I received an email from David Hallagan ’85 providing an update on his dad, Richard Hallagan. David reports that his dad is going strong and enjoying retirement activities, including cross-country skiing and sailboat racing. Richard qualified for the world championship regattas in two types of boats and often finishes near the front. He stopped downhill ski racing but still competes in cross country. In February he raced in the Birkebeiner 25-kilometer race in Wisconsin and finished third in the 80-plus group. Richard’s wife passed away more than a decade ago and he has found wonderful companionship with a lovely lady named Sally Hume. They bounce between her homestead in Colorado and his place in Rochester, New York, with trips all over the world. They also compete regularly at bridge. Many thanks to David for this welcome report—I encourage other sons and daughters of my classmates to do the same.

I interrupt to announce that the Barbary Coast Jazz Band is playing a series of joyful tunes in celebration of the fact that there is not one passing to report. Noting a mention of the Sokols’ move to California in a previous issue, John Liebman says that he misses seeing them on a regular basis. Same for the Longs,who left Albuquerque, New Mexico, to move to Phoenix. He does get to see Ed Ross and Trish, who live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. John loves living in New Mexico and says that he does not miss L.A.

In celebration of everywhere we live and travel I offer “Our Homeland.”

Do travel across this great land,

See all of the beauty firsthand;

Go to national parks,

And the U.S. landmarks,

From up north to the grand Rio Grande.

—Joel D. Ash, P.O. Box 1733, Grantham, NH 03753; (603) 863-3360; jash_125@comcast.net