How’s this for a sub-masthead? As Hargraves and Wheeler man the class banner and Stuart the heraldic ensign, ‘61s prepare to march to the October ’13 bonfire. [mahalo, Heathcote]

   Greetings from the real frozen tundra! You know: where the perma-frost never gets above 32 degrees, thus rendering the landscape a continuous block of glare ice. Empirical evidence reveals that it has gotten progressively colder since your lowly scribe moved here in January of 2010. And now the glacial floes have descended upon the Uppah Valley for good, thereby eliminating any need for antiquated geopolitical boundaries: NuHamster, the Peoples Republic of VT, and DownEast (ME) have collectively been designated South Canada. The four seasons are now Wintah, Wintah, Too Cold To Go Outdoors, and Wintah. Sports have winnowed down to Hockey, Curling, and Speed-skating; it’s too cold to ski. Which is a shame because Dartmouth was developing a fine baseball program; horsehide jox have been relocated to Baton Rouge, LA, and get their degrees from the LSU Big Green Extension. If these truths are inconvenient for you, tough noogies.

   So, here’s noose from da class: Just as the last WWW was going to print, we had an exchange with Oscar regarding the “transition” of ‘61 business to the ultimate survivors (read: bearers of the Y chromosome), and Nyla’s possible interest in coming aboard now as a Class Officer. His reply: “I think she would be pretty strong as such...Of course the decision is hers.” And Mike Murphy confirms: “Tom, I think it is a great (and inevitable) idea and I fully support Nyla who clearly has the chops.” Forwarded the topic to Denny Denniston on October 14, but still have not been instructed to knight anyone from our female contingent to serve. Which is lamentable as the sand continues to rush down the hourglass, and we have all now outlived our allotted three score and ten . . . Comments?

   Ivar found an article in “Travel-Leisure” mag touting Willinda & Pete McCrea’s Stony Hill Vineyard: “For something on a more intimate scale...160 heart-stopping acres on the slope of Spring Mountain, north of St. Helena. Call ahead to book an hour-long hike with Sarah McCrea, granddaughter of the founders; for $100 per person this includes a picnic lunch by redwoods and pours of chardonnay.” Thus harking up fond memories of that fine San Francisco mini, lo, those many moons of yore. In SF ourself back in January, to attend memorial service of a dear friend from Honolulu (orig. from SF), enjoyed dinner with Fred Fields, Esq., his delightful squeeze Rox, and his “girl Friday”—an old buddy from HNL; you may recall that the law firm which brags of FSF and Bill Hutton hosted a lovely cocktail soiree during the aforementioned San Francisco mini (all chaired so ably by Hutton). Fred subsequently supplied us with some very pleasurable reading [see: Barry Unsworth, historical fiction], and this classic photo dredged up from his younger son’s treasure trove of same:

Could we ever forget...?

   Henry Eberhardt and Webmaster Harris McKee are ’61 co-Head Agents for the DCF, carrying us to the 55th. Squid [HEE is Hawaiian for octopus, squid...] refines their effort witha plug for 70% participation goal this year. “We've consistently been one of the best classes in DCF participation and we're aiming to be #1. One of my objectives is to get 100% participation from the Class Officers ASAP.”

Prez. Denny Denniston confirms: “We all owe thanks to Peter Stuart for serving the Class as Head Agent for the last two years since our 50th Reunion. The Nominating Committee chaired by Art Kelton, and including Gerry Kaminsky, Mike Murphy, Don O’Neill, Dave Prewitt and Vic Rich, has selected our new Head Agents [above]...They and the other Class Officers have all agreed to a set of challenging goals that are part of our plan to achieve recognition as one of the leading classes in the College. We already ranked very high in the metrics that the College uses to rank class excellence, and we are focusing on overcoming any weaknesses in our showing...with a goal of 70% in 2014, 75% in 2015 and 80% in 2016.” [WWW is never merely a fund-raising device, but the DCF is a fact of life for us ancients, and we are all encouraged to devote our shekels to where our heart is...ed.]

A MESSAGE FROM OUR GIFT PLANNING CO-CHAIRS PETER PALIN AND JOHN DAMON:  Have you ever heard of the Bartlett Tower Society, also known as the BTS? It is the College's way of recognizing those who have included Dartmouth in their estate plans. All you need to do is name Dartmouth as a non-contingent beneficiary of your will, living trust, life insurance policy, retirement plan, or other planned gift at any dollar amount or percentage, and then send a copy of the provision pertaining to Dartmouth to the Gift Planning Office. There is no minimum gift required to join the BTS and bequests and retirement account beneficiary designations are completely revocable, so you can change your plans at any time. It's that easy! In fact, since this past fall, 8 of our classmates have increased our class participation level by acknowledging their giving to Dartmouth through their estate plans. That brings our current class total to 41 BTS members!  Gifts made through estate plans provide an incredibly important source of funding for the College and represent up to 1/3 of all gifts received in any given year. Please reach out to Laura Alexander in the Gift Planning Office at 800-451-4067or laura.e.alexander***dartmouth.edu to become a Bartlett Tower Society member. Should you wish to talk with either Peter or John, in confidence, before reaching out to the Gift Planning Office, please feel free to contact them at peterpalin***bellsouth.net or jldamon***comcast.net. Remember, Dartmouth appreciates estate gifts of any size!

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Report on the Class of ’61 Legacy Fund of the Arts. Early in the fall David Birney and the WWW touted the Legacy Fund’s reaching a market value(MV) of over one million dollars. Prez Denny Denniston recently gathered historic information on the fund and reported that the million dollar MV was achieved from our $828k contributions even after distributing amounts averaging more than $45k for the last five years. In the college year 2012-13, the contributions to the Legacy Fund totaled $51,703. We’re told no other class has such a project. Congratulations to 1961s.

And please see minutes of most recent Class Officer’s Conference Call - http://www.dartmouth.org/classes/61/Class_Officers_Telecon_Feb_19,2014.pdf

   Chuck Dayton is an avid and adept sailor, and travels the seas crewing on sailing vessels whenever he can. “Here's a link to an article that I wrote for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune recently. It describes my summer sailing trip in French Polynesia, and my sadness over the state of the coral reefs.”

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/228396991.html

Another article, not exactly related, was submitted by Thorium proponent Bob Hargraves in January:

https://sites.google.com/site/radiationsafetylimits/]

   Green Cards[still viable and, oh, so welcome!]: Carol & Jim Baum have finally closed down operations in Morris, IL, and are moving to Kendal at Hanover, “a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) on the edge of the Dartmouth campus. While our health is pretty good, we want to take advantage of the beautiful Connecticut River Valley and the educational and cultural facilities of Dartmouth.” Jim didn’t mention that he will Chair the 55th reunion—and we should all be grateful for the splendid job he (and Carol!) did on our 50th Reunion Book Paths We’ve Taken. A special maile lei to both of you. Travel safely! <jim.baum@att.net>

Denny Engelman surfaces with: “Hey, guys: Hello from Sunny Las Vegas. Moved here 5 years ago with my gorgeous, sweet wife Gale. Love it here. Lots of golf, good food, good shows, and good life. Call if you ever get here (702/463-5882). <dennyEngelman@gmail.com>

And old faithful Tony Horan cards: “I was amazed and delighted to read that our Jerry Greenfield is a former mayor of Walla Walla. I spent ‘88-’93 as urologist for the VA there. I would have been gladly buried there but they abolished surgery and to continue that I had to move. It is perhaps the most beautiful small town in the USA. As noted in WWW I reunioned w/Maynard Wheeler at our grammar school in NYC and saw two classmates for the first time in 60 years—and they were friends! My son, Frank, has finished at U.Penn and has only to complete a thesis. My son, Bram, has produced another grandchild. Now he needs a vasectomy!” [Oh, poor Bram! For lifelong agony there is nothing to compare with that “simple outpatient procedure”...! Had one ourself, in 1988, and haven’t been able to touch the offending organs with a powder puff ever since... ed.]

   Mike Murphy, Harvard Biz School/HBS Rugby Club alum, submitted a fine clip from the HBS Contributor’s Report, profiling Gerry Kaminsky, “who uses what he learned in the HBS classroom every day in his work as managing director of Neuberger Berman in New York...[plus]’The non-classroom and more informal interactions made an enormous difference in my life,’ says Kaminsky of his time at both Dartmouth and HBS [kindly recall his superb stint as Rex of Pi Lam]...In 2005 Kaminsky established an endowment fund at the School to support curricular innovation...[and] he is leaving it to the School to decide how to best use the funds. ‘Education is dynamic...Giving talented, caring people the flexibility to come up with activities that will be meaningful for the students of today, that’s the least i can do.’ “ [Couldn’t have said it better. Uhh, should he have mentioned the HBS Rugby Club’s 50th reunion last summah...?]

Another ol’ Lammie, Bill Kandel, marked the common birthday of Ellis Naegele & your scribe on December 25: “Relevant to today's celebration, a National Spelling Bee quarterfinal word was haupia, a Hawaiian pudding. Enjoy one and revel in another good year!” In thanking him, we noted that haupia is coconut pudding, and suggested he & Joyce dine at Onomea, the new Hawaiian cuisine bistro in Gotham. To which he riposted: “Glad to conjure Conger memories. The Spelling Bee final word was knaidel, a middle-European dumpling—coincidentally, a nickname hung on me Freshman year by Gary Vandeweghe ‘60 (also of Rockville Centre, but not SouthSide). The less-foodies played my last name as ‘canoodle,’ but Fletcher ended the controversy with ‘scandal’... We intend to visit your recommended restaurant soon and try to incorporate haupia as a stand-alone food group.”  And in a nice segue, Al Rozycki’s son’s S.O. submits a quote from the Big Island: “ ‘A’ohe pau Ka Ike I Ka Halau Ho’okahi,” to say, “Not all knowledge resides in one school.”

   Mark Your Calendars: Maynard reminds us the the Hanover Mini for the coming fall will be October 3-5, Penn game weekend. Harris has more details posted on the website. Remember, this is not a Homecoming bonfire weekend, thus no Friday night parade. And it’s probably a good thing, as the snow sculpture will be where the fire would be built (by licensed contractor) . . .

Paisan’ Marrone in balmy Sweden in late February . . .

Niagara Falls Freezes Over for Second Time This Wintah!

No Comment . . .

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   We close with sad tidings. Dave Osterhout slipped away in his sleep January 23. His son Jake ’02 eulogized his dad at the funeral, and here are a few poignant excerpts: “David Edward Osterhout died in his sleep next to my mother in the same bed they shared for 35 years. He died in peace, which is ironic considering my father was not a peaceful man. He liked to shout and yell and laugh and cry...My father loved basketball. He loved basketball so much that when I was in high school, dinnertime became two-hour coaching sessions. My father loved to tell stories, even if you had heard them before, twice. He knew how to tell a 30-minute story in 45 minutes...And, of course, my father adored my mother. Although, sometimes he had a funny way of showing it. “Goddammit, Susie,” really meant: “I love you so much, dear, but could you please do it this way.” Under a grumpy exterior, he was a softy, deeply in love with my mom...But most of all, my father loved his family. He would do anything for me and my sister. We were, in his eyes, his greatest achievements. He loved that I went to his alma mater, Dartmouth. He loved that Jenny went to Duke. He loved my wife, Vanessa, and Jenny’s husband, Santiago. And he loved all of our friends, treating them, for good or for bad, just like family.” [All of which is a clear indication that the world needs more folks like Dave - tc]

Big John Henry’s beloved, gracious, gorgeous wife of 50 years, Ann, passed away in Dallas on November 11. Classmates who saw her looking so radiant in Charleston were stunned. John: “After Charleston we traveled to London and Italy. She developed sharp pain suddenly in her back. Back in London we were referred to a lung specialist who ordered CT scan: large stage-four tumor in upper right lobe of lung. That was May 17th, a Friday. We got ourselves to Houston, and in the lead doctor's office by 7 am the following Wednesday! More to the story, but...it was a rare and virulent cancer and it won...They thought we would have at least five years. It turned out six months. We didn't have a clue when we were last with you and the others in Charleston.

I loved her with all my heart and soul, and no one could ever come close to replacing. She was the real thing; and sweetest angel there ever was.” [Man, sometimes life is just not fair!]

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Finally, just received this somber message from Hank Gerfen: “My lymphoma has taken a nasty turn and has morphed into MDS, a non-curable disease that can sometimes be managed for a finite period of time...this is not a good development. Although I don't wish to be melodramatic, there's a reasonably good probability that [Dalglish] will be writing my obit in the not too distant future...Maggie has been a rock throughout this this whole ordeal.  I always told her since we were first married that she was the iron in my backbone, and she's proving it now. The positive part is that early indications of the drugs I'm on have been favorable. The first cycle of treatment has actually had some good results, which has even surprised the Dr...

I've come to peace with my situation.  Maggie and I have had such a good life, we both know that God doesn't owe us any more time than He has allotted.  As an old card player, I know you have to play the cards you're dealt to the best of your ability.  That's what we're doing. One thing about this condition is it gives you time to say goodbye to old friends like yourself.  Although we haven't seen each other too often in the last 50 years, I've certainly enjoyed the couple of times we have been together and have enjoyed our correspondence through the years.

Hopefully, my treatments will be fairly successful, and I'll hang around a few years. But that's still to be determined. I'll keep you posted.” [ho, boy - nasty... tc]

More sad news: John Zabriskie died March 13 th. Click Zabriskie Obit to see obit on Line.

   Maybe we should end with some bright and happy sunshine photos:

Renegades on Tour (St. Lawrence U., spring ’61). (LtoR): Marshall Newton ‘62, Peter Drowne ‘62, Glenn Gemelli, Gim Burton. (Pete’s classic car)

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Bruce Johnson (left) with a Friend at Mt Sunapee Feb. 24 (note shadows...!).

Clock Doc with Client. (LtoR): Vulch DeHaven, Diane Kittredge (Rozycki).
Ken fixed Diane's banjo clock; she & Roz drove to Rochester to visit Ken and Jean, and picked up the repaired heirloom.

Ancient Delts/Bones Gaters Reunite. (LtoR): Fritz Kern, Janis Kern, Sonya McLaughlin, Tom McLaughlin outside a Cheesecake Factory somewhere in Southern CA - prearranged lunch resulted in each couple at a different Cheesecake Factory... but problem remedied. Now the big question is: How many Dartmouth grads/Gatemen does it take to screw up a lunch date...?

Florida '61s Do Lunch March 5 in Equatorial Firebox . (ashore): Bill & Mardi Glenn; (aboard): Stu & Diana Sheldon.

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On the outside chance that we may get a few glacier-free days sometime in, ohh... August, we submit these handy gorfu (golf) tips for able '61s:

Fore!!

And just in: Hanover was named the #1 College Town in the United States by movoto.com.

Let’s call it a wrap.

Aloha,

tc

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While we’re hyping books, shouldn’t Doug Zipes<dzipes***iu.edu> get a plug for his?

“Perhaps WWW would be interested in my recent visits with presidents (Israel, past US) when I gave them copies of my two novels, The Black Widows and Ripples in Opperman's Pond.”

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Got a plethora of pix this time, allowing us to supplant so many thousand words: