1937

Many of you attending mini-reunions met our lovely scholarship student, LynnTracy, who graduated last June. Typically undecided about her future, she decided to spend a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which is like a domestic Peace Corps. She will be working at Community Provider Information and Referral Services, an organization dedicated to helping low income people in rural central California. She will be living with five other college graduates who will be working at a variety of agencies. The address is: 1927 Cindy Lane, Visalia, CA 93277, phone: 209/732-4194. She started August 12 with promises to send more information later, and asked us to PLEASE give her love to all '37s. We wish her all the luck in the world.

Our April column carried news of Ralph Griffith's marriage to longtime neighbor Eleanor Frost, with whom he attended mini-reunion last fall. Unfortunately the union was effected too quickly, and although they are still neighbors, for now, and the best of friends, they agreed to dissolve the marriage. This is too bad, as she was a nice addition to our gatheri ng. They had in mind a repeat for 1986, but instead Ralph will forego it and spend the time with Eleanor before she departs from her home next door and moves to Providence for good that is, when she is not in Naples, Fla. Ralph remains retired from his old longtime connection with AAA.

Good guy and '29 class secretary Harold Ripley lives in Monument Beach on Cape Cod. He sent news that Dick Sawyer is involved in everything having to do with historical activities in Bourne and enclosed an article under Dick's pen name called "A. P. Tucxett's Corner," which appears often in the Bourne Courier newspaper. He writes interesting articles on Bourne's past. This one asked, "Why did the town abandon controlled burns after 1790?" Apparently burning in public areas was allowed in those days. Because of disastrous forest fires in 1785, laws were passed to control this activity, imposing a heavy fine of $2.00 for those who fail to comply. (That's right, $2.00! Big in those days.) Dick's slides of old homes and people make a great lecture. His latest effort was burning out a log at the museum to show kids how dugout canoes were made in Indian times. Incidentially, his pen name is taken from the Indian name of Aptucxett.

A new directory is in the works and very much needed. It is being made up from the College computer records and mailed to all. Don't look for it before winter; it is planned as part of the 50th reunion operation. With printing so much in demand up there, we have to get in line, but at least you know to expect it.

We tried to track down Dr. Halsey Bullen, whom last we saw in Greenwich, Conn. They sold that big house about three years ago and rented in Norwalk, Conn., while they thought about warmer climes. They finally decided on building in Satsuma, Fla., near Sally's brother-inlaw and about 70 miles southwest of Jacksonville. They moved in August. Hals has a four-year-old grandson, who was very ill in Philadelphia's Children's Hospital but is getting along OK now. Hals had his eye out for Dr. Chick Koop, as this had been Chick's hospital for a long time. He is apparently too busy as surgeon general so their paths did not cross. Hals suffers from Parkinson's disease, which forced him into retirement, but medication is controlling the disease well. Sally uses the tennis courts, and Hals is getting acquainted with boat-owning neighbors in hopes he can go fishing in earnest.

We had a good long talk with ArnieShapiro. Dotty's death hit him very hard, as theirs was one long love affair since freshman year. She attended every house party and carnival for four years. She was fine until April 1981. They were on a trip to Hong Kong when trouble developed. Home they came, and though chemotherapy seemed to work, last April she became seriously ill, and she passed away in August. Arnie spends so much time on paperwork and mail resulting from her long illness that he says it seems as though it will never end. He goes back to Palm Beach in October. He sold his businesses, the Maryland Cup Company and Eastern Baking Company, to the Fort Howard Paper Company some time ago, so he is not doing anything in the business world any longer.

Katie and Larry Brooks left for an auto trip about the time of our mini-reunion, driving to Portland, Ore., across Canada, via Toronto to stay with her aunt for a short time, then returning home via Phoenix, Memphis, and the Great Smokies, which he has always wanted to see. They will be seeing friends and relatives along the way.

10 Colby Road Wellesley, MA 02181