1930

The budget, everywhere the budget! Taking note of the size of a one-dollar bill, Red Gould notes in his hometown paper in Bradenton, Fla., that, if laid end to end, the 750 billion dollars in the 1983 budget would circle the equator 2,800 times. Or, if given out one a second, 100,000 people working eight-hour shifts around the clock five days a week could give away the money in a year "or is that what is going on now?"

Dave Latham has been house-bound in their 1799 guest house and renovated barn for three months following a heart attack in November and another in December. The day prior to his letter he had just been out for the second time, driven around town by Harriet in the heated car. He reported that both the Perkinses and the Sanders had been in to see him. Dave states, "The thing which bothers me the most is to see Harriet doing the heavier chores which should be mine." Get well soon, Dave!

Working on this column over Washington's birthday, I suddenly remember that 52 years ago an unknown runner gave Dartmouth an unexpected first in the mile at the games held in Boston on that weekend. Who? You surely remember Bert Crandell, who is now sunning himself on Eleuthera.

F.M. radio has come to our town of Walpole with a station in which a son of Charlie and Lari Widmayer is a leading figure.

And to complete the New Hampshire section of the news, and for the gratification of those in the Sun Belt, we love all the snow we've had in Walpole this year, but we get to feel a little disoriented when we have to get down on our knees to fill our pole bird-feeders!

The Providence, R.I., headlines jump at you: "Fired again - and loving it former U.R.I, president packs his bags for Taiwan." They say, "He still slaps his knee when he tells a good joke, his smile is as bedazzling as ever, and he's still full of the opinions that he has never hesitated to fight for." After 50 years and 60 countries, Fran and Billie Horn are off to Tunghai University, where for four months he will be an adviser to the president of the university and will teach a seminar in Shakespeare.

Another headline brought our attention to Blair Wood. But first, our correspondence with him just as he was finishing his usual three months at Marco Island on his way home to go spring skiing in Colorado. But the headlines in the travel section said, "Girls don't run around topless at Club Med," and the article was written by the same Blair C. Wood, judge, First Judicial District of lowa (retired), who says the headline was not his and is misleading. But it is obvious that Blair and Eleanor had just a great time at the club on the island of Martinique and "saw no drugs and no overindulgence in alcohol. Everyone was too busy." In fact, Eleanor won an award as the best sport at snorkeling, which included kisses on both cheeks by several Frenchmen.

You all will be glad to know that Milt Mclnnes, the best class newsletter editor around, who has been ailing for the last few months, is well on the way to full recovery.

Two weeks ago we had just one item for this column, but in response to a "secretary in distress" letter, Scott VanDerbeck responded promptly and fully. Many thanks to you, Scott. He writes: "On January 28, Doris and I met Jack and Edith Fitzpatrick, along with Frank Williams '29 and his wife Kit, at the Ear' Nightingale Restaurant at Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda for lunch. The Fitzpatricks and the Williamses live in the same condominium on Lido Beach, and Jack had just been elected president of the condo association there. We had a rather hilarious lunch hour, partially taken up by Jack's recital of some reasons why you know you are growing older." (We shall attempt publication of them later). "Doris and three other girls drove up to St. Armands shopping area in Sarasota one day last week and she ran into Bob and Marge Chittim, who were down from Longboat Key."

In reply to a birthday greeting, Milt Shultz writes: "Speaking of fun, we hatched the idea of a class of'30 shindig this coming Friday which has now reached a total of 24 persons, due to an invasion of half-frozen northerners. MargeChase and her sister Connie arrived here early in the month. Boof and Billie Perkins, who bought a condominium last year, arrived in January. Within the last fortnight we learned that Lee and Florence Sturman are spending some time in Bradenton, while Charlie and Mildred Rauch threw out the nchor on Longboat Key only last Thursday." Others at the party will have been Bob and Page Blanchard, Bob and Marge Chittim, Frank and Louise Middleton '29, Dean and Mary Wiggin, Ave and Julie Gould, Berta Truex (Bill's widow), and Jack and EdithFitzpatrick.

Maple Grove Road Walpole, N.H. 03608