Hello Classmates,

 

It has been very enjoyable reading about your various journeys through this maze.  Thank you, Bob, for encouraging each of us to share a few memories.  This reminds me of trying to write a precis for Dottie Miles' English class.  I have always found more satisfaction in solving complex problems than documenting the results...

Following our 55th reunion, I was determined to find a copy of Bob Neuman's "Marblehead Traveller".  The first envelope from Amazon arrived empty.  A few days later the replacement book arrived.  In each chapter I learned a lot about Bob and places I'll never see.  I have shared his stories with several friends.

 

After our brunch, we set out to walk about Old Town to share some of my favorite spots with my family.  At Redd's Pond we met Biff Martin putting the finishing touches on his recently acquired model yacht club house.  Biff invited us to return for the upcoming vintage model sailing regatta.  Chris Jr. and I decided to return in September and bring one of our vintage boats.

While I was busy rigging my boat, Duane Marshall's electric wheel chair fell into a hole in the sidewalk and he toppled into Redd's Pond with his chair on top of him.  Chris Jr. was the good samaritan who jumped into the pond to hold Duanes head above water until fire and rescue crews arrived.  Another bystander helped me to untangle Duane's skinless leg from the chair and remove that weight from him.

This has been a year of milestones.  We celebrated our 50th anniversary by taking our entire family of 11 including three grown children and four grandchildren on an Alaskan cruise.  (All generations can communicate with one another when they are unplugged from cell phones and the internet.)  I achieved 45 years of service with Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in May and am still working full time.

 

When we arrived in Schenectady in 1972, Dick Beach, younger brother of our principal Erold, was a well known local TV and radio personality.  Dick frequently mentioned Marblehead during his morning program.

 

Most of our free time is shared with the children and grandchildren.  I play duplicate bridge regularly and tennis occasionally.  This Spring I completed several 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles.  (Like they do in the "home".)  One of our classmates gave me a 5000 piece challenge puzzle to be completed before our next reunion.

 

Looking forward to seeing you all next week.

 

Chris