In the current ATC Newsletter, it's announced that Jean Cashin will be
retiring at the end of April. The "Up Front" column that is in this issue
is her last. For those of you who don't know who Jean is, she is often
referred to as the "Mom" of the Appalachian Trail. For the last 24 years,
she has generally been the first person one encounters walking into the ATC
headquarters. She has been a warm, welcome prescence to many, many thru-hikers
over the years, and has been incrediably helpful to so many people calling
and asking for information on the Trail. Since 1979, every thru hiker
that has visted the ATC office has had their picture taken, and Jean has
taken most of them. She and her husband plan to do some hiking and travelling,
and then settle down so, as she says, " I can do two things--be a teacher's
aide in the first few grades and also work with the adult-literacy program."
She will be sorely missed......
Marshall
"Tarkus"