1969

It has been several years since I have heard from Ken Paul, who chronicles his recent past in the following (Secretary's Note: I had more than a little fun editing the deathless prose of an editor).

'After nearly 10 years as editor of the Litchfield County Times in northwestern Connecticut, I returned this fall to my hometown to become editor-in-chief of the Manhattan newspaper group of Manhattan Media. I oversee four community weeklies and pitch in where I can with a new and small but growing media company. Manhattan Media also publishes Avenue Magazine, which it bought this summer, and has just started a live events division. In Connecticut, I had a great run. The newspaper won many New England Press Association awards, won first prize in a national competition run by the University of Missouri School of Journalism five times in the past nine years and managed some coverage that made a difference. But I had suddenly become editor of not one but six weeklies, when the LCT was sold to Journal Register Cos., a Trenton-based chain. In that role from October '01 to September '02,1 learned a lot and had a fair amount of fun, but found that I couldn't do as much coaching of young colleagues, thinking and most important, parenting of Kathryn, my pride and joy, who's 8."

Homecoming Weekend 2002 attracted 19 classmates/spouses to Tindle Lounge in Thayer Dining Hall to escape the cold and to engage in some warm discussion about recent public crises involving corporate/organizational/personal ethics. Present were John and Elizabeth Beck, Jim and Alice Staros, Dudley Kay, Peter and Cynthia Elias, Bob and Penny Garman, Paul Tuhus, Bill and Karen Stableford, Peter and Frannie Schaeffer, Phil and Judith Bush, John and Sue Leavitt and Greg Lau. Organization development specialist John Beck, co-author of The Leader's Window (2001), started off the discussion with an overview of recent lapses in business ethics and other areas. John then posed several questions for everyone to discuss: Are the events in these arenas isolated or are they linked by a common thread? Are there just a few bad apples? Are there a few individuals who can't handle the power they have or is the old adage true that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? Are we witnessing a moral decline or is this part of the natural cycle of excess and moderation? Has the honor code (play by the rules, share whateveryou bring, tell the truth, don't cheat) been replaced by a survival code (break all the rules, take whatever you can get, spin the truth, don't get caught cheating)? Is winning everything? If you wish to read more about this and have input you would like to share, please start at the class Web site (www.alum.daltmouth.org/classes/69/) and scroll onto the "Class Institute" section. Viewpoints can also be offered over the class listserv and via the class newsletter. This seminar was organized by Bill Stableford, director of the Class of' 69 Institute.

Other Homecoming tidbits: We tried something different for Homecoming this year by having a block of rooms at the Coolidge Hotel. There were mixed reviews but I plan to return next year. The executive committee appointed Doug Nichols to serve as our representative on the Alumni Council. We discussed our upcoming reunion and the sharp collective eye of your class officers (actually it was Pete Schaeffer) noticed that our 2004 reunion is scheduled for Monday through Thursday.We have reached the age where the College apparently thinks we no longerwork. We are concerned about how this will affect attendance and would like your input via the usual channels.

27 Summit Ave., Derry, NH 03038; rwillets@aol.com