1930

No one regrets Dick Bowlen's resignation more than I. Dick did a wonderful job in taking over unexpectedly from Charlie Raymond, and the two of them have now left a tough act to follow.

I remember John French's "inaugural address" as class president, in which he said, "I find it hard to say no to anything I can do for Dartmouth." I also found it hard to say no to Ev Low's won't-take-no-for-an-answer. I argued feebly that a class secretary ought to live in the East, but Ev insisted that I'm not really isolated out here in the desert and besides I would have plenty of support back east. Well, I've already had a lot of support from DickBowlen, Harrison Condon, Milt Mclnnes, and the Magazine's associate editor, Dana Grossman, to all of whom I give thanks.

But isolated? Though this won't appear until December, I'm writing in October for a November 1 deadline, and memories of the Great Arizona Flood of 1983 are still vivid. To paraphrase the old expression, for a while you couldn't get anywhere from here. In these days of easy mobility it was strange to realize that we couldn't go north to Phoenix, south to Nogales, east to Wilcox, or anywhere westward. Except, of course, by air, and at that moment Green Valley couldn't even get to the Tucson Airport.

The storm spawned some interesting statistics. A normal year's rainfall to October 2 is only eight and a half inches; we had that much in four days, and this year's total to that date was 19.46 inches. On that first day of October we broke the previous record for the whole month's precipitation. Some authorities call this a 100-year flood, but that's debatable. Even if it's only a 50-year flood, it's the third such in 16 years and the third time the Haffenreffers' Tubac golf course has been washed out.

Our Santa Cruz River is normally bone dry and a quarter-mile from our home. The flood cut that margin in half. We weren't really threatened, though we could watch the muddy surf and hear the roar of Niagara. We were without electricity for 30 hours and have had to replace a roof, but with hundreds homeless we have no complaints.

Dick Bowlen reports that he enjoyed a visit with Dr. Stephen Mills '27 from Rochester, Minn., who brought greetings from Art Olsen. Art is in fine shape and enjoying his world-wide traveling.

Another traveling couple, Milt and DeliaFleischman, were in Arizona early in October visiting Phoenix and the Grand Canyon. No floods where they were, though it rained at the canyon. I trust I'm not betraying a confidence when I thank Milt on behalf of the class for remembering Dartmouth with a living trust and a bequest.

Charlie Austin tried to give us a scoop on Bill O'Brion's coming marriage. We've since seen the bride and given our blessing.

Bob and Page Blanchard missed the 1930 Seminar Room's dedication because they were cruising Alaska's inland waterway on the Rotterdam. However, on their return they made the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center dedication, visited son Mark '66 in Orfordville, and planned to visit Charlie Rauch on their way southward.

Who says golf isn't a hazardous sport? EdButterworth admits he fell out of a golf cart in August and fractured a vertebra. The good news is that he and Liz made it to the Princeton weekend and the dedication.

And Bob Bruce says that no news is good news. He's doing fine and is in good health.

P.O. Box 96 Green Valley, AZ 85622