1949

Too bad, '48 had a dampmake that soggy 50th. Reliable sources, however, assure me that our 50th will be dry! (The right sort of dry, of course.) You may be getting anxious for details. Charlie Russell, for example, queried electronically: "I read about people signing up for the 50th Reunion...but I haven't received any information that I'm aware of. I checked with Ted Nickerson and he told me he would be there, God willing. My e-mail address is ." Well, your reunion steering committee is hard at work, and the first offcial mailing for the June 11-13, 1999, event should be going out just about now. Gentlemen, start your planning.

Pleas for photographs for the reunion book—not to mention long overdue questionnaires-have worked pretty well, both in Skip's newsletter and in this column. But in order to produce the kind of book we'll all be proud of, the deadline by which you should have sent both items to the address below is December 1, which is only about three months hence. So whether you're coming to Hanover next June or not, send your photo and questionnaire now. The alternative is, well, a less-than-complete record of a standout class.

On June 6 more than 30 members of the class—and a couple hundred other people from a variety of constituencies gathered in Norwich to celebrate the life of Doris Thomas. Joining Punchy, Krista, and Alix were the Aldens, Baums, Bjorklunds, Clogstons, Crawfords, Everatts, Farnums, Haaks, Hartmanns, Hickses, Hugheses, Prooms, Rasenbergers, Rodmans, Simpsons, Stearnses, Sullivans, Swartzes, Sweetlands, Thomsons, Tracys, Truncellitos, Ungars, Urstadts, Wagners, Webers, Cathy Irwin, Beth Griffiths, Ritchie Hunt, Mike McGean, and Bob Muenzberg. A number of people spoke, reminding all of us how Doris had been an anchor of the class, how she cared about people, how she served her community, and how we miss her. Under the large tent at the Thomases', straining to climb skyward, were hundreds of white balloons inscribed "Hi, Doris." During the afternoon attendees released these balloons, one by one.

Dick Mallary has announced that he is going to run for the Vermont legislature this fall. Since 1951 Dick has served variously as a town selectman, as speaker of the Vermont House, and then as a member of Congress. After two years in the big House, Dick ran for the U.S. Senate, losing to Patrick Leahy.

Who hasn't worried about how long the bull market can sustain itself despite the soundness of the underlying economy? Probably Mike Metz chief investment strategist at CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. is the chief worrier. Recendy a financial publication said: "Metz sometimes sounds like an Old Testament prophet haranguing the unfaithful....Stocks simply aren't going to continue rising 20 percent to 30 percent a year, year after year," he says. "Don't use the stock market to do your saving for you....What you consider savings should not be at risk." Catch Mike from time to time on PBS's Nightly Business Report.

Finally, a sorry-about-that apology for not including Jay Urstadt in this column's recent roundup of star athletes. Jay, a prominent '49er who graduated a year early, was, indeed, an all-American swimmer.

Remember, you read it here only a few months late.

Box 215 A, Fairlee, VT 05045;