The Log of the West Wind

2023 News of Friends and Alumni

This is the 27th edition of the Log of the West Wind. We want to hear from you! Submit your news on the Kabeyun website at kabeyun.org/youralumninews.

High school senior and Kabeyun skipper Atticus Borggaard completed his three-year quest to build his own sailboat at home. After a maiden voyage near Boston, he brought the 15-foot sailing canoe out on Lake Winnipesaukee during Family Camp. Atticus writes: "It sailed great and is shockingly stable for such a skinny boat with so much sail area.”

Aiden Briney has joined the Peace Corps and moved to Sri Lanka, where he will teach English in a village. Aidan graduated with honors from Union College in June.

Hugo Castellanos is Kabeyun’s unofficial tour guide in his home country of Guatemala. In the past 12 months, Hugo and his partner Marielos Escriba have welcomed their co-counselors Jake Stoller and, separately, Jacob Warden and his family. Jake writes, "We toured around the country from Guatemala City to Hugo’s beach house to Lago de Atitlan and the volcanoes to Antigua and then back to the city. It was so much fun!"

Mountain guide Sam Dyer recently returned from Kyrgyzstan, where he co-led a ski expedition for Northeast Mountaineering. Highlights included living and sharing meals with local families. “We got so lucky on this trip, with powder skiing that rivaled Colorado or Utah, and stable avalanche conditions that let us explore anywhere we pleased,” Sam writes. 

In June, Steven Ehrenberg, John Morris, and Larry Golding marked the 50th anniversary of their first pre-camp as staff members with a sailing excursion on Larry’s Beneteau 331 sloop, homeported in Norwalk, CT. In 1973, Larry and John taught sailing at Kabeyun, while Steve led archery.

Last spring, Joshua Fishman and his wife Ruth welcomed a 10-pound baby boy named Mendel. Mendel's grandparents are Heidi Fishman and Dave 'Smitty' Smith. Joshua and his family live in Brooklyn, NY.

John Funkhouser is loving his new band, Mineral Hill, which performs often in his new hometown of Albuquerque, NM, and other spots in the Southwest. "The trio has a rare and beautiful synergy and empathy for one another,” John writes. “Every show and recording session feels open and joyous. What a gift to play together!" You can find their music on Spotify and Apple Music.

Evan Gambardella is a hypnotist currently on tour with his “Lucid Living” show. He describes himself as a therapeutic and comedy hypnotist, as well as a Certified Instructor of Hypnosis by the National Guild of Hypnotists. Evan has performed in 20 countries across 6 continents. He’s a former camper and son of former swim counselor Roz Clapp Gambardella.

Former camper and counselor Jimmy Ragan is now Jimmy Hattier! They married longtime partner Kit Hattier in June in Boston. The couple lives in Durham, NC, where Jimmy is studying public policy at Duke University.

Jason Knight and Kirsten Berggren married in Huntington, VT, with festivities that included mountain biking, cornhole, and karaoke. Jason is a middle school science teacher who runs Kabeyun's counseling internship program. Kirsten is an urgent care medical clinician, writer, and lecturer, and one of camp's nurses.

After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in December, Jane Holiday moved to Warrenton, Oregon, and started working as a Rocky Shore Interpreter for the Haystack Rock Awareness Program in Cannon Beach. Jane’s partner, Will Butler, is in the Coast Guard nearby.

Peter Leipzig (a.k.a. "PLS") and his spouse Shanna welcomed their first baby, Ozzy, in December 2023. The family lives in Ithaca, NY, where Peter manages education programs at Sciencenter, a children's science museum.

In January 2024, the American Camp Association recognized Carl Metzger with its National Honor Award for meritorious service and noteworthy contributions to the advancement of camps. Carl served on the ACA's national board of directors for nine years, chairing an expansive strategic planning initiative and a governance committee, among other projects.

Elliot Martin married Isabel Bogacz at Ragged Mountain, near Tilton, NH, with a half-dozen Kabeyun friends there to celebrate. The couple lives in San Diego, where Elliot is a site reliability engineer for Apple and Isabel is an associate with McKinsey.

Reid Miller and his spouse Liz welcomed baby Dylan Artemis during the 2024 Super Bowl! Dylan joins big brother Jaxon. Dylan’s uncle is Jonah Miller.

John Morris III married Alexa Mouta in Lisbon, Portugal, in October. John and Alexa live in New York City, where she is a marketing manager for Accenture and he is a law associate with King & Spalding's corporate finance practice.

In early 2025, look for Dave Pierce to star in “The Pirates of Penzance” at the Roundabout Theater Company in New York City. Performing this Gilbert & Sullivan show is a return to his roots on Kabeyun’s stage! The Tony and Emmy award-winner recently finished a run playing the Bishop in Stephen Sondheim’s final work, “Here We Are,” at the Shed in New York City,