1958

After several fits and starts, Norm Sylvester says he has started the second phase of his adult life (he doesn't want to call it retirement). He is a professor of business at Westchester Community College and reports loving it and wondering if academia shouldn't have been his calling. In addition Norm is vice chairman of the local chapter of Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), which counsels start-up and existing small businesses. The group has 58 counselors and conducts about 2,000 sessions each year. He is running a small business conference for more than a thousand executives in June and landed New York Gov. Pataki to give the keynote (obviously the state comptroller Carl McCall must have been busy).

Another joining the ranks of retired is Kurt Wegelius, who stepped down as seniorvice president after a quarter-century with Roosevelt Paper Co. Kurt's career in the forest products industry began in 1958 when he joined the wood products division of Weyerhaeuser. He served on the board of the National Association of Printing Leadership, which honored him in 1999 with membership in the prestigious Soderstrom Society, composed of leading executives in the printing and related industries. Actually Kurt began his work in the field at age 10 helping his Dad in a small logging and sawmill operation. He worked in logging in his native Idaho during summer vacations, the College Grant one spring vacation, and even spent one Christmas break unloading boxcars for a lumber dealer in White River Junction. Hows that for a career in one field?

Although supposedly retired, our faithful Webmaster Andy Thomas has taken up work in journalism. He writes a column for the local paper in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and upon finding himself in Boston without a ticket to the sold-out Sox vs. Yankees game, he proceeded to get a press pass. His interviewees included Joe Torre, Roger Clemens, Don Zimmer and Derek Jeter of the Yankees and Grady Little, the Red Sox manager who also resides at Pinehurst. Alas, George Steinbrenner was in Tampa. I hope Andy will make a copy of the column available on the class Web site. I would have been too in awe to ask any questions.

Dan Palant has written informing us of a wonderful tribute to our late classmate John Whiteley. The Dartmouth College Marching Band has established the John Whiteley Band Spirit Award, which will be given to the graduating senior who emulates Johns dedication, devotion and support to the DCMB. The award will be a plaque and cash gift, with the honoree's name engraved on a permanent plaque in the music department in the Hopkins Center. Bandsmen and classmates who would like to remember and honor John's memory should send checks, payable to the John Whiteley Band Spirit Award, to Dan Palant, 16 Slocum Road, Lexington, MA 02421. Kim Whiteley has told Dan how much John would have liked and appreciated this award.

Thanks to many who have sent me your email addresses, which I have passed on for placement on the Web site and in Alumni Records. Please keep them coming, along with news.

4 Willow Spring Circle, Hanover,NH 03755 ralph.n.manuel@valley.net