Class of 1964 | 2014 | Issue 1

The heat and humidity finally broke here in central Florida and the cool dry breeze felt good to this old Brooklynite. November also brought the undefeated Wesleyan football team facing Williams at Homecoming. The Cardinals were looking to capture their first Little Three football championship since 1970. I watched the game over the Internet and was delighted with our 16–14 triumph.

Wesleyan’s accomplishment came on the heels of the Boston Red Sox victory at the World Series, as the Sox clinched the crown at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918. I was thinking of Michael Palmer and his passion for the Sox at the end of the game. I was devastated to learn that he passed away from a stroke and heart attack on the evening of October 30th in New York City as the last out was recorded. He will truly be missed.

Russ Messing has just finished and self-published his first book of poetry, A Convergence of Unanticipated Consequences. I quote from his e-mail: “I am quite proud of and happy with it. I will soon start on my next book. Having been a ‘secret’ writer for many, many years, I finally decided to come out of my dark room and take the plunge into the light. It was a humbling and exciting experience. I love the focus, the whimsy, the challenge, the hard work, and the finished product.” It is available on Amazon.

David Skaggs reports that after leaving Congress in 1999, he worked in DC for several years on democracy-building, political reform, and civic education issues. David and wife Laura moved back to Colorado in 2006, sharing a small farm north of Niwot with a Scottish Highland cow, several chickens, and assorted vermin. The intervening years have included a stint as head of Colorado’s department of higher ed. for Gov. Ritter and, now, teaching and practicing law and co-chairing the Office of Congressional Ethics. He hopes to see a bunch from ’64 at Reunion in May.

Allen Ames has been retired for a few years and lives in Clinton, Conn. He still boats (now with a 31-foot trawler) and sings in a local church choir.

David Townsend communicated that he is happily retired in Chattanooga, Tenn., with wife Gale and their two Shelties. After having both hips replaced, his athletic activities center around swimming and bicycling. They have made several bike tours with Vermont Bicycling Tours and the last one touring the vineyards in California. They have also done the Dolomites, Hungary, and Slovakia, and Costa Rica. Last year he reestablished contact with Paul Eschholz and visited him at his home in Naples, Fla. It had been over 25 years since they last contacted each other.

TED MANOS, M.D.
ted_manos@yahoo.com