1952

This is a letter in limbo: composed before reunion, published after. The report of reunion comes in the next issue. We will have many happy memories.

A benefit of having the wrong address on the request for proxies to change our class constitution is the notes from classmates who worked extra hard to reach the secretary. Jim Weidman wrote that his bypass was "a quad—not a duo, as reported in the Crier. My heart is fine because I did not have an attack. Recovering nicely. Rehab in a week or so." To many of us, this is all too familiar. Bill Guggisberg said, "Hope this one makes it." Bill graduated in 1955, lives in northern Westchester County and has 13 grandchildren. He will be at reunion.

Charlie Blakemore, former class secretary, gentleman of great humor and indefatigable novelist, wrote about his latest book, The Labors ofHerkimer, which is available at Amazon.com or istbooks.com. Herkimer is a country boy who discovered, in New York City, a world far different from his own. A smallish but muscular and powerful young man, he single-handedly battles criminals, bullies and unscrupulous businessmen. The book is a page-turner and a feel-gooder: a myth for our time. Published in 1993, Charlies penultimate book is called The Subjective Truth and concerns the doings of two jazz musicians.

Hank Frye '53 wrote a short anecdote from Texas with a photo about his 15-year-old grandson, Garrett, who either acquired or made an arcwelded cat out of junk steel rod and sheet metal. The cat is a pretty combative-looking "animal," with nails sticking out as whiskers. In fact, he named the cat Nails. "What is the last name?" his grandfather asked the boy. "McNary," he replied, which made Hank think immediately of Jack McNary, who lives miles from Texas in Connecticut. Jack and Hank played football together and Jack was also called "Nails." According to Hank, Jack had a dog named R.C. Piccolo well before the famous Brian.

Ray Buck and Larry Sterne have been swapping e-mails about Larry's daring-do in Australia. At one point in the spine-tingling narrative, Larry referred to some photographs of himself "in free-fall from 12,000 feet." Good grief.The "freefall" must have ended somewhere about 11,000 feet down or Larry would not be writing Ray. Another paragraph refers to a meeting with Jim Fowler when Larry was hitchhiking 50 years ago, without further explanation of his journey by thumb. Finally, Larry throws Ray a bouquet with a metaphor that appeals to any lover of the high seas: "You're doing a yeoman's job keeping the newsletter afloat while the 50 yearbook is steaming into home port with you at the helm." Larry, send some of that stuff this way. Ray was in the Army.

12 Rochester St., P.O. Box8, Scottsville, NY 14546; (585) 889-3000; (585)889-3044 (fax); henryww@alum.dartmouth.org