So, how were those May, June, and July weddings?  Messrs. CLARKE, DECESARE, GONOR, SYLVESTER...and any others I'm not aware of...we're waiting for those pictures.  While we're waiting for our Classmates, the Court will come to order!

 

CHUCK BECK relays the following report from PETE BARRETT providing the definitive reason why car insurance rates are so high in the greater Boston area: "JIM SYLVESTER had his Grand Cherokee stolen last night 20 feet from our front door.  It happened 20 minutes after we shut the lights out and turned in for the night.  You would have thought we'd hear the alarm - never went off; so this guy was good.  Turns out he was a 19 year old known car thief.  He pulled the car out onto Terminal Ave. just out side the Navy Yard complex and a patrolman pulled up alongside him, recognized him, turned on his blue lights to have the guy stop.  Instead of stopping, the guy took off and a high speed chase ensued down I-93 South.  According to the police report, the guy attempted an exit on Mass Ave. at an excessive rate of speed and hit a jersey barrier.  The Jeep became air borne, flew through a cyclone fence, landed on its roof, and burst into flames. The patrolman pulled the creep out of the vehicle before it was totally consumed by the flames.  We got the call 2:30 AM via JIM's wife PEG who got called by the police.  JIM took it all in stride, but this morning he is carless in Peabody."  CHUCK adds a little background... SLY works north of Boston, but lives on Cape Cod.  To reduce his commute he spends some nights in Boston (Charlestown Navy Yard) at a condo that PETE BARRETT's company maintains.  The police called the SYLVESTER home to notify them of the event but only PEG was there; woke her from a dead sleep.  You can imagine her confusion, but also answers the question of why/how PEG called JIM to 'splain about his car being stolen.

 

Received a quick note from DOUG KROLL: "While on my recent research trip to the East Coast, my research took me to the Coast Guard Yard to investigate "Bertholf Avenue" there.   AL GRACEWSKI and I had lunch together and he later gave me the "grand tour" of the Yard." But DOUG, what research trip and on what?

 

Seems that this year a lot of us have reached that milestone in life where we've received our memberships in AARP in the mail.  KELLY CALLISON reports on a 50th birthday roast held for RON FRAZIER.  "AL GRACEWSKI, CHARLES SIBRE, and I represented the Class of 71.  BILL KOZAK was there from '70 and BARRY KANE from '69.  AL was in RON'S company so he had some good things to say, BILL KOZAK was RON's best man, and BARRY KANE is RON's boss and the big cheese at Signal Corp. Most of the people at the party were from RON's work and they did a very good job on him.  By the end of the roast even RON's family had jumped in.  Hey you only hit the big 50 once - thank God!"

 

Responding to KELLY's E-mail request for "the truth & nothing but the truth" roast material, MARIO WENDETTI responded: "FRAZLEPABST? Seems to me he did a few pictorial skits in the old Howler in the fine company of the WENDETTI, MOON-MOON, CEEEEEE-ERA, and SCHWENKS-MAN.  His role in these was nothing short of a joke. Remind him of coming through the broken west wall of the parade grounds (which was broken because of a then recent car accident).  I also remembering him getting mad at old JOE MILO but every time he hit JOE in the arm, JOE laughed harder.   This was "dissing" before we knew what the word meant.  Give my best to RON and KAREN."

 

RAY COYE had a quick trip west to Bellingham the end of April.  Son Travis was hit by a car while returning home on his bike.  Travis is OK now, back to classes on crutches nursing a broken kneecap.  As RAY said, "Scary for parents to get that phone call from 2000 miles away in the middle of the night."  RAY, glad he's OK and we're looking forward to your summer visit.

 

BARNEY pulled himself away from Fred's Page long enough to report: "They used to say of certain Maine-iacs: he'll go anywhere as long as he can keep one foot in Maine.   Well, during the middle of May, LINDA and I took a trip to the west coast to visit relatives near Los Angeles, so I did make it out of Maine. The attached pictures are proof of my presence in Sunset Beach, CA, home of the best dive - I mean bar - in the world: MOTHER's.  When I was stationed at MIO LA/LB back in the late 70's, this was THE watering hole for many of us inspectors.  Needless to say, they haven't done much to spruce up the place since the 70's.   God bless 'em.  Two days after returning from California LINDA and I traveled to Rhode Island for a 2-day stay at the CGC CAMPBELL reunion.  My CAMPBELL CO (CAPT Dave Howland) was there to remind me (and everyone else in earshot) that yes, Ensigns (like "TURLO") could screw up back then and still make it to retirement.  We all enjoyed a picnic on the dock in New Bedford right next to the latest cutter to bear the CAMPBELL name. The following evening there was a nice dinner cruise on the VISTA JUBILEE down to Newport, RI and around Narragansett Bay.  I know the skipper of the JUBILEE from my MSO days in Providence, but he refused to pull in to the O'Club down at the Navy base.  Many WWII-era Coasties were at the reunion and had some salty tales of romance and AWOL back in the old "Old Guard."  It was a good time."

Are you sitting down?  BARNEY continues with shocking news..."I have finally found a job.   Well, not a "real" job.   I'm a "volunteer" disc jockey for 4 hours a week (2 two-hour shows) at the local college radio station (Colby College).  The name of my show is "Odd Rock" and my DJ name is - creatively enough - "Cap'n Barney."  I have ALWAYS wanted to be a DJ on the radio so needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), I'm in porcine heaven.  What a rush.  I did have to do some studying, though.  It seems that the college station has a "requirement" that we play at least 50% "new" music.  So I had to go into the station at various times to preview the hundred or so new rock CD's so I'd know what the heck I was playing.  But I have stayed true to my goal: I have a "job" (no pay, but what the heck) where I can wear jeans and keep my beard.  If anyone is driving up Maine-way, be sure to tune in to 90.5 on your frequency-modulated dial, and listen to "Odd Rock" 0600-0800 and 1600-1800 Tuesdays. 110 WATTS of screamin' rock and roll power!!   OK, a strong light bulb can probably broadcast further than us, but it's still fun!  As we say in radio, "Is this thing on?"

HAP HARRIS provides confirmation that BARNEY was out of Maine.  HAP reports around with the following: "I'm working with a Washington DC firm on a variety of projects. The firm is a business development outfit that is branching out into some other areas.  I'm on board to assist in some industrial engineering work and to help with a new office startup in Arizona.  In addition, I get to watch what lobbying in DC looks like.  Positively fascinating stuff; our government runs a whole lot different than we learned in civics class! Getting a lot of frequent flyer miles. I'm having a great time with a variety of jobs and I've been working with some absolutely terrific people.  Life is good. Now for some additional news.  As some of our class may know, both Barney and I hailed from Maine.  When BARNEY retired he moved back while I knew that, because I had eaten all my vegetables when I was young, I didn't have to. However, I just got back from a trip to Maine to visit my sister. While I was there I was hoping to hook up with BARNEY but he was on vacation in - of all places - California!"

 

JOHN HERSH ventured "back" into the Coast Guard and attended his first Commandant's State of the CG Address and Luncheon as a RETIRED person.  "It was like stepping back in time.  I recognized many faces...they had a few more wrinkles with gray hair around some of them and had a few extra pounds attached to their bodies.  The Class of 71 was represented by BERT KINGHORN and AL GRACEWSKI, CO of the CG Yard.  We had a nice chat about what is happening in the CG.  For all of you retired, disconnected Coasties the word that BERT and AL passed was that those left on active duty are finding it difficult to get the job done with less and less resources in both people and money with an ever increasing tasking from Congress (always more new laws and regulations to enforce).  The Commandant gave a good speech, not too long and to the point...basically the CG is cut to the bone and needs more people and resources to be able to do the job right. BERT said that compared to the past it is harder for the average Coastguardsman to do his or her job.  After it was over everyone scurried out "to get back to the business of the people."  Now where did I hear that before?"  JOHN added a quick postscript on the quality of the cuisine..."The food at the luncheon (London Broil) had not changed in the 8 years since I had last attended.  I only wish I'd brought my old K-bar knife to better hack apart the mystery meat!"

 

KEN MASS changed his E-mail address and, after just a little arm twisting, sent along the following update: "I joined Fairfax County Public Schools in '93, providing network management and user support in Transportation Services.  All of the school bus routing and scheduling is done by computer.  We have over 900 buses on the road every day, each doing multiple routes.  In '96, I accepted a promotion opportunity to do similar work in Financial Services.  In addition to the technical support in Financial Services, our group also answered policy and procedure questions.  About three months ago, my former boss in Transportation (who had since become the Director for Transportation Services) got word to me that his old job was going to be advertised.  So I now lead of the staff I used to work on.  On the home front, my daughter, Stephanie, is in her third year of college, currently attending a small bible college in Marin County California.  My son, Eric, is finishing his junior year at Annandale (VA) HS.   He'll be starting at OT next fall for the football team.  (BTW, for the last two seasons, we've enjoyed the company of CHARLES and ELLEN SIBRE at most of the football games.)  My wife, ELAINE, is working part-time for an Alexandrialaw firm as a receptionist.  If you're in the Lorton. VA vicinity, stop in and say hello.  We are directly across Lorton Road from the southbound I-95 Lorton exit."  KEN, thanks for the invite and ask ELAINE if she's got any new lawyer jokes!

 

Are you still sitting down?  BARNEY sent in a last minute update...he's got a second job!  "Along with my DJ activity, I've taken a part-time job at the Benton (Maine) town office.  We're on Clinton Avenue (not THAT "Clinton"...it was there long before the President arrived on the scene).  If you cross the bridge headin' to Albion, you've gone too far.  And drive slow.  There's cows about. It's a low-key/low-stress job, although I intend to sit in on the Planning Board meeting to see what that's about...and I might even volunteer for the Cemetery Committee (business is slow but steady, and we never run out of product)."

 

Messrs. CLARKE, DECESARE, GONOR, SYLVESTER...we're still waiting for those pictures.  We're adjour...But Your Honor, what about the SLY ONE's car?  JIM reports, "Still have not received a settlement from USAA, the slowest they have ever been with any claim I have submitted.  I will be purchasing a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, replacing what I had stolen."  Now we're adjourned!