By Lauren Henry '99 - The Taft School

ALUMNI IN THE NEWSAnd Then...More information on alumni activitiesmentioned in previous issues.ArchitectJefferson Riley ’64, founding partner ofCenterbrook Architects and Planners, receivedthe Lucia R. Briggs DistinguishedAchievement Award from Lawrence Universityfor “outstanding contributions andachievements in a career field by an alumnus.”He was recognized as a “leader inhis profession and a humane and humanindividual in both public and private life.”Jeff graduated from Lawrence in 1968 beforeearning his master of architecturedegree from Yale in 1972.GolferJames Driscoll ’96 won the North-South Amateur last summer andreached the quarterfinal round of thenational amateur championship in Augustat Pebble Beach, California, losingto eventual champion David Gossett.James is a senior at the University ofVirginia and was named to First-TeamAll State Golf Team last June—for thethird time. He led the Division I UVateam in stroke average for the thirdstraight season as well, with 73.36, andhas 16 top-ten finishes for his career.ConsultantSkunk Baxter ’67 generally makes newswith his music, but now does so as a consultant.Recent work at MassMutualencouraged employees to think differently.“Fear keeps us from taking chances,” hesaid. He has consulted for the Los AngelesPolice Department, the Pentagon,Congress, as well as for the private sector.The former Doobie Brother acknowledgesthat his “long-haired, hippie-freak” appearancecatches some people off guard,but sees that as an advantage in capturingtheir attention and getting them to think“outside the box.”Barbara Close ’80 offers a slice of paradise in an otherwise insane world with herfocus on natural health.Healing in the HamptonsBarbara Close ’80 is founder and owner of Naturopathica Spa and Wellness Centerin East Hampton, New York, as well as a practicing aromatherapist and herbalist.After graduating from Williams College, she discovered massage therapy as a wayto relieve the stress from her job as a social worker. She has traveled to Europe,Asia, and America, to study at such places as the famous Baden Baden health spa.Barbara’s goal is to create a “really focused, educated approach to natural health.What Naturopathica is about is educating people to the alternatives,” she toldHamptons magazine. She recently added a yoga studio and elixir bar. Her nationallyrenowned product line—beautifully packaged in cobalt blue bottles and airtightaluminum tubes—is featured in stores such as Sephora and Henri Bendel.Source: Dana Plassé, HamptonsCorrections:In the summer issue’s “Around the Pond” item about the AIDS Quilt sectionsmade in memory of Al d’Ossche and Russ Pais, their class years were inadvertentlyswitched. Al d’Ossche was a member of the Class of ’66 and Russ Paiswas a member of the Class of ’69. Our apologies.The “Alumni in the News” item about the St. Louis Cardinals neglected tomention another Taftie connected with the team, part owner John Wallace ’52.We’re sincerely (Cardinal) red in the face.22 Fall 1999