The year’s great pendulum keeps swinging: Bob Copeland writes that Monk Bancroft and Bob Shirley have passed. “I don’t know how well you knew these guys,” Bob says, “but they were among the best characters our class produced.” We speak often of our losses, but let’s talk of significant gains as well. Steve Swayne and Matthew Marsit are important new additions to our class. Steve, as chairman of the music department, was responsible for selecting the winners of the Eric Kunzel music award. Extremely close to our class, Steve has also received the John Rassias faculty award for exceptional outreach to alumni. Mike Lasser and Randy Aires strongly supported Steve’s adoption. Matthew, director of bands at Dartmouth, has been leader of the Dartmouth Wind Ensemble on two trips to Costa Rica attended by our classmates. He has also received numerous awards as a conductor and a clarinetist. Matthew was strongly supported for adoption by Bruce Bernstein and Pete Carothers. A most sincere welcome to both from the great class of 1957! Jay Greene shares with us that plans are firming up for a spectacular California mini-reunion, most likely April 27-May 2, with three days in San Francisco followed by three days in Napa Valley. Jay and Paulina are planning the valley fun and, significantly, Tom Ely’s widow, Cinda, is planning the San Francisco activities. Bruce Sloane reports that, after some 30 years of declining hearing, he decided on a cochlear implant, which now gives him near normal hearing, literally changing his life. Bruce adds that the implant has also changed wife Joy’s life. Bruce is busy giving talks, writing articles and counseling folks with hearing loss. If your hearing aids are no longer giving you the help you need, Bruce suggests evaluation for a cochlear implant. Check out his blog on this website: acialliance.org/blogpost/1644925/An-Octogenenarian-S-CI-Journey.

Now back to that yearly pendulum swing: It’s New Year’s resolution time as I write to you. One of my most important is to contact more of you from whom we have not heard recently. What are your hopes for 2018?

—John W. Cusick, 251 Sabal Palm Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963; (772) 231-1248; johnwcusick@aol.com