CONGRATULATIONS to our new President, JIM SYLVESTER!  As he wrote in his initial “Minding the Helm” column, JIM is looking forward to working with the Academy staff to continue to provide the “margin of excellence” to the Corps of Cadets.  And proving his astute insight, JIM’s first official act is truly impressive: “My first official act is to appoint each of you as an "Advisor to the President."  This is an unpaid position but you can certainly put it on your resume.  There may be times where I need some instant feedback or response to a survey etc.  Any and all responses would be good for a libation of your choosing at Hughie's whenever you might be in the New London area, so there are remuneration possibilities!”  As you contemplate the prestige of your new appointment ... the Court will come to order!

And it didn’t take long for a group of distinguished Advisors to the President to meet in DC in order to formulate cogent recommendations as JIM begins his tenure.  Either that, or to fully enjoy whatever liquid was served in the balloon glasses shown in the accompanying photo.  MARY CORNELL submitted the photo and PHIL VOLK provided napkin scratched notes as feedback to the President.  What notes?  Well, some of the items discussed were who’s our class "middleman?"  (THADMIRAL claims it's him, but CHARLIE says he was...71/142.  My copy our graduation program shows DOUG PHILLIPS as 71 on the list, CHARLIE as 69 and THADMIRAL as 74.  Any other competitors?)  The august group also discussed potentially funding drill down awards, $50K for the alumni center from our class fund, and bricks at the alumni center in memory of classmates who have crossed the bar.  PAT WIESE wrote to say that he, RON FRAZIER, and KELLY CALLISON are working on a letter/e-mail to the class proposing a plan of action along the lines of PHIL’s notes.

WAYNE and RITA VERRY are Grandpa and Grandma!  Dominic Scott Verry was born to David and Laurie on March 17th in Lexington, Kentucky weighing in at 9 lb. 1 oz. and 21.75 inches.  Dominic held out 13 days longer than expected, but Mom and Grandson are now home, and all are well.  Grandma and Grandpa are ecstatic beyond words.  They must be because I still haven’t gotten the braggin’ photo.  CONGRATULATIONS Grandpa, but we all expect to see that photo in the August edition!

Guess who checked in with an E-mail address update?  FRANK KLINE is alive and well in the Methow Valley: “It’s hard to believe that for the past ten years, my home has been Mazama after having lived in Seattle for the previous twenty, or so.  I really love both places.   But while living here, in the Methow, I’ve discovered my passion is learning from and working with animals. (When I think about it, I guess I did have some good training back in New England a few years ago).  My present family is textured with an assortment of hooves, paws, claws, and wings as well as another really special friend with actual fingers and toes.   I work as a mule and horse packer/teamster/guide with Early Winters Outfitting, appraise real estate to pay the bills, and recently became a member of the local School Board.   I feel pretty lucky to be able to live in such a magical place.  I find myself so content with its people and physical beauty that I have no desire to go or to be anywhere else.  But I do really enjoy reading about everyone else’s travels, families, and other accomplishments.”  FRANK  a muleskinner?  I just had to get more details.  “I’ve lived in the Methow since 1994.  It’s a mountain recreational area with the majority of it in National Forest or Wilderness area. We have four distinct seasons.  Winters usually bring 10 feet or so of snow with periods of -10 to -20 and the summers are usually sunny and dry with temperatures rising to the 100+ range.  There are miles and miles of groomed cross country ski trails and all kinds of seasonal trails and trail heads for people, horses, and machines.  It is a real special place.  A 3-4 hour drive to Seattle in the summer and a 5+ hour one in the winter, the summer one is arguably one of the most scenic in the country.  It takes something really special for me to even think about leaving here.  I’m single and have been for quite awhile.  My two step daughters from my first marriage are grown with families of their own.  My second marriage was a short one, but ended well.  Ada (the previously mentioned special friend with the fingers and toes) lives down the road from me while her quarter horse, Gunner, lives with me.  I suppose much can be read into that, but to me it’s a relationship that might actually last.   The rest of my household, besides Gunner, is made up of six more horses, Toby a twenty-six year old Red Lored Amazon parrot whose been around since he was one (I can only hope his memory is like mine is becoming because unfortunately he can talk), two adopted dogs Captain and Polly, and two adopted cats Bunny and Thompson.   Although I appraise and occasionally buy real estate for income, I am lucky enough to be able to spend most of my time playing and working with the horses.  Two of them, Buster and Duchess are Belgian draft horses which I drive as a team or Buster as a single.  Duchess is older, and with me, trained Buster.  The three of us work together doing farm/field work, wagon rides in the summer, and sleigh rides in the winter.   Sheriff is an athletic 12 year old mustang gelding that was given to me when he was a 2 year old.  I trained him, with loads of help, and we spend a lot of time in the summer and fall leading mule strings into the Pasayten Wilderness.  We usually log 1500-1700 miles a year on the trail with my friends at Early Winters Outfitting.  They have about 80 head of horses and mules which we also work with to guide and pack families in the summer and hunters in the fall.  Our guests usually ride the horses and we pack the gear and game on the mules.  The newest additions to my little herd are Junior and Darlin.  They are two mustangs that I adopted from the BLM a few years back. Junior, now coming 7 is ready to seriously go to work and maybe give Sheriff some time off.  Darlin, coming 4 is a little sweetheart and will be ready for action soon. She is going to make a great little cart horse as well as a saddle horse. Mustangs are tough, smart, and loyal and make tremendous partners.  Lastly is my first horse, a quarter horse, Bud.  Now 30 years old, he is the first horse I ever really rode.  After teaching me much, he is now just enjoying his retirement recycling the pasture and occasionally giving kids lead rides.  This summer I’ll be taking a rare extended trip out of the Valley. For two weeks in July, I’ll be taking Junior and Sheriff with me to Pat Parelli’s horsemanship training center in Colorado.  After having studied his programs and principles of horsemanship for years, I’m really excited about this opportunity to be immersed in it.  Kind of like adult summer camp with horses.  That’s about it other than my recent election to the local school board.  It’s fun, rewarding, and educational in itself.  Quite a beast we’ve created, public education, that is.”  FRANK, a big question...with that household, how are your roses?

CAP’N BARNEY reports that he’s actively webcasting.  “Webcasting now... 6-8 AM, MON and FRI plus 8-10 AM TUES.  Requests?  Requests come to me direct via e-mail unless someone wants to call in (207-872-3348 right to the studio).  The website for our broadcast can be reached from our WMHB site ... <http://www.colby.edu/wmhb>.   There's a "LIVE 365" link flashing in the middle of that page.  Click on there and it'll take you to LIVE-365.  Just "search" on their page for WMHB.   You have to sign up for their site (I think) ... but it's free.”  Yes, BARNEY said FREE!  What else are you doing at 6 am Monday or Friday morning?

Good news from AL DUJENSKI...he’s back to work!  “They have me working downtown again and had to move 40 file boxes, file cabinets, etc. back downtown. Man this body sure feels old.  I work for an insurance brokerage that is nation wide but serve primarily the west coast as a Marine Safety Specialist. Only one of me around in the insurance industry. I help the brokers and clients to "navigate their way thru the regulatory red tape."  My job description did not fit into a nice neat nook or cranny that the banks recognized so now I am part of Loss Control.  I write safety and pollution plans, assist in setting up safety programs, answer regulatory questions, help appeal citations from the feds and write monthly safety articles for a fishing news publication and produce a marine safety newsletter.  I cooked in a chili contest a few weeks ago and placed 2nd out of 21 teams (losing my touch?).  I got a note from MIKE CONWAY that TOM GEMMELL was down here for an operation, but was unable to hook up with TOM.”

We have another retiree within our ranks...RON SILVA’s Change of Command as Ninth District Commander and his retirement ceremony was held on 21 May at the Cleveland CG Moorings.  Wrong timing for this edition, so look for a photo in the August Bulletin.  CHUCK BECK wanted to attend, but “as much as I would like to be at your change of command and retirement ceremony, I will not be able to attend.  I will be accompanying CHERYL on another one of her speaking engagements from 18-25 May.  She has accepted an invitation to speak to an organization located just outside of Barcelona Spain.”  Definitely another bag carrying boondoggle CHUCK ... make sure there’s a photo for the August edition.

What was JERSEY EDWARDS doing in Wellington, New Zealand?  I don’t know...maybe he’ll submit a trip report?  Speaking of trip reports, rumor has it that “Where in the World is JAY TAYLOR” has been traveling again, this time south of the equator but not in South America.  Should be an interesting August issue!

Well, did TOM have surgery?  “On Feb 17, I was in the Juneau hospital due to a severe GI bleed -- had to get 9 units of blood.  The first doc (temp from FL) could not find a cause for the bleeding.  Our regular doc came back and he went in for a second scoping and when he was pulling the scope out found a rather large polyp in my duodenum, just below the stomach.  He sent me to University of Washington Hospital for outpatient surgery.  They went down my throat and took out the polyp -- 4 cm X 2 cm.  I had to stay over for a checkup, so we drove down to Corvallis to see my daughter at Oregon State.  Daughter Sarah graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Graphic design and is back home doing freelance design and web work in Juneau while she considers whether to stay here or seek employment in the PACNW.  Son Jed returned from six week jaunt in Thailand and Laos — Mom and Dad were relieved when he landed in San Francisco and called home.  Anyway, I'm still alive and kicking, doing good and back up to strength.”

TOM MAWHINNEY sent in a quick update: “The book is coming along nicely - Leading in a Toxic Culture. I've completed eight chapters -- two to go. I don't think it will make the movies, but it should have some impact on educational leadership.  I just received some adjunct work for Touro (NY) College -- I will be teaching a course on Long Island this summer and if I want, more in the fall. I may have to move to get full-time work, but I am prepared to do that. Now that I am single, I am mobile as well.”

We’re still missing a number of Classmates, including some who were on-line but have now switched ISPs and are currently MIA.  JIM BROKENIK sent a note with possible leads to KEN COFFLAND and JOHN WOOD...and also an update: “My wife, JANE, and daughter, Trish, live in the Northern Virginia burbs where we've been since my retirement from CGHQ in '93.  I guess I now qualify as one of those infamous "Beltway Bandits" since I've been working for "Defense Contractors" for almost 11 years now.  I spent the first six years after retiring with a small consulting firm in Crystal City working on Coast Guard projects and I'm currently working for SAIC as a systems engineer working on projects for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.  Who'd have thought an old broken down Coastie aviator would be working on bombs and missile projects?  I spent most of my Coast Guard career dropping pumps and rafts out of aircraft.  Life is and has been good, everyone is well and happy living here in the big city.  Whenever any of the class get out this way give me a call, I'd love to swap sea stories and do lunch or happy hour!”

So who is still missing?  KEN COFFLAND, BO JOSEPHSON, BOB SLACK, and JOHN WOOD had been on-line, but there old addresses aren’t working.  Check out our Classmates page <http://www.oocities.org/CollegePark/Campus/7184/classmates.html> and see if you can provide info on those without addresses.  El Presidente has already had a question on the whereabouts of STEVE WALLACE.  Who had last contact?  And don’t forget that you’re now an official Advisor to the President...conduct your visits to Hughie’s with the appropriate decorum.  We’re adjourned!