start to 2019 and I hope you all get outside doing something awesome!
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW that in New York Randy Ventura was a wide receiver for Fox Lane High School football team. Jash Sanabria has joined the writing club, philosophy club, art club and the cooking club at his high school. Jared Greaves is playing a lot of basketball. 
Justin Pagan is in his 4thyear volunteering with Bricks for Kids, a Lego themed building activity. Nicky Fleischer is a point guard for the Bank Street Bulldogs basketball team and Justin Blumberg is also playing basketball this winter. Gabe Heller plays center mid for the Whitecaps soccer team. Their team recently won the championship game. Syd Rosenbloom is keeping busy with the winter soccer season. Gavin Stern ran cross country this fall and is now in full swing with the winter ski racing season. After an awesome time exploring the NYC and catching up with old friends, we headed towards D.C. for an amazing crab cake and some even better reunions. At the D.C. reunion Si Kessler informed me that he was running cross country this fall. Michael Cohen is rowing crew and Lawson Wheeldryer is playing soccer. Emmitt Gerstein recently held a 5K race, raising $2500 for the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation which helps people with his brother Tomer’s condition.
IN THE WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW DEPARTMENT: Robert Bedington (Durham, UK/Singapore ’05-‘06) was recently recognized as an Innovators Under 35 by the MIT Technology Review. Robert leads a team of quantum satellite-builders at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore. In 2019, they will launch the nanosatellite SpooQy-1 to demonstrate quantum entanglement in space. In collaboration with the UK’s RAL Space, the team will advance to delivering quantum encryption keys from space. Robert is also CTO-designate at S15 Space Systems, a start-up that aims to build a constellation of quantum key distributing satellites. Robert received his PhD from University College London and worked at the Japan aerospace exploration agency on space-weather instrumentation and elsewhere on instruments for astronomical telescopes. Brayden Levy (San Francisco ’06-’11, ’13) is finishing a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara and will begin work for Garmin this Fall. Liam Sandrial (San Francisco ’06-’11) is living in Utah, working as an Assistant Lighting Director for concerts throughout the state. Michael Fried (D.C./San Diego ’05-’11) is in school to become a Veterinary Assistant and is currently working at a veterinary hospital. Harry O’Gorman (St. Louis ’07-’11, ’13) is a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, and is planning to attend medical school in the fall. Max Lerner (Chicago ’06-’11, ’13) is living in Chicago with Grant Chukerman (Chicago, ’06-’11, ’14-’16) and working as a paralegal, with the intention of attending Law School.
WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS go to Justin Blue(Denver/NYC ’87-’93,’95-’96) and Bonnie Harris (Denver).
BAR MITZVAH CONGRATULATIONS go to Zach Riven(Dallas)