CLASS OF 1970 | 2023 | SUMMER ISSUE
Aloha.
First, I have to apologize that somehow I missed a print deadline completely. No idea what went on there. Maybe it was finally moving into the house we’ve been building for several years, maybe a warp in the space-time continuum. I’d blame it on COVID, but I didn’t get it until recently. If you sent me news in the past eight months that isn’t in this column and hasn’t been in print or in the virtual edition of the alumni magazine, please consider resubmitting. Again, my deepest apologies.
Beginning with those from whom we haven’t heard in a long time, or maybe never. Jerry Schwartz wrote,“Since the pandemic started, I’ve been teaching religious (Torah) classes for synagogues and temples around the country. I never would have imagined this. Tip of the hat to Zoom for making it possible.”
David Davis wrote, “After 27 years at Oregon Public Broadcasting, I am finally retiring at the end of June. I’ll continue to work a few hours a week after that to finish up a few projects. Last June, I received a Silver Circle Award from NATAS, the organization that awards television Emmys. This award recognizes people who have worked more than 25 years in the industry and have made a significant contribution. I hope life after retirement includes more travel with my wife Cindy Talbot (sister of classmate Steve Talbot). Cindy is also retiring as a family practice physician. My youngest daughter Eva has followed in her footsteps—she’s a family practice resident in Tacoma, Washington.”
Mitch Grashin popped up on Facebook. He lives in the San Fransisco Bay area. I’ll put his update at the end. (It gets the award for longest classmate news post I’ve ever received, I think.)
Tim McGlue lives in France now, by the sea in Le Havre. He wrote, “Last fall, I published my first historical novel, Mixed Blood: Last Winter in America, at Polyverse Publications in California. Many years of research and writing finally come to fruition, now out there for people to read. I hope this news reaches some of my friends from Wesleyan, and the College of Letters professors who had a big hand in my writing genesis. Some are still with us, I know. Many thanks to them and to Wesleyan. Last time I gave news was for the 1970 Class Reunion that didn’t happen (COVID took over. . .). Maybe next time around.
“Attached is a poster page with the cover photograph of Mixed Blood. . . and how to order. I also keep up a Facebook author’s page (link on the poster) with a Reader’s Companion and illustrations appearing in the book, with full color maps, diagrams, related issues and articles, and more.
“I write and publish now as ‘Tim Warren McGlue,’ taking up the name of my mother’s and my own ancestors. There are still many Warrens on the White Earth Chippewa Reservation in Minnesota—I went to visit last year. And there are many of us out and abroad, as it were. It is a beautiful place, with wonderful people who, I was happy to see, are doing very well.”
“Mixed Blood: Last Winter in America is the story of William W. Warren, the son of an Ojibwe mother and white trader father at the edge of the frontier. Torn between cultures, Warren gathers the oral histories of the elders to preserve them against the ravages of progress. Finally, only 27 years old but with failing health, he takes his manuscript in hand to embark on a perilous mid-winter journey to New York City.
“Author Tim Warren McGlue uses historical records, letters and photographs to bring us this historical biofiction based on the life of his ancestor, William Whipple Warren, as he struggles to publish the book that would become the classic History of the Ojibway People, a first-of-its-kind collection of Native American stories and traditions still in print today.” Two links about the book:
https://www.amazon.fr/Mixed-Blood-Winter-America-English-ebook/dp/BOBN68Y8P7
https://www.facebook.com/people/Mixed-Blood-Last-Winter-in-America/100088090835382/
Gordon Fain wrote from Hamden-near-New Haven:“Swim team and Foss Hill classmates may remember swimmer Gus Spohn, and his girlfriend Sarah Clark ’73, who transferred to Wes and graduated with us. Sara, Gus, my wife Lila, and I all live on the same block in Hamden. Sara and Gus are blessed to have grandchildren in our neighborhood, while we are fortunate that our grandchildren are enjoying schools in Michigan and California. Gus jogs by our house.
“Classmates who studied government, economics, international affairs, etc., may be interested that a new Public Affairs center is in progress on campus.”
Guy Prevost wrote, “I’ve been toggling between film and fiction writing recently, more emphasis on the latter. Had a number of short stories published in various journals, and one was just included in an impressive anthology where I share space with Nathaniel Hawthorne and H. G. Wells. Meanwhile have been in friendly touch with Steve Talbot, Dave Davis, and Mark Fuller. Also, Steve Policoff who starred in my thesis film at Wes.”
Bob Stone wrote, “In late April, 11 Wes Delts gathered for a minireunion in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Many were accompanied by their very brave spouses. The reunion was attended by Hank Shelton ’72 (chief organizer of the event), Rick Birinyi ’72, Larry Mendelowitz ’72, Jim Hoxie ’72, Mike Blake ’72, John Hester ’71, Joel Adams, Ralph Moore, Pete Stein, Marc Pickard, and yours truly. We enjoyed three days of endless chatting, walks on the beach, too much food and drink, and wonderful camaraderie. Rico arranged for delicious gourmet dinners. At the end of our first dinner, the group spontaneously broke into a boisterous rendition of ‘The Old College Medley.’ The restaurant had mostly cleared by then, but the staff found it highly amusing.
David Redden wrote,“I’ve beaten the odds-on ALS longevity by several years now, and cheerfully agreed to be the subject in an astonishing effort to engineer telepathic communication with machines. Last October, in an extraordinary operation involving 12 surgeons working over eight hours, I had an array of electrodes inserted in my brain and connected to transmitter in my chest, allowing me to communicate with computers through thought alone. I am now Patient One in the U.S. and Patient Two in the world to be involved with this experimental technology. I spend ten hours a week training how to use the electrodes. But for someone who has become a mute quadriplegic it’s very exciting to be at the forefront of this astonishing new technology.
“My daughter marries her girlfriend next month and, surprisingly, I’ll be there.”
Steve Talbot has had his latest documentary, The Movement and the “Madman”, aired on the PBS American Experience series. A few of his thoughts about the project include, “One of the bonuses of making my documentary was reconnecting with so many Wesleyan friends who had taken part in the fall 1969 protests that the film covered. I thank everyone who watched and for sharing their memories of marching down Main Street in Middletown for the October 15 Moratorium and going to Washington, D.C., on November 15 for the largest march and rally the country had ever seen.
“For anyone who missed the film or would like to see it again, you can watch it on PBS Passport, Amazon, or iTunes.” The film has gotten great reviews and is a must-see, IMHO.
John Sheffield wrote, “Still working as crew and/or delivery captain of sailing vessels. Most recent gigs: brought a 33-foot Halberg sloop from Chesapeake Bay to Long Island Sound, did fix-up tasks and taught sailing to a young sailor on Long Island South Bay. Enjoying time with our 10-year-old grandson in NYC and connecting with some Wes undergrads through LinkedIn. Still playing tennis regularly.”
Congratulations to Jamie Kirkpatrick, who has published a new novel, This Salted Soil. Jamie’s description: “This Salted Soil is historical fiction, centered on the North African campaign in World War II. Ever since I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia, I’ve wanted to write about the battle for Tunisia and two related themes: Tunisia’s struggle for independence from France and the role of Third World countries in the Cold War.” The book is available on Amazon.
Maurice Hakim wrote, “First, I want to clear the air by saying I have no classified documents in my house, garage, or barn in Clinton, Connecticut.
“Carol and I spent December and the first week of January in Florida. Much to my chagrin, I had a tooth infection that resulted in two root canals and two subsequent crowns. If that wasn’t enough, we took the autotrain back north, and as I unloaded my overnight bag, I closed the rear door on my hand. We spent the next night at my Lawrenceville classmate Bob McEwen’s home in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The following day, we drove home to Clinton, Connecticut, and stopped at the Middlesex Hospital’s ER where it was discovered that I incurred a broken middle figure, the one I use to express my total frustration with Joe Biden. Today, the splint will be removed and two fingers will be taped. Thereafter, I start finger therapy for a few weeks.
“Business is starting to boom. Earth Fare is back in business under new ownership. Their first 44-pallet order (4,488 cases of teas and lemonades) goes out next month along with another 22 pallets for Heinen’s and a smaller order for the Mister Mo’s Lemonade distributor that covers Massachusetts and Rhode Island. They are coming into Connecticut soon.
“It’s cold in Connecticut and taxes are high, of course. But we no longer support two homes. We can now see Alexandra all the time rather than six months every year. She’s now working at the Boston Consulting Group. Great salary and terrific perks. Carol is doing very well in real estate. She specializes in retail leasing and commercial sales.”
A salute to Jacob Scherr who has kept a weekly, nonreunion reunion Zoom going for a few years now. About 35 folks are on the email list for the Zoom and I’m sure you can join in, too, if you want to. It’s good to see actual and adopted ’70 folks semi-regularly, like David Williams ’72, Peter Kalischer, Elliot Daum (and, of course) Harvey Yazijian, Jeremy Serwer, Prince Chambliss, Bernie Freamon ’69, Josh Barrett, Demetrie Comnas ’71, etc.
Marcos Goodman gets the Class Notes award for “Widest Travels That We Know” About. Although Jacob Scherr and Elliot Daum are in Europe as I write this and have connected with some Wes folks, including Basil Comnas, Marcos travels extensively and to places most folks never thought about visiting. (Albania or Ukraine, anyone?) He writes long posts that appear on Facebook, full of all sorts of interesting information about the places and their history, all the while playing a silent recorder into an electronic gizmo and doing a blog on whistling.
I recently reconnected with Mitch Grashin on Facebook. He sent me the following update:
“I’m glad to be thinking back on the things I mentioned that I’ve done since Wesleyan. I really don’t think much about where I’ve been and what I’ve done; I just kind of seem to always be caught up in what’s happening now, so I appreciate this chance to look back. I wanted to tell you about the two restaurants I was involved with just after Wesleyan times. First off, I did them both with my longtime buddy Bob McAfee, who you may have met when he came to stay with me at Wesleyan during the ’67–’68 school year. Our first restaurant, opened in 1969, The Great Shanghai Steel and Iron Works, was a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in Berkeley, just off the Cal campus. I think it was the only vegetarian Chinese restaurant in the country at the time. It was frequented daily by the likes of Eldridge Cleaver, Huey Newton, Timothy Leary, Sly Stone, etc., etc., as well as many of the visiting Chinese students at Cal. We served brown rice (scandalous), and we were so arrogant that if you wanted white rice we charged extra for it. Our next restaurant, The Vitium Capitale (capital vice), opened in the refurbished Farmers Market in Seattle in 1974. It was vegetarian, and during the day we served crepes, desserts, and cappuccino. In the evenings we reopened and served five-course vegetarian meals, by reservation. We had farmers in the market growing specialty vegetables for us, and we had several of Bob’s recipes in the Gourmet magazine of the time. We were on the circuit of various music groups touring that came through Seattle and cooked many an after-midnight banquet (complete with magic mushrooms) for musicians of the day. We also catered for the Super Sonics, because Coach Bill Russel liked us and wanted to support Black-owned business. We also used to cater dinners at his house in Mercer Island, and oh my God, the guest list at Bill’s dinner parties was breathtaking. I’m told that from our humble Vitium Capitale we started the so-called ‘California Cuisine’ using locally sourced and specialty grown vegetables, and in the early days, we were scoped by the soon-to-be cultural food icons Jeremy Towers and Alice Waters (my son Pal later worked at her restaurant, Che Panisse, in Berkeley). That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Thanks, again, Russ for providing me a mirror from my past.”
But wait, there’s more: “I am in my eighth decade of playing martial arts. My dad put my brother and me in a traditional dojo (no English spoken) in Seattle, three nights a week when we were there and four years old, respectively. I got my black belt when I was 12, then the next year, Bruce Lee moved in next door and I hung out with that blessed brother for a couple of years, and I have been practicing Chinese forms since then.”
But, wait, there’s still more: “I went from Wesleyan to getting my acupuncture degree in 1970 (same as Wes), then opened a couple of restaurants in Berkeley and then in Seattle in the refurbished Farmers Market (early ’70s), then moved to Jamaica, early ’70s, working as an acupuncturist in a medical clinic. While living in Jamaica, met over several years with the Chinese delegation (the U.S. had no relations with China), eventually getting, in 1972, the first invitation to the Canton Trade Fair, and then we were the first American company in China, two years before Nixon! When I came back to America in the mid-’70s (sold our invitation to the Canton Trad Fare to Shell Oil in 1976 for $50,000), acupuncture wasn’t legal yet, so I spent the next 25 years as a broker. I retired twice, first from real estate, then from mortgages. Now I have unretired for the second time, and we now have a start-up, providing insurance, proof of which is required in all states, for the commercial cannabis market. I think this may be my last hurrah in the business world, as we struck gold on this, having the great good fortune to PARTNER with Lloyds of London, who have been wanting to get into the cannabis market but didn’t know how until we got together and showed them how to reach the growers, and provided an avenue for conventional banking services without violating interstate money laundering laws. We have an exclusive contract to market the policies we helped them develop for the cannabis market, in the U.S., Canada, and now worldwide. We are now insuring oceangoing cargo ships of cannabis and hemp, coming full circle back to Lloyds original mission of insuring the oceangoing vessels that went on expeditions to the East Indies and the spice islands. We are a privately held company, all old-timers (six of us), pretty much women and people of color, no MBAs, no vulture capitalist (just sold stock to friends and family) funding, and just received a valuation of $140 million, based solely on our Lloyds contracts. We are doing some merging of parts of the company with a BIG insurance network (6,000 agents) and now after five years of not getting paid, we are looking at a good payday, and ongoing stock that pays dividends, with a pretty good chance of getting to $1 billion valuation within five years, based on the growing worldwide cannabis market. The new company we will merge operations with [will] do the day-to-day administration and will provide a legitimate CEO and COO, and one of our own will be the CO. We have been meeting with the Chinese and New Zealand governments to provide a $5 million/year blanket insurance policy for the tonnes of cannabis that China has contracted with New Zealand to grow for Southeast Asia (because New Zealand has the same perfect-for-growing-cannabis climate as Northern California). The first few years of this company, my partner and I spent visiting and getting to know the growers and networks of North American cannabis and hemp growers. Those connections, and the solution we found for commercial banking, are two things that attracted Lloyds to us. My whole life has been a great ride, and I have a front row seat! . . . .
“I guess I’m a serial multitasker, and I forgot to mention that I have also been in the cannabis industry for the past 55 years.”
Until next time, aloha.
Russ