CLASS OF 1957 | 2015 | ISSUE 3
Catching up with Sam Bergner, I learned that he is gradually unwinding his long-standing commercial real estate business, Laric Properties, which is based primarily in New Jersey. Through a combination of sales to various of his partners and outright sales in the open market, he is becoming more liquid (in financial jargon). I reminded him that given current paltry interest rates he might not realize the kinds of returns he has been used to seeing, and his response was a figurative brush of the hand and a comment that he is sleeping a lot more comfortably. I suppose that’s a high-grade worry, then.
Otherwise, Sam and wife Lynn have fourth-quarter trips planned: New Orleans and a cruise along Scandinavian waters—a diverse pair of destinations and indicative of a kind of bucket list travel. I commented that my own bucket-list remains more modest and includes a visit to the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. I was last there as a pre-teen and I’ve heard rumors that several additional players have been elected to the Hall since that time.
Staying with sports for a while, Bob Sharlet and Mike Stein collaborated on a piece of Wes memorabilia centering on our late classmate Dick Griscom. Among Dick’s many contributions to campus life in our student days was his organization of the Wesleyan Lacrosse Club, predecessor to the University’s official team some years later. For the club team he recruited jocks regardless of experience. Dick was talented with the lacrosse stick, the others less so. Bob played on the club team and remembers Deke brothers Len Rhynus ’58 and our classmate, Dave Walker, who played along with Dick on the attack.
The club played two scrimmages—against Amherst and Deerfield School. Though the Wes bench was thin and most of the players not in shape, the club survived the Amherst JV, and then naively assumed the Deerfield young men could be taken easily. Dick scored the first two goals and Deerfield—New England prep champs that year—the next 18. Nevertheless, lacrosse was launched at Wesleyan.
Kudos to Hank Fulton on publication of his biography of Dr. John Moore by the University of Delaware Press. Note the review thereof in the “Just Published” section of the previous edition of Wesleyan, page 8. The column represent a nice piece of “ink.” I could not help but observe that his book is the thickest one appearing in the stack illustrative on the review page. Wishing Hank all the best, as his work gets out in the academic literary world.
John Chaplick writes: “In my retirement I’ve become a published author who has written three novels. Who knows, maybe some of our alumni might want to read some of these engaging books. The three are: Forbidden Chronicles of a Roman Centurion(an archaeological dig under the streets of London uncovers a Roman Centurion’s 2,000- year-old letter that provides evidence that the New Testament is a forgery); The Rivergrass Legacy (a Harvard University bookworm becomes the target of a vicious Colombian drug cartel when he discovers an international money-laundering plot in a South Florida tropical fish hatchery); and Bridge of the Paper Tiger (in a story that demonstrates the likelihood of a terrorist attack from within, a mild-mannered accountant teams up with a tough, maverick FBI agent in an attempt to thwart the efforts of a foreign coalition to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge).” They are all available on John’s website at EngagingBooksBlog.com—and breaking news: The Rivergrass Legacy received a first place award from the Florida Writers Association in their 2015 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition.
John Allison reports on an autumn lunch with Dick Clarke and his wife, Katie. The Clarkes are moving to Winchester, Va., to be near family. John adds that his youngest granddaughter married in August on John’s 80th birthday, and the celebration was enjoyed by all.
Art Typermass | AGType@msn.com
144 East Avenue, #302B, Norwalk, CT 06851 | 203/504-8942