BERNARDSVILLE, NJ, Dec. – The Andersons reported a hectic but satisfying past year. "SATs and applying to colleges can really cut into a senior’s free time," reported Katherine. Another family member, who asked that her name not be used, admitted that having a high school senior for a daughter could be quite demanding. 

"Dartmouth was my first choice," stated Katherine, "and so I applied for early decision. Now I can enjoy my Christmas vacation instead of spending it completing my applications to Stanford, Wessleyen, Hamilton, Reed, Union and other colleges I was considering."

Dartmouth admissions director was not available for comment, but Katherine’s parents are sure that her success was due to Katherine’s hard work, creative essay, great SAT score as well as really good genes.

In related news, the Anderson’s bank reported serious concerns about the next few years.

Published annually by the Anderson Family:
Terry Anderson, editor
Jan Anderson, reporter
Katherine Anderson, reporter

BANFF, Alberta, July – Several sightings of the Anderson family in the Banff and Lake Louise area were reported this week. Terry and Katherine were observed rafting on the Kicking Horse River as well as taking kayaking lessons on the Bow River. "I saw the entire family riding the gondola on Sulphur Mountain," stated one observer.

"Katherine and I hiked to the Plain of the Six Glacier’s Tea House and enjoyed hot cider and a slice of pie, " reported Terry. "Then we returned using the Highline trail and climbed Big Beehive."

"We tried to climb Devil’s Thumb," added Katherine, "but near the top we had to climb the last part of a loose 45 degree scree slope with a 1000 foot drop. My tennis shoes couldn’t dig in as well as my father’s boots so we decided to turn back.

When reached for comment about not being included in the rafting and day-long hike, Jan reported, "I preferred to spend the day with my book on the shore of Lake Louise. I didn’t come here to sweat or have cold water thrown in my face."

MURRAY HILL, NJ – Terry is in second year as the lead software architect with a Lucent Technologies’ project building systems to carry voice over the Internet. "Its just like a regular phone call," says Terry. "You use a regular phone to place the call, but rather than using a long distance provider, you use an IP telephony provider which routes the voice over the Internet. For various reasons, most IP Telephony providers charge less."

"Our system also allows you place the call from your personal computer using a special program rather than using a telephone."

"It’s a rapidly changing technology and the need to constantly learn new techniques and the opportunity to help shape a new industry is what I like about this job."

BACK ROADS, NJ – In a related story, Terry continues to find that the demands of his job, like going into the office each day, interfere with his bicycling. "The mild fall we have had, allowing me to bike a bit later into the year than usual might allow me to get to 1200 miles this year. I like to go out in the morning before work but there have been too many early meetings and other appointments this year." His wife reports dissatisfaction with so much of so many Sundays spent biking.

GOVERNOR LIVINGSTONE HIGH SCHOOL, BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ – No change in Jan’s employment was reported this year. She continues to teach in a resource room at Governor Livingstone High. She teaches special sections of regular classes, such as Algebra and Geometry, using material adapted for the various learning disabilities.

"It’s a rewarding job," said Jan who is in her thirteenth year at the high school, "but also has its frustrations." "

The students move on, but I never seem to get out of here," she joked.

DID YOU KNOW – For the last three years, the Nobel Prize in Physics has gone to physicists with some connection with Bell Labs. This year and last year the research that lead to the prize was done in the labs at Murray Hill. The previous year the prize went to a Bell Labs physicist who did his prize work as a graduate student just before joining the lab. He continued similar work at Murray Hill.

BERNARDS HIGH SCHOOL, BERNARDSVILLE, NJ – "Katherine is in her senior year at Bernards High," reported her father. "She is studying AP Physics, the same college level physics class I taught many times at Walla Walla College, but she never lets me help her. I thought this would be my chance to teach physics again and she doesn’t need my help."

She is also taking the second half of AP Calculus, AP Psychology, AP English and Honors Spanish V. She is in the school choir and was on the school cross-country team this fall. "All this keeps her very busy," her mother reported. "She continues to work several shifts a week at Café Josephine, where she serves coffee and pastries, serves as secretary of the National Honors Society chapter and is in her third year as a Peer Leader. Maybe you can understand why it was so hard to find time to visit colleges and work on college applications. I’m glad that part is over, at least." See related story, Dartmouth, on page one.

VARIOUS ROADS, NJ – Katherine got her driver’s license in July and has been observed driving a used VW Jetta, silver with the Wolfsburg Edition features, on various roads in the area. So far there has been no reported increase in the accident rate.

"I was in mortal fear, driving with her when she had her learners permit," reported her mother, "though she really drove quite well. But I thank God that that is now over. I now know on profession I will never take up."

"She was known to let out blood curdling screams at random intervals for little or no apparent reason," reported Katherine’s father.

Her dad did most of the early driving instruction, but her mother had to take over more the last few weeks and with some of the parallel parking practice.

"I don’t yet know if I can keep the car when I go to Dartmouth or not," said Katherine, "but I’ll sure miss it if I can’t. I just love it."

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ, March – In other automobile news, Terry’s red Miata convertible was stolen from the Lucent Technologies parking lot in March. "I only had two payments left," complained Terry.

"It wasn’t found for three days. So much for the value of LowJack tracking system. The police didn’t find it. I got a call from a welding shop in Newark saying a stripped car was in their parking lot and it had my name on some paper work in the trunk."

"It was missing the removable hardtop, the gearshift knob, the CD player, the air conditioner, both airbags, the speedometer and much of the rest of the dash, door panels – basically anything of value as a spare part. But it had my battery plus an additional battery in the trunk!" reported Terry.

The insurance company declared the car totaled and Terry immediately replaced it with a new red Miata. "That rental car was just not as much fun to drive. I was able to get one of the first 1999 models. There was no 1998 Miata. The redesign arrived so late (March) that they decided to call it 1999."

"Since Jan had an accident in January that totaled our Honda, we are finally getting something back from all those high insurance payments New Jersey is famous for," quipped Terry.

"We had planned to replace the Honda anyway," said Jan, "but we had intended to let Katherine drive the old one. Of course she prefers the Jetta we had to get her instead."

DID YOU KNOW – The invention of the laser, which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, can be dated to 1958 with the publication of the scientific paper, Infrared and Optical Masers, by Arthur L. Schawlow, then a Bell Labs researcher, and Charles H. Townes, a consultant to Bell Labs. That paper, published in Physical Review, the journal of the American Physical Society, launched a new scientific field and opened the door to a multibillion-dollar industry.

ANGWIN and ST. HELENA, CA, Nov – "My entire family had not been together in several years," stated Terry. "My brother and his family live in Missouri. My sister and her one and a half year old son, live in San Diego and of course we live in New Jersey," he added. "My parents moved into a retirement center this fall and plan on selling the house they have lived in for over 33 years. Before it sold they wanted to get the entire family together one more time."

"Of course, the fact that there was a lot of work to do to get empty the house and get it ready for sale might have been an additional incentive to want the family home."

It was later reported that the preparations led to a successful sale of excess household furnishings and goods and that there is a contract for sale of the house.

"I got to check out Stanford while we were out there," added Katherine. "I spent a day with a friend who is a freshman there." See related story, Dartmouth, on page 1.

BROADWAY, NYC – Anderson family members have been seen entering various theaters in the Broadway District of Manhattan and at various concert halls in the area.

When confronted, Jan admitted, "we like to celebrate special occasions at a Broadway show. Friends who visit also give us an excuse to see shows like The Scarlet Pimpernel or Mr. Peters’ Connections. We wish more friends would come visit us so we had more excuses to go to things in the city."

"We enjoy our subscriptions to the NJ Shakespeare Festival and the McCarter Theater at Princeton too," added Terry.

Other NYC events also attract various Anderson Family members. Jan attends several lectures a year by contemporary writers at the 92^nd Street Y. "We still try to get to several early music concerts each year," stated Terry. "And of course we never miss the annual concert of PDQ Bach music at Carnegie in late December. The Bell Labs crowd usually rent at least 3 full boxes. This year we are going to the matinee on the Sunday after Christmas."