CLASS OF 1972 | 2015 | ISSUE 2

First, my humble apologies to Ron Ashkenas, whose name was omitted from the list of attendees at the George Sobelman Celebration last fall. I would blame the Wesleyan editors, but he knows better. Ron attended a fundraiser for Chabad of Wesleyan in New York this spring, honoring the retirement of Professor Vera Schwarz, who happens to be Ron’s machateinista. “Seems like the current Chabad rabbi, Levi Schechtman,” Ron writes, “is stirring up some of the old Sobelmania spirit … Friday night dinners at his house, little kids running around, etc. It was nice to hear about it.”

I am thrilled to report that Steve Schiff has been heavily involved in the production and writing of The Americans on TV, for which he and his colleagues were recognized with a prestigious Peabody Award. The Americans, which tells the story of a KGB “sleeper” couple in the Washington suburbs during the Reagan Administration, is just about my favorite show, and if you aren’t watching it you should. Steve wants everyone to know that all of the particularly sexy episodes were written by him.

Mike Kaloyanides announced the retirement of his briefcase, given to him by his mother, after 39 years of being carried by Mike to classes at the University of New Haven. I believe that Mike, as well, has taken on emeritus status. Mike has been teaching music at UNH for those 39 years, and was much beloved by the student body. Not a surprise.
Bradley Paddock, a distinguished otolaryngologist in the Albany area, is part owner (don’t ask me which part) of a thoroughbred named Mexican Groove. The horse had some bad racing luck in Florida and is, at the time of this writing, being shipped to the Big Apple. By the time these notes are printed, Brad will probably have made a fortune on him at Saratoga. (Aren’t you all amazed that I wrote this entire paragraph without a joking reference to Brad’s surname?)

Jim Cacciola has surfaced on Facebook. He is now retired from his medical practice and spending a lot of time in Florida. Jim points out that the Scott Cacciola who covers the NBA so ably for The New York Times is his nephew! Jim also points out that Scott’s success must be due to his studies at Columbia School of Journalism when Dave Klatell ’70 was the Dean.

Well, there it is. Could it possibly be that we have heard nothing from Whizzer White this quarter? No, wait, there’s an e-mail coming in…

“This is what was recently written about our Butch Carson (now known as Bill Carson): The general manager/CEO of Samtrans, Caltrain, SMCTA ‘has appointed Bill Carson, director, human resources. Bill is no stranger to the district, having spent the last 22 years in human resources as employee relations officer, then manager, employee relations and civil rights, and most recently as acting director, HR. Before joining the district, Bill was employed by the HR departments at Bechtel Inc., and United Airlines, and held various supervisory positions in staffing, compensation and benefits, training and development, EEO, and affirmative action, service awards programs and advanced program development. Bill has a BA in psychology from Wesleyan University and a juris doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law.’

“Of course, I like to take credit for Butch Carson’s early management experience because he was my resident adviser on Harriman Hall our junior year at Wesleyan. This was the Wesleyan experience at its best.”

Thanks, folks! More in four months!