Allie Kissam Deventhal submitted this note:

“Thanks
to all of you who contacted me after the reunion. What a pleasure to see and
hear from you. What a memorable time!

It
has been a sad and frustrating few months in southwest Florida. The area is
going through a true environmental crisis with red tide in the Gulf of Mexico
and blue green algae in the fresh water canals due to discharges from Lake
Okeechobee. Many fish, shorebirds, and mammals, as well as aquatic plants are
dying, and people near the canals are getting sick as well. Naturally, some of
the problem is political, with the wealthy sugar industry officials having power
over state and federal politicians, delaying legislative efforts to improve the
situation. The residents are finally getting fed up enough to act, and the
primary and midterm elections should be interesting. Another big issue in
Florida is gun control, after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in February in Parkland, FL, killing 17 students. Watching the
surviving classmates react to the shooting has actually given me hope for the
future. These kids are well spoken, and have taken gun control on as their
mission. While some similar efforts have petered out in time, these students
are getting ever stronger and more committed, despite obstacles along the way
from gun rights supporters.”