1923
This time of the year finds us New Hamphire locals in the throes of preparing for Town Meeting Day, typing up all the loose ends of accounting for what we spent last year and inevitably expecting to exceed it this year. Our sma|l town is probably typical. We find our school costs up 10 percent and taking 75 cents of our tax dollar. It now costs us $1,350 a year for each grade or high school student. The county "ices another ten cents of our tax dollar and we have 15 cents left to spend on ourselves, a good which goes for road maintenance and improvement. Let no one mislead you - New Hampshire has an income tax - albeit it applies only to "unearned" income. All but a tiny percent of this tax however is returned to the towns where it is collected. Our town got back about $30,000 last year which gives you some idea of the kind of bite this tax really takes from New Hampshire retirees.
Ike Phillips finds himself involved in town financial matters as auditor of the accounts of the town of Pomfret, Vt. Says he'll be busy with this chore for several weeks, the sort of labor of love which all small towns depend on and usually receive.
We're glad to learn that Alice Flanigan has returned to the Delray Beach apartment she and Irish shared so happily for so many winters. Some of Alice's relatives are keeping her company.
As an insider of sorts I offer you a brief explanation of what may seem to you an undue delay in producing the pictorial reunion edition of the Golden Review. Ruel Smith is much too modest to speak for himself and Marg, on uhom the great bulk of the hard work of compiling this epic falls.
Our professional photographers took some 200 photos which contained anywhere from two to ten faces - approximately 1000 classmates and wives to identify and label. You'd be surprised how many of us look alike! These photos have been examined carefully by Ruel and Marg and then circulated to Metz, Ike and his reunion committee. Bob McMillan and myself. We've all taken a look and hazarded our guesses or our convictions. Back they have gone to Ruel and as I write this he is in the midst of compilation, arrangement, and printing negotiations. Be of good cheer; it will be along shortly and will have been worth waiting for.
Ralph Clark's name has long been missing from this column - since 1967 to be exact when he retired from St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance as assistant vice president. He writes that he and Betty expect to be in Scottsdale in March and hope to see the Metzels whom they visited with there a year ago. Betty was laid up lor a while last year and Ralph says he inherited a lot of the things she usually does but they are both looking forward now to the trip and a good 1974,
Tom Burch had a hospital experience a while back but says he's back to normal now. Tom has a few consulting clients to keep retirement from being boring but has reduced his travel to just a few times a year.
Hollis Riddle has checked in with the unhappy news of a bad automobile accident last year which cost him the use of an eye. Nothing dismayed goes on to say: "Went on my sixth trip around the world last fall. My travels abroad have totalled over 6 million miles not counting moving within the countries I have visited. Saw a lot of the natives, Chinese, Japanese, Turks, etc. Guess we'll go to South America in March," Hollis and Emma expect to summer in Wolfboro, N.H., this year. We're looking forward to seeing them again.
Once again comes comes the sad news of the loss of more of our number. Harold Streight died on December 18, 1973 at Pasadena, Calif; George Windsor on December 22 at Pass-a-Grille, Fla.; and books Palmer on January 9 in New York City. The Class extends its deepest sympathy to the families of all three classmates. Obituary notices will appear in either this or a later issue.
It is late January as I put these notes together. By the time they reach you it will be mid-March. Daylight saving will be a little more welcome; our fuel tanks a little emptier and just maybe some of you will find a few minutes from your family and transportation concerns to write me about how you wintered. I'd sure like to hear from you.
Secretary, Box 2, Francestown, N.H. 0304:
Treasurer, 960 Longmeadow St. Longmeadow, Mass. 01106
