Tag: 1970

Aloha, everyone.

Bob Apter wrote, “I’m continuing to enjoy life in Sedona, hiking and exploring new avenues of thinking about the universe!

“I’m still doing telemedicine for COVID with myfreedoctor.com but at a much-reduced level of activity, partly due the expiration of the COVID emergency, which previously allowed me to prescribe in all 50 states, partly due to COVID being less severe and less on people’s minds.

“I just did a presentation on COVID to an Arizona Senate committee at an intergovernmental conference. It was a four-and-one-half hour hearing, of which my presentation was about 30 minutes.

“As always, if anyone is visiting Sedona, please look me up and I should be able to show you around.”

George Nash is experiencing the effects of our extended years on the planet. I’m sure several of you can relate. “Old age is a bitch! Been plagued by back problems requiring surgery the past year. But otherwise just keeping on. Retired from active diversified small farming. Now just keeping enough animals around to amuse our Airbnb guests. Retiring also from full-time participation in the Christmas tree business after 49 years. Our youngest daughter is now doing a great job of managing it and cultivating several of our grandchildren for the next generation. Family keeps expanding. Nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. We’re expecting a few more in the next few years. Our family dinners are positively Brueghelian.”

Bi-stater Rob Baker wrote, “Sandra and I travel between Park City and Princeville [Kauai]. Our charitable work focuses on Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield, Vermont, The Namahana School in Kilauea, the Kauai Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and Reef Guardians on Kauai. I hope to continue surfing, skiing, and riding my bikes for as long as possible.” (More power to you and thanks for supporting good island causes.)

Tony Balis is inspiring in continuing to work to improve the planet. He wrote, “The Humanity Initiative (www.humanity.org) is now entirely re-imagined. We are emphasizing the three primary challenges that confront humanity: ending war, solving climate change, and saving democracy. 

“Also, we’ve added a new feature that allows people to customize donations to the top 35 NGOs across the continents. I’ve been working on THI for 37 years now. Finally feels that we are achieving substantial traction. Please take a look!

“Regards to all, Tony”

Connecticut resident Gordon Fain sent a memory-filled note: “In a quiet and persistent way, Seth Kaufman built our class into a real scholarship-fund powerhouse for over 25 years as class agent for ’70. Wesleyan wisely awarded him recognition. Seth was among many ’70 men who went to law school and he successfully did legal work in NYC.   

“Sad to see loss of class secretary  Lloyd Buzzell ’68, my crew ‘mate.’ Lloyd captained the Wes team that had a great Dad Vail Regatta showing in Philadelphia under Coach Calhoun (who is quoted about Lloyd in our magazine that just arrived). Among other crew members was Bob Carter, the junior varsity ‘stroke,’ Peter Etkin, JV coxswain, and more. Dr. Nason Hamlin ’68 and other seniors helped us with the spring crew camp at a Connecticut lake, Fred Coleman ’69, and others. Still today, both Trinity and Wes put fine eight-person crew teams on the Connecticut River.   

“Hoping you and Dr. Neil Clendeninn ’71 can do an article on what Wesleyan tourists can best see and how to stay in the Hawaiian Islands. As I avoid plane rides beyond six hours without  breaks, I’m unlikely to see ya in Hawaii, but think many readers of all classes would enjoy suggestions. For example, how get through high prices? [Tip: Do a stopover somewhere on the West Coast. Only five-and-a-half or six hours from there. Re prices: budget and enjoy savings on winter clothes.]

Colin Kitchens posts frequently on Facebook, often about animals in need of our support, politics, and film-related subjects. He wrote, “Life is quiet and full of dogs. I am trying to figure out how to be useful before they discover that discover that I’m not. Hearing issues have resulted in a cochlear implant, which limits being an air controller. I have been writing, along with all of the rest of you. I hope the rest of you are enjoying your families and psychotropic Rx.”  [His favorite song is one of Jimmy Buffett’s last, My Gummy Just Kicked In. No, I just made that up. The favorite part; the song is real.]

One of our European residents, Ross Mullins in Geneva, sent some photos with Wesleyan friends.

Brothers-in-law Steve Talbot and Dave Davis both wrote about a project they are doing. Steve described it as“a great opportunity for two old friends, Wesleyan classmates, and documentary filmmakers like us to work together. It’s also a chance for Dave and me to return to the city where we were born and raised and went to high school together.”

Here are the details:  “Public TV in LA gave us an R&D grant to get started, allowing us to research the story and go through 30 boxes of photos, private letters, and newspaper articles about Clifford Clinton that are stored in the UCLA archives. It’s a real ‘Chinatown’ story—crime and politics! Now we are out hustling for production money. Stay tuned.

“While we were in LA, we were able to catch up with Wesleyan (and high school) classmate Guy Prevost, who is still chasing the Hollywood dreams, and remains as sharp and funny as ever.  

“P.S.: March 28 will mark the one-year anniversary of the debut of my documentary The Movement and the ‘Madman’ on the PBS series American Experience. Anyone interested can catch it on PBS Passport, Amazon Prime, or Kanopy, the library streaming service.”

Dave’s email included a lot of details about their project: “Steve Talbot and I are in early stages of developing a television documentary based on the life of my grandfather, Clifford Clinton, who led a campaign against a corrupt mayor and police chief in LA in the 1930s. It’s a classic film noir tale, but all true.        

“Here is a synopsis of the story: Arriving in Depression-era Los Angeles, a young entrepreneur, Clifford Clinton, opens two innovative, imaginative cafeterias he calls Clifton’s. They become very successful, welcome Black patrons during a time of de facto segregation, and provide free meals for the hungry and desperate. Asked to investigate fraud and spoiled food at the county hospital, Clinton uncovers a vast network of citywide corruption run by the mayor and a violent police lieutenant. Clinton and his allies become targets of newspaper smears, threats, and bombings, culminating in a sensational police trial and an unprecedented citizen’s movement that ousts the mayor.”

Dave added, “I am now semi-retired from my job at Oregon Public Broadcasting, after 28 years.”

Peter Traneus Anderson sent this: “Hello to the classmates I never knew. I entered Wesleyan as a junior transfer student, so missed freshman orientation, and buried myself in the physics department as a closeted-electronics engineer in Bud Bertman’s low-temperature research group. I retired out of a plant closing in 2010. Thanks again for Wesleyan 70 Fiftieth Reunion book from 2020.  [Come to our reunion next May and meet the gang.]

Among the more healthy members of our class is Mark Geannette.  Mark wrote, “My wife and I just returned from a ski trip in the Dolomite Alps of northeast Italy. Happy these legs can still do that! In May we head back to our apartment in Alghero, Sardinia, for two months. Best regards, Mark”   [Thanks for the chance to live vicariously!]

Sweden resident Russ Bradshaw summarized life briefly, “I retired after 30 years teaching—associate professor Lehman College CUNY. Now live in Stockholm Sweden, with my wife (of 50 years), Gunilla. Presentation on social ‘influence processes’ at the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) in Barcelona in July: You’ll See It—When You Believe It: The Role of Belief in Cult Recruitment.” [Pretty timely, eh?]

Over on Oahu, Elbridge Smith continues practicing law. He shared some news from many years ago [better late than never!]:  “I gave myself an early law school graduation present taking myself and my (then) wife to New Zealand for Christmas holidays in 1976–77.” 

I’m reporting from Kalihiwai Valley, where we recently had three feet of water in the valley, enough to destroy a couple of vehicles we had parked by the (elevated) house. Replacing them with similar vehicle, which will be nearly the same models and years [an ’03 Jeep Wrangler and an ’06 Toyota Tacoma], but in (apparently) better condition. Appreciating a good insurance company. Meanwhile, getting through year 13 of teaching middle schoolers (think of herding cats and instructing chickens) while planning our June trip to New Zealand, including trying to learn more about photography with a mirrorless camera, and getting ready to sell our dream house so we can actually consider retirement.

Plan now for our reunion next spring, everyone. Let’s make it bigger than our delayed 50th. 

Just heard that David Redden died recently.  Please see the obituary here.  

Aloha, all.

The hardest part of writing this column always is the news of the death of a classmate.  And telling you that Seth Kaufman has died is one of the hardest pieces of news I have had to share over the many years. 

Here are a few comments I have received about Seth:

Maurice Hakim: “Seth was truly loved by his classmates. The toast of Eclectic, he was an outspoken member of our class and a loyal supporter of Wesleyan ever since graduation day. He and I were formidable political adversaries at Wesleyan. When we ran for the CBC, I could not believe I lost considering Robert Alan Segal and other cohorts had stuffed the ballot box. Seth confessed years later that he had more ballot box ‘stuffers’ than I did. 😃 That said, despite our political differences, we were always friends and maintained that friendship for many years. I loved to tease him. I called him a crazy radical with a bad case of TDS and that would really ruffle his feathers.

“Seth had a big heart. He was a real mensch who helped those who needed help. I will miss him.”

Jeremy Serwer:  “When I spoke with him a few times in the past couple of years, his passion for WES—right AND wrong—was always alive and well. He’d start with wondering what the call was about, and then would carry on just beautifully about our class, our experience, and Wesleyan today. . . . [S]omeone like Seth leaves an indelible mark on the world.”

Steve Ingraham: “The Rochester, New York, weather of late has been rain and mist— likely the heavens are weeping for the recent loss of a colorful classmate . . . . the one and only Seth.

“You all know the guy, and can appreciate his decades of service to Wesleyan. Seth style, of course!

“As is customary in the Jewish tradition, his burial was quick—two days after his death on December 19.  Below is my note to myself, the essence of which has also been expressed to his wife, Pat. She has been a saint in caring for him through his long illness. 

“21 December 2023

I first met Seth on a sunny, early September day in 1966. We freshmen were unpacking in a Foss Hill dorm, preparing to enter life’s next mysterious phase. I remember it like yesterday. I was jittery and altogether at sea that first day . . . until I was greeted in the hall by a fellow frosh with this thick Brooklyn accent. ‘So, aaah, what’s your name?’ In my room he came, without waiting for an answer. He flopped down in the room’s only chair, with those horrendous hush puppy shoes and socks that barely covered his ankles. He proceeded to ask good questions. He also listened. His enthusiasm was infectious; soon my anxieties gave way to laughter, and a lasting friendship was born.

“This past decade has been a terrible trial for Seth and for Pat, his spirited, loving wife.

Whatever one’s version of God, he/she or it went AWOL. How else explain the awful injustice dealt to this pure soul? Groping for something positive, there is relief, I tell myself, now that Seth’s suffering is over. And in time, the acute pain of the moment will, I trust, subside . . .  to be replaced by gratitude — gratitude for the deep bonds we shared.

“Seth was curious, committed, passionate, purposeful. He was loyal to those he respected. He was thoughtful, a great listener, and he was funny—no, make that hilarious. Forging our friendship at Wesleyan, I marveled at his ability to relate to folks of all different stripes, people from all corners of the Wesleyan community. During those four undergrad years, Seth was firing on all cylinders. He seemed to know everyone and be at the center of everything. As indeed he was. Through those tumultuous late 1960s, Seth earned not just respect, but also great affection . . .  from students, faculty, administration . . . from everybody. His sons, David and Rob, understand this, and take pride knowing that ‘service’ at and for Wesleyan was a calling for their dad. As Pat and all of us well know, after graduation Seth remained a spirited advocate.

To give but one example: for decades he was a tireless and effective fundraiser for Wesleyan. ‘A real mensch,’ as one classmate put it. Who could say ‘no!’ to Seth? Nobody.

“Many have expressed their admiration and respect for Pat’s strength and commitment to Seth through his years of nightmarish illness. I join that chorus. We are grateful for her tireless, unwavering support of Seth through good times and bad. My wish for Pat is that, in time, she will be comforted by the truth: that she did everything possible to bring him some relief. From a distance, I see that what she gave our friend was true love, expressed in a manner that leaves a shining example for David, Rob, and the rest of us.

“I’m pretty sure I speak for many: Seth will always be alive and very well in our hearts.

For me, he has been a colorful, loyal, kind, and magnificent friend for the ages. I was blessed beyond words when he first darkened my doorway that sunny September day in Middletown.”

And there was this in an email to some folks who meet on Zoom: “‘He was one of a kind’ is a tired old phrase. But here, it also falls short because it is an understatement.  For me, the fearsome thing about a deep friendship is what must come with it—that dread of the loss that will one day come. In time, the pain will give way to gratitude . . . that someone this special was there to brighten our lives. And now, the debt I feel to Pat [his widow] is immeasurable . . . for her love and support of Seth through this past, most difficult decade.”    

Bernie Freamon ’69:  “Seth touched me (and all of us) in a profound way. I am deeply saddened by his death.”

To all that, I can add only that the last time I spoke with him a few years ago was extremely painful and challenging. The difficulty I had understanding him—not because of the many miles from Hawaii to New York City but because of his physical deterioration—was excruciating. If there ever was a time when I wished I could hug someone over the phone lines, that was it. He was lucid to a T, however, with on-point political observations and concerns. I cannot even begin to imagine how much of a struggle life has been for Seth the past several years. No justice there.

RIP, Seth.  You won’t be forgotten by your classmates or, I daresay, by pretty much anyone who met you for more than a few minutes.

Seth’s obituary can be read here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/seth-kaufman-obituary?id=54159154

In other news, Tim Greaney wrote: “I just published my first novel, entitled St. Sebastian School of Law. It’s a satire on teaching law during the lawless Trump years; it may remind some in our class of that great novel by Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim. I’ve received some nice reviews on Amazon, including this from Kirkus Review: ‘The author moves with amazing agility and insight between the corrupt world of higher education, the bars and strip joints where information passes hands, and the corridors of the rich and the powerful. Greaney’s novel demands full attention from the reader; its portrayal of a small struggling campus is a cross-sectional study of the deep-seated issues in American society. . . . Timely and unapologetically smart, with a set of memorable characters to boot.’ 

            “I’m currently [last fall] visiting our classmate Paul Roth in Venice (the one in Italy). He’s secured a three-month visit at Ca’ Foscari, and after that will take off for Manchester, England, where he’s landed a Fulbright fellowship. Nice post-retirement gigs.

            “I’m done with teaching but am on several grants at UCLAWSF, as it’s now called, that allow me to file amicus briefs and write advocacy papers trying to get the courts to enforce antitrust laws in health care.”

Ted Reed wrote: “As you guys all know, this past summer everybody and their brother went to Italy, so my wife and I decided to climb Mount Lassen. We went in the first week of October. It was gorgeous. Lassen Volcanic National Park is in the far northeast corner of California, one of the most remote parts of the state. Lassen itself is 10,457 feet. The parking lot where we started is at 8,500 feet. To prepare, we did two hikes in the Smokies, a few hours from home: both had 2,000-foot altitude gains. Once at Lassen Park, we did a few hikes at 8,500 in order to be acclimated. The preparation made the climb easy. The trail is well marked, well maintained, and has great views every step of the way. I believe I climbed Lassen in 1981, so this was 42 years later. Obviously, it’s fun to still climb mountains at 75 years old, if you can find a beautiful mountain that is easy enough. Looks like our next trip will be to Europe, my wife’s preference.” 

In a brief note, Dave Davis said a lot: “I am now semiretired from Oregon Public Broadcasting, so with more free time, classmate Steve Talbot and I are developing a public television documentary about my grandfather, who led an effort to expose crime and corruption in LA in the 1930s. Think L.A. Confidential and you’ll have an idea how the story plays out.” Steve comments: “This documentary project about Dave’s grandfather is a great opportunity for Dave and me to work together again (we started making films together at Wesleyan in 1969!), revisit the city where we were born and raised, and tell an amazing story about crime and politics that is straight out of Raymond Chandler, but all true.”

Good to hear from Bill Bullard. “First, some news about our classmate, Tim McGlue, whom I’ve stayed close to since he moved to France weeks after we graduated. His first wife, Claude, 20 years our senior and both younger and wiser in body and spirit than any of us, passed away in August. Tim stayed close to her after their divorce 30 years ago and was with her the day before she passed. Nothing became Claude’s life as much as her leaving it. A good death, he wrote. But in October, Sylvie, his second wife, mother of his two daughters, and partner for their many years together in Normandy, died of cancer. Both women were our dear friends. Tim had extraordinary good fortune in the women who married him. He is surrounded by friends and family, so he is not alone, but I’m sure the blow is harder than he’ll ever say. I just hope Tim keeps on keeping on, especially with his blues band in Paris.

“On my own front, my wife, Bodie, finally retired after 15 years as head of Spence School in Manhattan, and we lit out for the territories—May and June in Paris, July in Tuscany with our 15 kids and grandkids, and September as guests of old San Francisco friends in a trip to Iceland and a cruise from Greenland to Quebec.  It was great to give us and our kids that gift, to know we had the juice to stay on the road that long, and to experience again what it feels like to make Paris a home. Here we are (Bodie and I are in the middle) with our friends in Nuuk Greenland fjord enjoying 12-year-old Glenfiddich over ice from the 12,000-year-old iceberg in the background.

“We left NYC after Bodie’s retirement and moved permanently to our 18th-century farmhouse near Hudson in Columbia County.  We don’t have enough land or animals to call it a farm, though everywhere we look is sheep, cattle, and rolling fields of wheat and hay. I have a photography studio in the barn we fixed up and have just enough success publishing and showing work to keep me busy and connected to the large community of artists and photographers in the area. And the city is just a couple of hours away, so we find lots of reasons to spend several days there a month.”

Mitch Grashin, still active in the marijuana insurance business, wrote: “CALL FOR PHILLIP MORRIS” (a reference to a very old radio program ad.)

Peter Kalischer wrote briefly, as well: “Well, besides relocating/repatriating to the U.S., no news.” Peter and Emi live in Honolulu.

Still finishing our house, but economics dictate a sale if we’re going to retire. For the right price, we can pay this place off and get something basic on the island, albeit undoubtedly in a less-scenic location. If anyone knows someone with a lot of money….

Planning a winter trip to New Zealand in June. It’s an inspiration to get in better shape.  When I read about New Zealand, ever other word is “walk” or “hike” or “trek” or similar.   Seems like that’s the way to see many of the great sites. Looking forward to seeing it and probably taking about 3,000 to 4,000 photos. 

Please plan now for our 55th Reunion. It will be just about a year from the time you read this.

Aloha, everyone. Lots of news and plenty of space because this column is digital.

Some of your classmates were traveling during the past several months, perhaps most notably Elliot Daum and Marcos Goodman, who both embarked on months-long expeditions all over Europe.

Peter Ratner wrote: “Not much to report. Retirement is still working out for us. Am attending to some medical issues (cataract surgery), so have been a bit slack with my conservation work. [Peter volunteers on projects regularly.]

“Looking forward to Australia in August to see my daughter and then four weeks in Alsace (to visit places in Germany where my ancestors lived), Normandy with two of our daughters, England, and the US of A.”

While some of us would like to retire, at least one of us intentionally isn’t. Had this from John Rinehart: “As I was getting ready to retire, a new job opportunity presented itself, so as of March of this year, I became the director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. After almost 40 years in private practice, the return to an academic position has been interesting. I would say that for those of you who have grandchildren who are considering medicine as a career, the future of medicine is exciting. Combining AI with molecular biology offers opportunities that cannot even be imagined. How long this leg of the journey will last, I don’t know but so far it is interesting.”

From Rob Baker: “We have a new grandson. Spent some time enjoying Nicaraguan hospitality and, of course, waves. We are still enjoying time on Kauai.” 

A long letter from Bob Apter: “I am continuing to enjoy Sedona, even the summer when it frequently gets to 100 degrees! I usually hike three times per week, and I have no trouble keeping busy the rest of the time with the year-round film festival here, and lots of dining and entertainment options unusual for a small community.

“I visited the Oak Creek swimming hole in the picture yesterday with a friend. It was a perfect place to swim in the heat, with cool but not too cold water! The swimming hole was amazingly more than 100 yards long (we never reached the upstream end of the swimmable pool) and about 25 yards wide. The area near the rock wall in the picture is 12 feet deep!  Although Sedona is known for crowds, because this place is little known and a bit difficult to get to, we didn’t see another person the whole six hours we were out. It is similarly relatively easy to find incredible places to hike that tourists will never see!

“The picture of Coffee Pot Rock in the snow got 26,000 likes on a landscape photography site, probably a combination of Coffee Pot being an iconic symbol of Sedona, and the amount of fresh snow was quite unusual. I took the picture from the street a few doors from my house! All these pictures are taken with my iPhone.

“Brenda and I separated at Thanksgiving and are in the process of divorce. But condolences are not in order! I feel very liberated and newly able to explore what Sedona has to offer. I am now in a new relationship with Anngwyn St. Just. She is well- known in a small circle of practitioners of Systemic Constellations. You can learn a bit about her work by Googling her. She has written 10 books, several of which have been translated into Spanish and German.  

“I have been utterly amazed at the number of people I have met in Sedona with psychic abilities. Some of them I have met through Anngwyn, but others just by meeting people and their friends. I do believe the phenomena they describe are real, at least for the most part, and I am exploring this new (for me) realm. Sedona, with its vortexes and red rocks, is truly a magnet for such people.

“I am still doing a bit of telemedicine work for COVID, but my workload has dropped way off because of the ending of the emergency status (which means I can no longer prescribe for COVID in states where I am not licensed), and the easing of the pandemic. I am still involved in a lawsuit against the FDA for suppressing use of ivermectin for COVID and fending off medical licensing boards who want to take my license away for having had far better treatment results than they can account for, by ignoring all of the mainstream narrative advice, which I consider to be corrupt lies. I have done something like 15,000 patient consultations for COVID. In the first month I did this (April 2021), I had two high-risk patients not respond well, and they went to the hospital where they worsened and died. I adjusted protocols, and since then I have not had any deaths, and very few hospital visits in patients I have treated.

“Because of my divorce, I am not yet in a permanent housing situation, but I would love to get together with anyone who might be coming through Sedona! And if you like, I can guide you on one or more hikes to incredible places.”

And this from the elusive Harvey Bercowitz: “Picture of me, wife Lynn, and dog Sadie (our fourth Komondor) at home in Virginia Beach. We love living by the ocean. Still happily retired. Traveling a bit more. Just back from visiting Bob Feldman, wife, Kathy, kids, and grandkids vacationing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He remains busy writing and updating psychology textbooks and doing special projects for UMass, Amherst where he was most recently vice chancellor. Hope to see you in ’25!”

Peter and Emi Kalischer have moved from Japan to Honolulu, where their condo has an ocean view.  

Jeremy Serwer sent in photos to show us “how simple and fun life can be at 75. . . . Where else can you invest a $100 or so, plus gas and tolls, pulling 8,000 pounds, and get a quarter to half of it back?  And enjoy a favorite pastime, the Old West?” He said he’s not sure if our Wesleyan education “prepared me for when it comes to this stuff, though I bet it gave me the right frame of mind. . . .”

We moved into our Kalihiwai Valley (Kaua’i) home in February. There is much to do to finish it, including redoing some things that the second general contractor screwed up.  He abandoned the project, so we were left with a lot of basic things to handle. The bulk of those is done, but it’s proving difficult to get the electrician and the plumber back to finish the last of their work. Still, with only one neighbor in this end of the valley, a beautiful waterfall view behind some invasive trees to be felled, and a lazy river nearby that leads to a gorgeous bay, we don’t have much room to complain. Now for interest rates to fall to the level at which the place will be affordable. 

On another front, because of the building costs and our underpaid jobs, Vera and I don’t really travel except for very special family occasions. But we’re planning a trip to New Zealand for next June. Very fortunately, we have been able to book flights on Alaska Airlines miles via Fiji Airways, one of their partners. With a stop on Christmas Island for one hour (“How’d you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?”—Leon Redbone) and two days in Fiji on the way to Auckland, it should be fun. We’re digging out the warmer clothing for the New Zealand winter weather and scouring guidebooks and the internet for ideas. Tried an AI search for an itinerary based on hot springs, short hikes, and scenery. An interesting experiment. 

And that about does it for this round. In case you are as spacey as I am, go right now and put our 55th Reunion on your calendar for May 2025.  

Aloha,

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

Ed. note: Russ received a few updates this round:

Stephen Policoff writes: “My third novel, Dangerous Blues, was just published by the small but admirable Flexible Press (November 1, 2022), https://www.flexiblepub.com/dangerous-blues. Available at Amazon! Bookshop.org.! Your friendly local bookstore!

“My daughter Jane recently graduated from NYU and is working at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. I am still teaching at NYU and live amongst the looming towers of the university.”

Miles Siegel sent in a photo of Robby Laitos, Mark Fuller, and himself in Yosemite Valley in October. What a great place for a minireunion! 

George S. T. DeBolt writes: “Fifty-two years after graduation, at age 74, I have become—in the words of Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV—a virtual internet sensation. I give tours of Pittsburgh. A visitor made a video of one of them, posted it on TikTok, and it has received over 2.5 million views and thousands of likes. I thought I would share the link and the article, which resulted from it for kicks: 

@caroletriesnewthings

What in the hell? #pittsburgh #pittsburghpa #pittsburghcheck #caroletriesnewthings #tourist #traveladvisor #tour #tourism #duquesneincline #duquesne #pitt #pittsburghsteelers #talkingheads #francoharris

♬ Good Day – Nappy Roots