Howdy Day everyone!  I hope that everyone is well spun up after the holiday season for a great year ahead in 2012.  Thanks for all of the submissions – have some new ones again.  Don’t forget to find us on Facebook too – I won’t provide the link here, but our group name is “Kings Point Class of 1994”

Things here with me and the fam are going well.  Nothing too new – settled into the new home, keeping busy with work and doing the usual.  As I write this, we’re just a few days away from our annual “SausageFest” ski trip with Chuck Eaton and James MacRitchie – we’re heading to Whistler again (was there 5-6 years ago) which is a good thing since they’ve been getting slammed with snow this year. I’ll have pics and a follow-up to submit for next issue.

Ricardo “Captain Ric” Mangubat turned himself in from the MIA list back in November and sent in a quick update!  “Hi how are you. I am currently on board MV Maersk Tarragona as Captain presently trading in the Caribbean and had recently got in touch with Robert Bob Upton.”

Matt Ross sent out his plentiful holiday newsletter and instead of attaching all 8 pages (actually, mostly pictures ;), I’ll include the great part!  “In July, after working the first half the year as Chief Mate aboard the Florida Voyager, trading on the U.S. West Coast between California and Oregon, I was notified by Chevron that I would be spending part of the late summer / early fall in San Ramon, CA on assignment at the Shipping Company’s headquarters.  My time in “the office” ended with approval to sail as Master aboard Chevron ships.  On the 17th of September I stood in the shower at the beginning of the day aboard the Mississippi Voyager and said to myself “Self, you’re the Captain.”  It was an awakening of sorts.  You work toward goals in life and when you get there, well….there’s a moment, especially if it’s years in the coming.  That’s not saying that I should have arrived at that point sooner or later, that’s just saying that it arrives and becomes a reality versus a goal.”  Congrats Matt, on making Captain!!!!

Chris Howse turned himself in after 17 years of being MIA!  “As I get ready for the big 40 in 2012, I’m a Commander in the Navy at Carrier Strike Group TWO in the Norfolk VA area.  We just returned from a deployment with the USS GEORGE HW BUSH (CVN 77) where I was the Deputy Information Warfare Commander.  My wife Melissa and I have 5 kids with number 6 due any day now.  I run into Will Herrmann on the Soccer Fields in VA Beach from time to time, but otherwise don’t run across too many KPers in my day to day.”  Sounds good Chris, and thanks for turning yourself in!

Mike Farrell sends his greetings!!  “Hello fellow classmates! Back in the USA after 3 years. Enjoyed being stationed in Europe with all the travel, but it’s great to be back home. In Europe had a couple KP’rs working as marine inspectors LT Cory Heard and LTJG Morgan Evans. Now stationed in Milwaukee, WI as the Sector Lake Michigan Chief of Prevention. Still working with commercial vessel safety, but have now acquired aids to navigation, ice-breaking, recreational boat safety and a few others. Can’t believe I come back to the Great Lakes and find that I have a few more KP’rs I’m working with (LCDR Will Nabach, LCDR Chris Tantillo and LT Maria Wiener)…all good crew! Still talking with Dave Blackledge who is back out in Arizona these days. Ran across Wes Corbett a few times working for Hercules in West Africa. Also good to know that retired CG Captain Lorne Thomas (’81) is working at USCG District 9 in Cleveland.”  Thanks for the update, Mike!

Brian Murhpy sent in a few updates and pictures from the past few months.  “I saw John Volpe while down in Florida.  I was down there with my family in October and we got together with John and his wife, Sandie, and their two kids, Victoria and Chris.  John is sailing as Captain on one of the Tyco cable laying ships, and he and his family are doing great.

I also got together with Chris Anderson and his wife Kim and their son, Will, over Christmas.  They were visiting Kim’s family on Long Island and we had a really nice evening at our house.  Chris is enjoying a very successful career in the Navy, and he and his family are currently living in Virginia.  We hope to see them again over the summer.  Attached is a picture of Chris and I with our kids (mine, from oldest to youngest, are Grace, Patrick, and Kate).

I also got together with Jim Kim and his son, Jacob, a few weeks ago.  They were in New York visiting family and we had a nice dinner in the city.  After thirteen years with GE, Jim has taken a job with another company and he and his family are moving back to Seoul!  Congrats, Jim, and good luck with the move.

I spoke with Matt Ross recently, and he’s sailing as Captain with Chevron.  Congratulations, Matt!  Matt’s living in Maine and has been traveling extensively when he’s not shipping out.  As for the Murphy’s, we’re all doing well!  If anyone finds themselves in New York, please give me a call and we can get together

Thanks again for the submissions!  I have updated our “MIA List” of missing email addresses on our website, www.kps94.org/MIA And be sure to join our Facebook group “Kings Point Class of 1994”    Till next round . . .

~Blake

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