1975

Greetings from the 10 a.m. US Air Shuttle from Boston to New York. The seatbelt sign is turned off and we're cruising at 20,000 feet en route to LGA and for the next 4o minutes my cell phone is silent and the blackbeny is off and the world is at peace. Having just read The Boston Globe, New York Times and Wall Street Journal cover-to-cover, writing this column is a welcome relief to the endless news stories of bombings, death, war and conflict in the world.

In this context, writing about Dartmouth is like writing about Garrison Keillors fabled Lake Wobegon, a land he describes "where life is based on faith, hope, love and humor." Let's hope we all get to spend more time in Wobegon over the next few years. In Hanover the air is crisp, the leaves are turning and the air is filled with the scent of smoke from fireplaces. The campus is alive with energy as the College is in full swing with activities every- where from athletics to lectures. At Dartmouth hope springs eternal and we're lucky for that.

From the mailbag come two pieces of news. The sad news is that our classmate, Ernie Kessler, died at the end of April from a heart attack in his home in Arlington, Virginia. Ernie was 49. Ernie was an expert in politics and in real estate having served as the chief of staff to Congressman Cece Hetfel and assistant to the director of the Democratic National Committee during the Carter administration. He later served as president of the National Association of Real Estate Investors and wrote a leading book on real estate foreclosure and was a frequent speaker on the subject. We will miss his spirit and passion.

On a happier note, I received an announcement from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals that Thomas Ulich was just appointed senior vice president of research and development. Alnylam, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a leading biotech company focusing on therapeutic RNA interference strategies. Before this latest appointment, Tom was vice president at Amgen for pre-clinical development and protein therapeutics. Following Dartmouth Tom did his medical training at UCLA. Congratulations, Tom!

Well, the seatbelt light has come on and its time to get ready to land. Keep those cards and letters coming. Enjoy the upcoming holidays and make the most of each day. Nancy and I send our very best to all.

5 Boardman Ave., Manchester, MA01944; (617) 737-1100, x302; jbildner@tier.com