1928

We have found telephone calls help us keep in touch with classmates. Wally Brownstone received our birthday card February 25, but we thought it appropriate to follow it up with a call to congratulate him, particularly since he had just turned 81 and is the oldest member of the class. It was great to talk with Sylvia and Wally in their New York apartment. Wally said he has been bothered a little recently by sciatica so they canceled a trip to Barbados, where they have vacationed for the past nine years. As soon as he feels better they will go to Florida. Their son Gilbert flew over from France for Wally's birthday party; he is busy renovating homes in the south of France and had to fly home four days later. Their other son Clyde is in New York City manufacturing specialty boxes.

Next a call to George Klein in Sarasota (the rate is low on weekends) answered my question about who attended the Dartmouth Club of Sarasota dinner on February 11, when President Kemeny was the speaker. It was a whopping success, with an attendance of 180 ― George thought it was a record for Florida. He didn't have his list handy but was sure the Solises, Nixons, Sundeens, and Wes Woods were there. John and Ethel Nixon had been guests for bridge and dinner at their home the night before I called.

A call to our former two-term class treasurer Bruce Lewis found Bruce and Thelma at home. Bruce apologized for lack of news, but it is good news to hear Bruce plays golf twice a week and Thelma is busy with her bridge dates. They had made two dates with the Ernie Wrights but had to cancel them.

Ed Lockett writes that he and Kati are looking forward to a visit to Naples, Fla., this spring and to three weeks in Kati's Ireland during the fall. He'll skip his long-time love, London, because he thinks it's uncivilized to pay $8 for breakfast and $30 for dinner, with drinks altogether extra. (During the war years Ed was chief of Time Magazine's London bureau.)

A call to Craig Haines interrupted a bridge game Craig and Eleanor and Doc and MildredSimonds were having. The only news gleaned was that Doc rides his bicycle for exercise around Heritage Village and the Simondses were leaving in mid-March for a vacation on the west coast of Florida.

Wat Dickerman writes from Oakland, Calif., "I confess to being amazed at classmates who are still, at 75, engaging in strenuous physical activity. Maybe that's why they are still plugging along at 75. Me, I can't even walk up a hill."

This column takes appreciative notice belatedly of the latter-day athletic achievements of Mary Skinner. In "The Great Pittsburgh Race" Mary ran off with the first prize medal (and a beautiful cut glass decanter) in her bracket, 60-and-over. It was a great family effort, with two sons, one daughter-in-law, and our son-in-law among the 9,500 people competing in the same ten-kilometer race. Mary won firsts in a 10-K. race in Binghamton and one in Elmira, N.Y., and is looking forward to her third L'Eggs race in Central Park in New York next June.

The class extends its deep sympathy to the wife and family of Herm Schnepel, who died on March 5.

Van Dyne Oil Cos. Troy, Pa. 16947