Dear NEAROnes,

Golly, my editor has just emailed me that it’s time to write another column—what, already? I could swear I just wrote one, not that I can clearly remember it. (Don’t point: I bet

you can’t, either. And, my gosh, why on earth am I all of a sudden using language like ‘golly’?) It’s funny how time seems to be going faster as I age. In fact, by my rough calculation, the years feel like they’re passing by seven times as fast as they used to. And, strangely, I just don’t seem to be able to learn new tricks anymore.First, and most important, a big thanks to all of you who have renewed your NEARO membership. We really appreciate your continued support and loyalty. Of course, we are you—so by all means feel free to pat yourself on the back. And for those of us who haven’t quite gotten that check into the mail yet, fret not; there’s still time. But there’s no sense waiting until postage rates increase again. And why put off patting yourself?Here in the Washington area we’ve enjoyed a most peculiar non-winter—so far. The odd ornamental fruit tree has begun to bloom, some as early as December. Forsythia is visible here and there, and my neighbor’s maple is budding. Strangest to me, the petunias I planted last May have not yet gone to annual heaven and may very well bloom again. I’m not blaming global warming, mind you—Rick Perry, who once walked with dinosaurs, told me there’s

Number 139 March 2012

NEARO OutreachNational Education Association Retirees Organization

In This IssueMeet NEARO’s Two Newest Board Members .............. 3Looking Back on the 1968 Florida Strike ..................... 4 Grouchy Old Man vs. New Technology ........................... 6Using the NEARO Online Directory ................................. 7.

Film Critic’s Corner ................................................................ 9Welcome, New Retirees! ....................................................10Directory Changes ................................................................10Farewells ...................................................................................11

From the Presidentby Joel Gewirtz

March Meeting: A Wealth Of Free Financial AdviceIt’s tax season, when thoughts of the “gainfully unemployed” (that’s us) often turn to finance. How can we best preserve and grow our assets? Are annuities the way to go? Reverse mortgages? How do we cope with the need to start taking “minimum distributions” from our tax-deferred IRAs and 401(k) accounts when we reach age 70½? What’s the outlook for the ever-changing federal estate tax? Is there any way to ensure that we won’t outlive our money?

To help us with these and related questions, NEARO has invited northern Virginia-based financial management consultant Michael Burns to be guest speaker at our spring general membership meeting—11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14 in the NEA News Conference Room.

For several years Mike has presented “Picture Your Retirement”–those informative sessions offered periodically by NEA to current employees. He’ll speak briefly and allow lots of time to answer our questions, so come prepared!

Take a moment now to mark your 2012 calendar with all the quarterly NEARO meeting dates:

Summer: Wednesday, June 13Fall: Wednesday, Sept. 12Winter: Wednesday, Dec. 12

Membership meetings begin at 11 a.m., preceded by a board of directors meeting in the same room at 9:30 a.m. Those arriving early for the membership meeting are welcome to observe the board meeting.

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Retirement Plan Updateby Lynn Ohman, NEARO Representative on the NEA Retirement Board

The NEA Retirement Plan Board will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on March 12-13, 2012, at NEA headquarters. This will be a two-day meeting, rather than the usual single day. The first day is set aside to hear reports

from the Plan’s individual investment advisors on their performance in managing the Retirement Plan’s assets. On the second day, the Retirement Board will conduct its regular business.

Financial Status The 2011 calendar year ended with essentially flat returns for the Retirement Plan. Financial markets overall had generally positive returns in the first three quarters of 2011 followed by an extremely volatile fourth quarter. The new year is starting out to be positive, with investment returns up for the Plan through January. As I’ve noted in previous columns, short-term returns do not really indicate much about the health of the Plan. Although positive is always better than negative, how well the Plan is doing is determined by analyzing the funds available against obligations to pay current and future pension benefits. These measurement calcula-tions are performed annually by the Plan’s actuaries. You may recall that the Retirement Plan was 94 percent “funded” at the close end of 2010, meaning that the value of plan assets was 94 percent of what is needed to pay the benefits of current and future retirees.

The Plan’s actuary, Cheiron, is currently reviewing the year-end figures for 2011 and will present preliminary findings regarding Plan funding at the Retirement Board’s March meeting. These findings will help determine whether NEA and other Plan employers will be required to increase their contribution rates to the Plan in 2012. NEARO will follow developments and keep you posted.

401(k) and IRA Distributions In addition to the monthly pension benefits that you receive from the NEA Retirement Plan, many of you also have 401(k) Plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). These plans allow you to accumulate assets in a tax favored environment. However, when you take withdrawals from your 401(k) or IRA, you will most likely be responsible for income taxes on these withdrawals. In addition, the IRS requires that you must begin withdrawing these funds at age 7.0½ if you have not done so before—and sets minimum amounts that must be withdrawn each year.For current information on withdrawals, rollovers (for example from a 401(k) to an IRA), and minimum distribution requirements, check out the online articles at http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Planning/Retirement/401K-Withdrawals/ and http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Planning/Retirement/IRA-Withdrawals/, but please keep in mind that the information there is general and intended as background. It’s always best to check with a knowledgeable financial planner about your individual circumstances.

no such thing—but it’s certainly unusual. I was particularly surprised to see the TV coverage of poor Punxsutawney Phil, ceremoniously uprooted from his cozy burrow on February 2 by top-hatted meteo-rologists. I don’t recall if he saw his shadow, but I do remember he was wearing Bermuda shorts.In other local news, the Super Bowl results are in and the Redskins once more failed to finish in the top two. Maybe if they changed their name . . .

On a serious note, you have no doubt observed that we are in the midst of an election year. National elections are always important, and this one is especially so. The luxury of sitting this one out belongs to those who enjoyed the petrification of government we witnessed

this past year, brought to us courtesy of politicians who think their personal interests are more important than the public good. Without taking sides, I think it’s pretty obvious that a legislature that doesn’t work, doesn’t work. We need to do what we can to ensure the election of candidates who are willing to talk to—and, perhaps more important—listen to their colleagues. Money, of which immense amounts will be at play in the election, isn’t everything. Getting out there and working to help sane, honest, sensible people get elected is the best thing you can do for yourself and your country. In the meantime, don’t forget the NEARO meeting March 14, beware the Ides of March, and have a very green St. Patrick’s Day.

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Three terms on the NEARO board of directors expired Dec. 31, 2011. Incumbent Norma Kacen opted to seek a second term, while Norma Jones and Roger Stephon stepped down after their two years of great service.

The number of nominations received exactly matched the number of board seats available, so your elections committee (headed by past president Jim Butler) recommended, and the board decided, that NEARO should forego the expense of a national all-member ballot for uncontested elections and instead declare the three nominees elected by acclamation at the December meeting.

Three other NEARO board terms and all five officer terms will expire Dec. 31, 2012, so watch for nomination and election mailings this coming fall.

We asked board newcomers Pat Orrange and Ron Houston to introduce themselves to you here.

Pat OrrangeRetirement from active duty with NEA really hasn’t been retirement for me. From 2005 until 2010, I worked almost constantly as an independent contractor,

both within the NEA family and with a number of other organizations. For the most part it was great fun, but eventually the weekly travel got to me. So I retired for what I call the third and final time.Now I am working almost as much but not getting paid for it! I still have my home in the Dupont Circle section

of DC but spend much of my time in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am currently the president of the Women’s Forum of North Carolina and am heading up a major effort to build a coalition of

women’s organizations in North Carolina to get out the vote in 2012.I think NEARO has been doing a terrific job over the past few years keeping its members politically active, economically informed, and integral to the NEA family. My hope is that I can help these efforts to continue, increase, broaden, and deepen.

Ron HoustonWhen I retired from NEA, I decided to ‘explore our world.’ I’d spent my pre-NEA life as an elementary teacher and a counselor, then 25 years in the

human rights trenches visiting our members in cities across the U.S. I needed to take some time to get a new perspective on myself and the new world I had entered. I stopped looking at trees, that is, and started looking at the forest. That took the form of education and travel—and now becoming active in NEARO. My new education included studying energy and nutrition with Integrative Nutrition Institute in New York City, and keeping abreast of energy and nutrition through reading and the internet. My travels have taken me to Croatia, Bosnia, Peru, China, Tibet, and most recently southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam). As I’ve engaged in these activities, I’ve come to under-stand how marvelous our bodies are when treated properly and with respect (in what we eat), that the inhabitants of planet Earth have much in common, and that we could live as one big community. I’ve also seen how some of the communities we may view as Third World really have a clearer understanding than we do of life on planet Earth—and that life only gets better and more joyful as the years progress.

Meet NEARO’s Two Newest Board Members

Pat on the pier in front of her cruise ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, at the tip of the world!

Ron in southeast Asia

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Although I spent most of my early life in Michigan, for well over 40 years I have had a close personal and professional relationship with the state of Florida.

My wife, Ruth Holmes, was a former Florida state association president, but even before I met her, I had served as executive director of the Florida Teaching Profession (FTP-NEA) from 197.6 to 197.9.

It was, however, my two-week stint in Florida during the infamous 1968 statewide teachers’ strike that permanently laminated the state to me. In fact, in 2008, as part of the Florida Education Association’s 40th anniversary celebration of the walkout, I wrote a book about it for FEA called Education Conflict in the Sunshine State: The Story of the 1968 Statewide Teachers’ Strike in Florida.

Any objective view of the strike would conclude that for FEA the whole adventure was a disaster—at least in practical terms. Having said that, the strike still stands as a monument to the profound courage and noble effort of Florida’s teachers as they tried to right a grave educational wrong.

On a fateful day in early February 1968, after having endured more than a generation of disgraceful education neglect at the hands of recalcitrant Florida legislatures and tax-averse governors, about 30,000 teachers and administrators (roughly half the state’s educators) responded to the Florida Education Association’s call to walk off their jobs.

The state’s power structure, led by a unified and highly organized business community, immediately launched a vicious counterattack. A full-throated blood-oath to fight any tax increase for any reason served as the state’s rallying point. Sound familiar?

That power structure consisted of an ultra-conser-vative legislature, a virulent and activist business community, hostile media, and a largely indifferent citizenry. The business community and the state legis-lature placed the repudiation of tax increases above every other consideration: teachers, public schools, the quality of kids’ education, and everything else. As if all

that weren’t enough, those forces aligned with a flamboyant, politi-cally amoral governor, Republican Claude Kirk, who considered himself a combination of George Patton and Huey Long. During the strike, the State of Florida unleashed every weapon in its arsenal, including individual teacher decertifications and reclassifying male teachers to make them eligible for the draft (the Vietnam war was in full swing at the time). It seemed that public floggings and thumbscrews might be just around the corner. For FEA, the strike’s foundation was shaky from the beginning (only 50 percent of the state’s educators participated). That foundation inexorably became a hill of sand before the strike collapsed entirely, two weeks after it began.In calling for the walkout, FEA had followed the lead of its charismatic executive secretary, Phil Constans. However, it soon became evident that the organization was in well over its head as it battled the state’s power structure. Strategically, FEA leaders made several grievous errors. For one thing, they not only asked the striking teachers to sign individual resignation forms (an ill-advised legal ploy to avoid the walk-out being defined as a strike), but they actually submitted those individual resignations to the state authorities. This action allowed local school boards to pick and choose which strikers they would re-employ when the strike ended.The personal courage and determination of the Florida teachers who walked out is legendary, and examples are far too numerous to explore here. However, I will cite just one incident that I personally witnessed. One Friday morning at the daily rally of strikers in Brevard County, I noticed two young married couples that I knew to be close friends in animated discussion in a corner of the auditorium. The two women were crying, and the men appeared very somber. I asked what was going on, and they informed me that the previous day each of the men had received a telephone

Crossing Swords with Business Community, Power Structure

A Look Back at the 1968 Florida Statewide Strikeby Don Cameron (retired in 2001 after 18 years as NEA executive director, resides in Navarre Beach, Florida for half of each year)

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call from the Brevard school board informing them that if they were not back in their classrooms on Monday morning they would be re-classified 1-A for the draft. They told me that the four of them had spent the night together talking and praying before deciding to remain on strike. I don’t know what happened to those two young men, but I do know that during the strike several striking teachers were in fact reclassified, drafted, and sent to Vietnam. For its part, the National Education Association was dragged into the conflict pretty much kicking and screaming. NEA had dispatched several talented staffers to FEA during the run-up to the strike. Cecil Hannan and Larry Sorensen were there from the beginning. Howard Carroll also saw front-line duty, as did many other NEARO members (some of whom are reading this newsletter right now). NEA President Braulio Alonso—a Tampa principal who would later become an NEA staffer—was an active participant. In addition, as many as 200 local leaders and staff

from around the U.S., including me from Birmingham, Michigan, headed to Florida on loan through NEA.

NEA’s Executive Secretary, Sam Lambert, was horrified at the prospect of assisting FEA, but felt NEA had no choice but to jump into the Florida swamp to rescue its state affiliate.

Just months later, during his annual speech to the NEA Representative Assembly, Lambert angrily blasted the Florida strike along with other state and local “union” activities. His tirade became his farewell RA speech, because his oration so infuriated ascending urban association leaders that he was forced out of his job.

The Florida walkout led directly to an AFT organizing invasion into the state, the creation of an AFT state affiliate, the later disaffiliation of FEA by NEA when it tried to merge with the AFT affiliate, and the ultimate creation of FTP-NEA. Only within the last several years have the two state affiliates reunited into the Florida Education Association.

Today, almost half a century later, veterans of the walkout tell their stories with the same emotion they felt back then. For the rest of the country, the 1968 statewide Florida strike served as a cautionary tale regarding the efficacy of statewide strikes—particularly in the South. There hasn’t been one since.

From left to right:Phil Constans, FEA Executive SecretaryBraulio Alonso, NEA PresidentDexter Hogman, FEA President at a presentation event (1968).

Senior Discounts!Why pay full price for food, apparel, travel, or entertainment if you don’t have to? Over 100 nationally known companies offer discounts of up to 50 percent to those of us over a certain age. For example:

¹ AMC Theaters: up to 30 percent off (age 55+) ¹ Hyatt Hotels: 25-50 percent off (62+) ¹ Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15 percent off on senior discount days (55+) ¹ Jack in the Box: up to 20 percent off (55+)

A complete, up-to-date list of senior-friendly retailers grouped by category can be found at http://www.brads-deals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/106StoreswithSeniorDiscounts-BradsDeals.com_.pdf.

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My wife and I recently went to New York City for a month. I brought along my laptop but forgot the power cord. No problem, I thought—just phone Dell and

order a new one sent to our NYC address, even though I was unsure of the zip code.

I should have known I was in trouble when the “customer service” person taking my order asked me if there was more than one zip code in New York. I took the time to make sure it was clearly understood that the cord was to be shipped to our temporary address in New York, but of course Dell overnighted it to my address of record in Tennessee—and then phoned me in New York to complain that no one was home to receive it.

At that point, I called my neighbor and asked him to retrieve the cord and forward it to me. There were several more poorly connected phone calls between New York and Whereeverstan, each increasing my frustration over cost, credit to my charge card, which product had been ordered, and so on. By then I was ready to look for a replacement for my four-year-old laptop, with its Vista operating system, loud fan noise (which Dell had never figured out how to fix), and irritating habit of losing files as a result of shutting down without warning. I was determined to leave the Dell family to search for a new computer home.

I’m already considered a curmudgeon among my family and friends because I refuse to get on Facebook and won’t pay for an iPhone. But I made a good faith effort to consider an Apple MacBook Air laptop, even though the model that best suits my needs currently has a maximum 13-inch screen while I had been using a 17.. And with lots of CD burning of photos and music, I’d have to buy a stand-alone external appliance, unless I wanted to make extensive use of the “cloud.”

So I spent a couple days researching the cloud technology, trying to understand how it works and what it would mean for my computing experience, to no avail. I concluded I was too stupid, or maybe too ingrained with an old-fashioned methodology that I knew how to use and didn’t want to change.

(Reminded me of some colleagues back in the day who resisted moving from typewriters to word processors, but I digress.)

And then there would be the whole learning curve for a PC user adjusting to a Mac (I know, Macs are “more intuitive,” but they’re still different). So next I considered just upgrading my Dell laptop’s operating system from Vista to Windows 7., but there would be another learning curve. With my current system already at the average life expectancy for home computers, I was pretty much stuck in what-to-do hell.

Finally, QVC came to my rescue. Quite by accident I learned that they were promoting a large-screen HP laptop with lots of storage and high speed processors and Windows 7. (I rationalized that I could learn Windows 7. if I had a speedy processor with lots of memory and a CD burner; ain’t the human mind wonderful?). It was priced at about a third of the cost of a Mac. Sold!

I’m excited about the prospect of discovering all the new bells and whistles that come with this model. But at the same time it’s hard to shed my fear of being left behind while I gradually learn how to use them. There’ll always be something even newer, and probably more costly, that will be the next “must have” technology gadget, and the next after that. Remember, those expensive iPhones and iPads that millions of Americans can’t seem to live without didn’t even exist five years ago. (I love trying to tell my nieces and nephews about the ancient days of Pong.) Maybe when I get my next computer, in five years or so, I’ll be ready psychologically for one that can read my mind and tell me it’s time to go to bed.

John Conway is a regular contributor to these pages. He lives in Lenoir City, Tenn. You can email him at tennjconway@yahoo.com.

‘Grouchy Old Man’ Sounds Off on . . . Adventures with New Technologyby John Conway (retired from NEA Government Relations in 2000)

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Have you ever wished the directory of NEA Retirement Plan beneficiaries were arranged geographically rather than alphabetically, so you could see at a glance everyone who lives in a given city or state? Do you have trouble putting your hands on your copy of the directory when you need it? Both problems can be solved by getting into the habit of using the online directory. Its instant “sort” function lets you rearrange the listings however you’d like. The online directory is available 24-7. on the NEARO website (http://nearo.org) in the password-protected, members-only part of the site, invisible to nonmembers or hackers. One added benefit: the online directory is updated often with the newest information, unlike the printed directory, which gets updated once a year at most.

Logging In If you haven’t previously created a password for nearo.org, create one by sending a blank email to join@nearo.org. You’ll receive further instructions by return email from an auto-responder.Once you know your password, go to the NEARO website by pointing your browser to http://nearo.org. You’ll see a Welcome screen and four boxes on the

left. In the first box, labeled “Main Menu,” click “Login/Logout.” Unless your browser auto-fills the login fields, you’ll need to type your username and password and then click the Login button. Your username is the last email address you provided to NEARO, e.g., janejones@comcast.net. (If you’d like to skip this login step on future visits, just put a check in the box next to “Remember me”—

but only on your own computer!)

Accessing the Online DirectoryLook again to the left side of the screen; the top (“Main Menu”) box should now list “Directory.” Click it and you’re there! Or, if it’s easier, click the “directory” button now visible at top center of your screen, next to buttons labeled “calendar” and “contact us.”

Finding an Individual ListingIf you’re looking for a particular person in the directory, you can always scroll down through the list alphabeti-cally by last name, but it’s easier and quicker to use the search box located on the upper right of the main directory screen, next to the words “type search string here.” Click in the search box and start typing any string of characters to zoom into the relevant part of the list. For example, typing “carol” will result in a short list of everyone named Carol, Carole, Carolyn, or Caroline (but not Carroll). Be sure to scroll down to see all of your search results! Once you’ve found the person you’re looking for, click on the name to bring up a new screen showing the full listing for that individual.You can send him or her an email message simply by clicking on the email address. If your browser supports this, a new screen provides you with an email format—just compose and send!

Dicing and Slicing the Directory

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Using the Handy ‘Sort’ FunctionYou’ll notice the directory is arranged alphabetically by last name (the first column). Additional information about each retiree is listed in subsequent columns: position (organization retired from and year of retirement), email address, phone number, street address, city, state, and zip code.

Suppose you’re planning to visit Florida and want to see what former colleagues you might know around the state. First, find the “display #” box (just above the address and city columns). On the pull-down menu there, set the number (#) of entries to “All,” which will display the entire directory—almost 1,000 entries—alphabeti-cally by last name as one long page. (Be patient; this will take a few seconds.) You’ll then have two choices, depending on where you’re planning to be in Florida. Say you’re traveling to Tallahassee only. Click once on the “city” label at the top of that column, which will sort all the cities in the whole database alphabetically. Scroll down to the T’s and you’ll find everyone who has Tallahassee listed as his or her city. But suppose you’ll be visiting several spots in Florida. In that case you’ll get a more useful sort by clicking once on the “state” label at the top of that column, which will sort all the states in the database alphabetically. Scroll down to the Fs and you’ll find every Florida resident.

Updating Your Own ListingHave you moved to a new address or changed your phone number or email address? Our membership secretary and keeper of the database—Edna Frady—is always happy to hear from you about such changes, at ednaf1@cox.net. But you can also update

your own information in the directory by simply clicking on the “Directory Update Form” bullet under the fourth box (“User Menu”) on the left side of the main directory page. You’ll get a form you can fill out online to provide your new information.

When You’re Finished . . .To leave the password-protected part of the website, again click “Login/Logout” in the “Main Menu” box on the left side of your screen.

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Welcome to what we hope will become a regular Outreach feature: quick, frank reviews of current films selected for their possible appeal to more mature moviegoers (or DVD renters). Opinions expressed are strictly those of the author! You might want to follow Rozanne on Twitter, where she tweets frequently on films and other topics (twitter.com/PRlady007).

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEYAngelina Jolie’s directorial debut is powerful, gripping, dark, and bloody. It deals with the three-year war of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s.

Like “Hotel Rwanda,” “In the Land of Blood and Honey” is an important film to view, ponder, and discuss. Both are the stories of inhumanity, of unimaginable violence and atrocities (women are raped and used as human shields, children are killed)—while the world watches and does nothing.

This is not a star’s vanity project. For Jolie, who not only directed but also wrote and produced the film, it was a story she needed to tell. It represents her worldview and concerns as a humanitarian activist, goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and mother of children adopted from around the world.

This is a high-risk, politically complex, serious drama starring a cast of unknowns speaking in three languages—Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian—with subtitles. Not exactly designed to fill seats in American theaters. The film is dark throughout—so much so that you want to avert your eyes or say “enough already” or even “stop!” While it may be painful to watch, it’s worth seeing.

THE ARTISTIn the early days of Hollywood, films were black and white and silent; the stories were told through facial expressions and body language. French director Michel Hazanavicius lovingly recreates that era in the critically hailed film “The Artist.” The lack of words means this charming silent movie easily crosses international borders. Hazanavicius effectively mines the nostalgia for simpler times. Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, a dapper, self-absorbed movie star with a pencil-thin

mustache. Bérénice Bejo, the director’s second wife, plays the effervescent Peppy Miller. She first meets Valentin as an adoring fan and then as an extra on the set of his latest film. As Wall Street crashes in 1929, Valentin’s movie studio head Al Zimmer (played by John Goodman) debuts talkies, for which Valentin is ill suited. At a time of economic turmoil and technological change, Peppy rises as a big star while Valentin, who refuses to change, hits bottom. His career over, he moves from a luxurious home to a tiny, dingy apartment and has to fire his loyal chauffeur Clifton (played by James Cromwell), who hasn’t been paid for a year. Clifton goes to work for Peppy.Valentin’s saving grace is his best friend Uggy—a Jack Russell terrier who follows him everywhere and steals the show. This expressive, endearing dog makes Valentin seem more human during both his highs and lows, and—along with accompanying music and good acting—saves this silent picture some 7.0 years after talkies took over the industry.

WE BOUGHT A ZOOThe talented Matt Damon stars as Benjamin, a recently widowed father with two children who is struggling for ways to help his family and himself emerge from grief. Dealing with too many memories in the house and area where they lived and with a rebellious teenage son who is expelled from school, Benjamin moves his family to the countryside—into a home that includes a broken down zoo of some 200 exotic animals and their keepers. The film is based on We Bought a Zoo, a 2008 memoir by Benjamin Mee; the setting has been changed from England to California. The dilapidated zoo needs a lot of work and money in order to meet standards and reopen to the public. The physical repair process also includes human growth, change, and renewal. While there is a strong ensemble cast of topnotch actors including Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church, for me, precocious seven-year-old daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) and the wild animals walk off with the show. Whether you’re more inter-ested in animals or humans, you’ll find a lot to like in this comedy-drama, directed by Cameron Crowe.

Film Critic’s Cornerby Rozanne Weissman (worked in NEA Communications in 1970s, now a film reviewer and food writer for DCdigest.com).

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Welcome, New Retirees!

Directory Changes

Annie Abrams annie.abrams@yahoo.net

Lyndle Barnes 316 Muirfield Dr.27.0-365-6294lbcb1@att.enet

Joan Bishop 7.23-534-0415bishop5@gmail.com

Bill Boyton billboyton@msn.com

Carol Adams cadams64@verizon.net

Marlene Becker 37.24 Parish Dr.Fort Wayne, IN 46815260-920-4357.

Ann Marie Bohanminnieace@arkban.net

Ken Butler kenbutler2@verizon.net

Owen Arnoldogarnold@gmail.com

Melinda Bernal melinda.bernal089@gmail.com

Linda Boitano 103 Blue Oak Ct.

Nancy McKaharay Certain 67.8-57.6-9459ncertain1@gmail.com

Mabel Barker 7.452 Spring Village Dr.Apt 220Springfield, VA 221507.03-451-407.6

Michael Bernal michael.bernal@gmail.com

David Bongiolatti 17.00 University Blvd.Apt 616Round Rock, TX 98665512-518-3826

Paula Chavez-Talley 67.10 Marianne Dr.Morningside, MD 207.46202-351-8600

Kenneth Chen kenchen@verizon.net

Robert Hilleman Eden Prairie, MN 55347.

Dale Lestina dalelestina@gmail.com

Kenneth Chen kenchen@verizon.net

The online directory at http://nearo.org is continually updated to reflect the latest contact information NEARO has for each member or beneficiary of the NEA Retirement Plan, so the changes below are already reflected there. If you've opted to receive the annual directory on paper instead, the latest (August 2011) edition does NOT include these updates. For space reasons, we show here only the part of each address that’s changed. Where no street, city, state, or zip code is listed, they remain the same as in the current directory.

Aurora ArcillaNEA Constituent Relations6/3/1985–1/1/2012

James Gattis, Sr.NEA Media Production10/31/1983–1/1/2012

Sarah RootNEA Affiliate Learning & Effectiveness11/5/2001–1/1/2012

Peter ArumNEA Education Policy & Practice3/1/1983–1/1/2012

Tamara HamiltonNEA Office of Chief Learning Officer7/3/1995–1/1/2012

Jody ShimpachClark County (FL) Education Assn6/15/200–1/1/2012

Gloria BarajasNEA Office of Chief Learning Officer1/4/1988–1/1/2012

Diane HicksNEA Affiliate Learning & Effectiveness1/28/1997–1/1/2012

Sheila SimmonsNEA Human & Civil Rights11/4/1985–1/1/2012

Carolyn BreedloveNEA Education Policy & Practice 1/17/1983–1/1/2012

Edith JeffersonNEA Constituent Relations1/28/1988–1/1/2012

Lennell TerrellNEA Southeast Regional Office4/5/1999–1/1/2012

Nesa ChappelleNEA Education Policy & Practice1/10/1994–1/1/2012

Alain Jehlen NEA Interactive Media10/2/2000–1/1/2012

Joyce ThompsonNEA Governance & Policy3/4/1996–1/1/2012

Marcella DiandaNEA Human & Civil Rights10/10/1995–1/1/2012

Charles KikerHillsborough (FL) CTA8/4/1980–1/1/2012

Richard VerdugoNEA Human & Civil Rights5/16/1988–1/1/2012

Suzanne FortuneFlorida Education Association7/1/1988–1/1/2012

Richard MillerNorth Carolina Assn of Educators 7/1/2002–1/1/2012

Joanne WaltersNEA Research6/26/2000–1/1/2012

Wayne GarrisonNEA Teacher Quality2/14/2000–1/1/2012

Thaddeus PatriceNEA Information Technology Svs2/17/1981–1/1/2012

Thomas WorrellNorth Carolina Assn of Educators7/1/1998–1/1/2012

NEARO Outreach i

11

Paul Bergman, 90, died on November 28, 2011 of Alzheimer’s disease. He had retired in 1986 from NEA, where he was production manager in the Publishing unit. Originally from Ohio, Paul received his BA from Miami University and an MBA from Columbia University. He served in the Navy in Guam during World War II. Prior to joining the NEA staff in 197.2, he was manager in charge of manufacturing at Esquire magazine, where he worked from 1946 to 1964, and executive director of publishing for the National Council of Churches. Survivors include his wife, Janet, of Gaithersburg, MD, sons Ned and David, two granddaughters, and a brother. Paul’s first wife, Nadine, died in 1989.

Shirley Chovanak schovanak@hotmail.com

Gail E. Janensch 3030 Park Ave.Cottage 12Bridgeport, CT 06604

Dan McKillip dancmck@rdrunner.com

Virginia (Ginny) Ross vmcross1@yahoo.com

Marlene Cole cole.marlene77@yahoo.com

Teresa Jenkins jjtj92@verizon.net

Mel Myler mel.myler@gmail.com

Larry Rubin 2100 Ingraham St.Hyattsville, MD 207.82301-7.7.5-0106lwrubin@aol.com

Glen Cutlip PO Box 8112 Central Ave.Rupert, WV 25984304-392-6627.

Marilyn Johnston 19800 SW Touchmark Way #305

Grace Nelson 2850 59th St. #102 Gulfport, FL 337.07.

Judith Sebastian 623-7.03-8857.jrsebastian65@gmail.com

Larry Diebold 1014 Pickett St.

Hilda JonesFarmingdale, ME 04344

Barbara Parker 202-290-2153

Susie Stafford susiestafford@embarqmail.com

Barbara Floyd 3408 Village Dr. NorthUpper Marlboro, MD 207.7.2301-213-1415

Edward Keller June-October: 280 Zoar Rd. TRLR 28Rowe, MA 01367.

Ines Parker 2301 Hunter Mill Rd.Vienna, VA 221817.03-999-6909

Connie Gant Swafford4393 Mill Water Crossing

Maureen Flynn 508-7.7.5-0187.

Jim Kirkham jimandlorna@yahoo.com

James Petrie 865-691-0839suelp@att.net

Sim Taylor retnea0986@gmail.com

Donna Giles 2621 Waterscape Dr., SWSupply, NC 28462910-515-447.9dpgiles46@yahoo.com

Chuck Kuzminski cnakuz@bendbRd.band.com

Ron Pierce 564 Troon Rd.

Salvador Varela varela.f.sal@gmail.com

Joel Grogan 610 Fielding Pl.540-290-9580

Richard Lang hwkag@comcast.net

Dorothy Byars Pote 1181 Crestwood Dr.Greenwood, IN 46143317.-7.50-0045mrzenith41@aol.com

Ruby Williamsrerjwill02@gmail.com

Carole Haubner (survivor of William) 1030 Autumn Sky WayEl Dorado Hills CA 957.62916-933-2156

Grace Laws 37.16 Farnham Creek Rd.Farnham, VA 22460804-394-2425

Edith Robinson edithandbill@yahoo.com

Bradford and Elke Herrington 5619 Pipers Waite

Shirley McCune31 Timberline Dr.Kalispell, MT 59901406-7.55-2532

Carolyn Reynolds tweetybirdky@yahoo.com

Farewells

more . . .

NEARO Outreach

Officers and Board of DirectorsJoel Gewirtz, President, nearofiddles@gmail.comRosemary Rathz, Vice-PresidentHeidi Steffens, TreasurerMary Faber, Recording SecretaryEdna Frady, Membership Secretary

Barry Abel, Ron Houston, Norma Kacen, Pat Orrange, Dale Robinson, John Thurston

Ex OfficioJim Butler, Immediate Past President Lynn Ohman, NEA Retirement Board RepresentativeOutreach Editorial and Production Ann Kurzius, Barbara Lawless Donley, Mary Faber, Cindi deCapiteauWebmasterSteve Siegel

3440 S. Jefferson St., #973Falls Church, VA 22041

NEARO

Farewells, continuedVade Bolton, 7.2, died on Dec. 26, 2011, of cardiopulmonary arrest following complications from surgery. A native of Paducah, KY, he spent 32 years with NEA before retiring in 2000 as manager of organization development and training. In addition to his career at the NEA, where he created the women’s leadership development program, Vade was active in volunteer work in his community. He was a board member and former board chair of Reston (VA) Interfaith, advocating for affordable housing and aiding the homeless. Through Reston Interfaith, he was a force in the effort to start a formal day-labor hiring site in nearby Herndon (the site opened in 2005 but closed two years later after it became a national flash point in the debate over illegal immigrants). Vade was also national president of Volunteers for Israel, which sends volunteers to Israel to work in a civilian capacity on military bases, and volunteered at the front desk of the Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston for many years, getting to know nearly everyone who walked through the doors seeking help. Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Janet Berg Bolton; two children from his first marriage, Shannon Dingus of South Riding, VA, and Todd Bolton of Adelaide, Australia; two sons from his second marriage, Noah Bolton of Charlottesville, VA and Joshua Bolton of Philadelphia; a brother; and six grandchildren. Memorial contributions in honor of Vade may be made to Reston Interfaith, 11484 Washington Plaza West, Reston, VA 20190.

John Chase, 65, died on Dec. 18, 2011, following a long and courageous battle with brain cancer. A native of Colorado, he became involved in NEA’s student program while attending the University of Northern Colorado, eventually serving as national president of Student NEA. He taught high school in Golden before becoming an advocate for school employees and public education. Well known throughout the U.S. for his political organizing and training abilities, John worked for NEA in several positions including manager of the Governmental Relations western field team, as well as holding staff jobs with the Washington EA and the Oregon EA. He also served as executive director of NEA-New Mexico. Retiring from NEA in 2001, he returned to Colorado to become executive director of the Central Adams UniServ Unit, where he worked until September 2011, also serving as political consultant and strategist for the Colorado Education Association. Contributions in John’s memory may be made to the CEA Foundation for Teacher Quality and Student Achievement, Colorado EA, 1500 Grant St., Denver, CO 80203, or to Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance, 1161 South Vivian St., Lakewood, CO 80228-3648.

Martha Dotch-Webb, 7.1, died on Nov. 23, 2011. She retired in 1994 from NEA Human and Civil Rights, where she was receptionist, unofficial artist and pianist, office event organizer, and expert at injecting humor into the stressful work of civil rights advocacy. Remembrances and condolences for Martha’s children—Regina, Raya, and Ray (Flip)—and grandchildren Chrishauna, EJ (Eric), Justin, and Terrez may be sent to Mrs. Regina Dotch Byrd, PO Box 586, Cheltenham, MD 20637.. The family suggests that a donation in Martha’s name be given to a charity of your choice.

Jean O’Neil, 80, died on Jan. 15, 2012, at her home in Washington, DC, from pulmonary fibrosis. She was an editor with the Association of Classroom Teachers and later the NEA Executive Office for a total service to educators of 41 years. She is survived by nieces Patricia Davis and Julie Davis (Conrad), also of Washington, and by many grandnieces and grand-nephews. Contributions in Jean’s honor may be made to Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence Rd., St. Mary-of-the Woods, IN 47.87.6.

Martha Dell Sanders, 81, died on Nov. 26, 2011. A pioneer advocate for education reform, she spent her life for the betterment of children and teachers. As her newspaper obituary noted, “if there is a school in heaven, Martha Dell will get it organized!” Born and raised in Paducah, KY, she taught high school English there for many years and was once named teacher of the year. She was elected president of the Kentucky Education Association in 1968. In 1985 she moved to Frankfort to become KEA’s assistant director and chief lobbyist. Martha also served several terms on the state board of education. She is survived by two sons, three grandchildren, three sisters, and many nieces and nephews. Donations in her memory may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, www.mmrf.org.