Recent News and Events

Rodene recently returned from a two-week tour of the Holy Land. When asked for a synopsis, she stated that it was simply amazing, and that a brief overview would take 4 or 5 hours. When she was in Jordan, not far from the origins of the Tayar family, she said it was almost eerie, because everyone there was so familiar:

"It was as though every time I turned around, there was Uncle Ralph standing in front of me. Even though the language and culture was different, there was the same smile, same humor, and same mannerisms. I felt a definite connection with these folks. "

This spring Rodene will return for another educational trip: Turkey and Greece.

A Marriage: Jenna Hawthorne and Fred Roman 7/22/00

The Hawthorne family celebrated the wedding of daughter Jenna to Fred Roman in a ceremony at the Hawthorn residence in San Diego. It was described as "all beautiful, beautiful, as was everything else Janice and Jerry hosted."

Love and best wishes to the happy couple as they take a few days off for a brief honeymoon before returning to work.

Fred and Jenna met at the driving range in Newport Beach while launching little white balls somewhere between 50 and 450 yards. Fred and Jenna will settle in Newport Beach where Fred works as Regional Sales Manager and Jenna works as Director of Sales.

Robin Murray Coke Publishes Book:

Robin Murray Coke, who is a professor at University of Wisconsin, is now a published writer. She co-wrote the book Playwrights of Color. The book was published early this year and is being used as a text for colleges and universities around the country as they add diversity to their theatre curriculum. The book consists of 15 plays and has background material to help the student understand and appreciate both the dramatic work and the cultural or ethnic perspective of the playwright. Robin and Meg Swanson worked for seven years to make their book come alive. During those years, the book went from an idea to a concept and then finally was published by the Intercultural Press. The book is named after the theater diversity class that Robin and her co-writer created eight years ago. Spring semester 2000, Robin used the book to teach the course of the same title and reports that it was a delight to use, and the students really appreciated knowing the textbook authors! 6/1/2000

Bobby has stepped in to fill the need for high tech professionals in the heart of Silicon Valley. In taking his career to the next level with Competix, Bobby is supporting software and business services via the internet and at the same time, managing to move his family into the tightest housing market in the country.

We wish Bobby the best as he solves the latest software problems in the Valley. You can reach him at a new email address:

blt@competix.com