A little Class business and some updates...the court will come to order.

 

Those of you on-line have received E-mails from CHUCK BECK and myself about a potential Class Project to support the Academy Hockey Club.  I'll let CHUCK explain..."My thought is that the Class of '71 should/could "adopt" the team.  The concept would be to get each of our classmates to contribute $100.00(this year and annually) to the USCG Academy Alumni Association (USCGAAA) to be ear marked for the Ice Hockey Club.  This contribution would be in addition to donations already given by being a member of the Alumni Association.  The concept would be that by adopting a team that none of us played on we could unite as a class on a project where none of us have a personal bias (i.e. why not the sailing or pistol or football team or the Idlers, etc).  The vocal minority have provided some great ideas and discussions and it has been great to hear from long lost friends from around the nation.  As you have read, so far the consensus is that the idea of a Class Project is good.  Most have liked the idea of sponsoring the CGA Hockey Club because it is "neutral" and a bit rebellious at the same time (in keeping with our Class as I've been reminded)."

 

How about a little information on the Club?  The CGA Hockey Team has again been invited to participate in the Annual Crabpot Tournament at the US Naval Academy 6-7 Feb 1999, just about the time you'll be reading this.  This year has significant importance to not only CGA, but to the CG Yard as well.  1999 marks the centennial year of the Yard and that weekend marks the 55th anniversary of the Coast Guard Cutters hockey team's last game ever.  The CG Cutters were a semi professional hockey team that competed in the East Coast Amateur Hockey League from 1942-44.  They won the East Coast Championship both years.  They also competed against NHL teams, which included defeating the Boston Bruins and losing a close game to the Detroit Red Wings.  Five of the players are now in the Hall of Fame.  Eventually all players were shipped off to the Pacific theater and the Cutters were no more.  In commemoration of the Cutters' achievements, the CGA Bears Hockey team is having the original uniforms recreated in exact detail.  The CG Yard, AL GRACEWSKI in command, has recognized the CGA Bears Hockey team as "ambassadors" of their command through the Public Affairs awareness wearing the new uniforms will create and has generously donated $2500 towards the cost of reproducing the uniforms.  How are they doing?  The Bears recently defeated Springfield 6-3 at home and won on the road against Franklin Pierce 4-1 just before the Thanksgiving break.  The CGA Bears Hockey Team is currently (early December) 6-1 in the Western Conference of NECHA and is 6-4 overall.

 

So, whaddaya think?  CHUCK goes on..."If you have not responded as yet, please send me a quick Yea or Nay e-mail or snail mail.  I'd like to hear more about what you're up to these days and any insight you might have about the Class Project as proposed but will settle for an In/Out vote, comment, request for more information, or any questions you might have."  CHUCK's started collecting donations...make your tax deductible check to the USCGAAA, put CGA Hockey Fund #131 on the memo line of the check, and mail the checks to:

 

        Capt C. C. Beck

        Commander

        U.S. Coast Guard Group Boston

        427 Commercial Street

        Boston, MA  02109-1018

        CBeck@gruboston.USCG.mil

 

BARNEY TURLO sends greetings from Benton, Maine.  "This past summer, LINDA and I ventured to the big city -- Portland, Maine! Every 4 years, there's a get-together of the Portland Cutterman's Association.  Membership is made up of those who sailed on cutters that were homeported in Portland.  Although I spent 24 years on the beach, my first 2 CG years were on the Queen of the Fleet - the CAMPBELL - when it was in Portland.  A highlight...touring EAGLE which was in town just for Cutterman's Association.  Well, not really; but it was good to see the old girl and point out  the 20-30 odd places on the SCHMEAGLE where I personally barfed my guts out some 32 years earlier.  And that was when we were anchored off New London.  I REALLY got sick when we finally got underway."  BARNEY just learned of the Cutterman's Association in the past year and has been a member for less than a year. The next event is in 4 years and he highly recommends it.  If you sailed on a cutter homeported in Portland, the Cutterman's Association address is P.O. Box 15172, Portland, ME 04112.

 

RALPH LEWIS checks in from the hill country of Texas, still teaching high school.  "We have a beautiful home on our own piece of the Texas hill country.  I really love my work.  The school is small, and my class sizes and schedule are great.  I teach chemistry, physics, and environmental systems.  During the summers I am involved in a teaching enhancement program sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Texas A&M University.  Not making much money (no teacher in Texas does!) but I am very much enjoying the profession. Hard to believe that I have been retired for over 6 years!  My wife, CDR DEBORAH DOMBECK, USCGR, does her reserve stuff at TRANSCOM at Scott AFB.  She is a teacher too, and is currently in a program to get her mid-management certificate, which will qualify her to be a principal...(come to think of it, she always wants to be in charge of things)."  RALPH concludes by saying they live just a few miles off of I-10 about an hour NW of San Antonio and have plenty of room for visitors!  Sounds like an invitation to me!

 

BOB GONOR sent in a quick update...Allison is getting married in August 1999.  Grandson Christopher turned 6 the 1st of November and BOB & CHERI have thoroughly enjoy him being so close to them for so long.  Ali and her fiance just bought a house so they will soon be leaving.  Brian is taking an MBA in the evenings and works at a stock brokerage house full time as well.  BOB's still commuting to the financial district every day and doing some travelling.

 

As I noted in the October Class Notes, JON WALDRON saw PAUL & ANN BARLOW in June at their daughter's Yvonne's wedding in Virginia.  Well, ANN's sent in a picture of the big day with an update.  Yvonne works as an executive assistant for Electronic Data Systems...Ross Perot's old company...in Herndon, VA along with new son-in-law, Don Moose, a computer security specialist.  PAUL & ANN are still living in Ohio where youngest daughter Kim is a senior in high school.  PAUL retired in June of '97 and has been working as a computer consultant for Keane, Inc.  PAUL says "Yes, I talk to computers...and sometimes they listen!  I work for Keane who wanted bodies to fill their need to combat the millennium bug.  In the meantime, I troubleshoot problems in the main frame computer system for a local wheelchair manufacturing company."  ANN works for a local land developer and in their spare time they're checking out colleges for Kim.  ANN finishes..."If you're ever in the Cleveland area to check out the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, or if you're lucky enough to have Indians' tickets, give us a call.  We have a spare room and by September will have two!"  Sounds like a second invitation!

BIG NEWS in Boston...from the JOURNAL OF COMMERCE...the Massachusetts Port Authority has appointed MICHAEL LEONE director of the Port of Boston following five months as Massport's acting maritime chief.  Mr. Leone, 49, succeeds Ralph F. Cox, who left the agency earlier this year.  He previously served as chief legal counsel to the Massport Maritime Department since 1993.  "Mike brings an extensive background in maritime law and experience to the shipping industry," said Peter Blute, Massport's executive director. "His input has been crucial to the success of many port projects, including the recently completed massive consolidation effort."  As a 1971 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Mr. Leone held numerous posts, including regional counsel to all northeast commands.  He was also a military court martial judge and the Coast Guard's chief operating officer for the Port of New York and New Jersey.  Mr. Leone is a member of the American Association of Port Authorities task group analyzing alternatives to the harbor maintenance tax.  He also helped to create Massachusetts legislation that offsets the federal fee with a state tax credit for shippers. As acting port director, Mr. Leone took over a reorganized maritime department with consolidated container operations at Conley Terminal in South Boston.  Mr. Leone lives in Kingston, Mass., with his wife Mary and has three children.  What's SIERRA have to say?  "MARY and I have one semester of college tuition to go.  My daughter, Joanna, is 21 and will graduate from the University of Massachusetts this spring.  My oldest boy, Jeff, graduated from Syracuse in 93 and my middle child, Dan, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 96.  His classmate was John Orchard.  Dan had a medical problem and was not commissioned and is now working with his older brother for State Street Bank in the financial industry in the Boston area.  My greatest accomplishment this year was getting my first and likely only hole in one; proving once and for all that even a blind squirrel can find a nut.  And, I actually had 3 of my sons friends and the marshal witness my hole in one...and it is a good thing because PEG SYLVESTER would never have believed it!"  CHUCK BECK...Group Commander Boston.  MIKE LEONE...Director of the Port of Boston.  I wonder if the organizers of the Boston Tea Party really knew what they were starting?

 

SKIP PRZELOMSKI writes:  "CAROL and I still live in Pembroke Pines, Florida (SW of Ft. Lauderdale).  We love to go on Princess (Love Boat) cruises and are Florida Panthers fans & season ticket holders.  In August 1997, we saw TOM GEMMELL & MIKE CONWAY during a port call in Juneau during an Alaskan cruise.  This January we are going on a 7-day Caribbean cruise on the GRAND PRINCESS, one of the newest and largest cruise ships.  I still work as Operations Manager for the Clean Caribbean Cooperative, one of three International Tier 3 oil spill response cooperatives in the world.  Our son Alan is an internal auditor for Jan Bell Corporation, while our daughter-in-law Shannon is a first grade teacher.  The attached photo is me at my office before heading out to a Panthers hockey game.  Hope everyone get's behind supporting the Academy Hockey Club as a Class of 71 Project."

I sent a snail mail to JOHN HERSH looking for an updated E-mail address.  JOHN sent along this update:  "After I retired in 1991 we moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan to live our lives out in a college town setting.  For a lot of reasons it became clear to us that we had changed in the years (6) since we had last lived in Ann Arbor.  A year later we moved back to Washington, DC for a lot of reasons.  I helped CAMILLA establish and run her business when we replanted ourselves back in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC.  We established an Obstetric and Gynecology medical practice and have grown into two offices with 5 providers and supporting staff.  I acquired an insurance and a series #6 securities license which I have used primarily to provide for our corporation's needs.  We have 3 daughters:  Rachel (15), Emily (13), and Anna (10) keeping us very busy with school, soccer, swimming, etc., etc. I work out of an office at home which has mixed blessings; I only can be productive when the children are at school or another function. My secondary work is to ensure all the children are transported to school and to their various functions.  Rachel assures me that if we get another car, she will become the family chauffeur.......!  Any comments from you experienced parents of drivers?  CAMILLA continues to guide her business through growth and turbulent times for the medical profession, all the while being a very competent and caring physician. She also provides medical expertise to various local and nation organizations that support alternatives to abortion.  If any of your daughters or sons are thinking of medical school, encourage them to develop some business skills during their many years of training.  Our next challenge will be to select colleges for our children and launch them into their lives away from home; 8 - 10 year time frame for us. Through all this I am trying to stay youthful by learning to play tennis in my spare time.  I thought that I would again start to play golf when I reached 40, then I pushed it to 50 (next year), now I think I may push it to 55 or 60 again, I still feel too young to play golf!!!"  JOHN, maybe you should talk to MIKE...I'm not getting in the middle of this one!

 

Don't forget to drop CHUCK a note (and a check!) with your thoughts on the Class Project.  Remember who controls the Port of Boston!  Keep sending me updates on what you're doing and include photos...who knows where or when they'll turn up!  If you hear of E-mail addresses for missing classmates or if you're changing your own ISP, make sure you let me know so I can keep our on-line roster current.  We're adjourned!