Class Note 1960
Issue
May - Jun 2018
Sunshine and February temperatures in the mid-70s welcomed our fantastic 80th birthday celebration in Key West, Florida, with more than 70 classmates attending, most accompanied by spouses, partners, kids or friends. The gig was a gigantic success, filled with four days of scheduled events interlaced with plenty of free time to explore the “Conch Republic,” as locals refer to their abode.
Festivities began with a welcome reception at the Margaritaville Resort pier, where classmates reunited before sunset to share old memories and new information during cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.Next day the trolleys picked up the group for a circumnavigation of our fair island, sprinkled with witty commentary by the drivers. That afternoon the group embarked on a large catamaran to view the sunset off the shores of Key West.
Day three included a behind-the-scenes tour of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum by Duncan Mathewson III, who was there in 1985 when it happened: the discovery of the Atocha, a Spanish galleon that had foundered just off Key West in 1622 with lots of moolah. The exhibit included scores of golden rings, necklaces and emeralds, and Duncan gave us the skinny regarding the discovery crew. Read his book, The Treasure of the Atocha,and watch for the movie version sometime in the next year or so.
The farewell banquet at Roof Top Café was emceed by our president, Dudley Smith, and began with Jim Adler conferring presidential awards to Seth Strickland and Ken Taber. Gene Kohn added humor and accolades and Mort Kondracke followed with a trustee report. Finally, for those who returned home by driving up the Keys, brunch at Sid and Deb Goldman’s Oceanside home capped one of the best birthday gigs ever pulled off by our class.
Only one complaint was registered by Denny Goodman, who felt depressed by his need to return to the ice and snow of Hanover.
Plans are being laid for our group 85th birthday celebration. Any ideas? Bob Brown suggests a Mississippi River cruise on the American Queen.
—Sid Goldman, 97 Bay Drive, Key West, FL 33040-6114; (305) 745-3645; sidgoldman@gmail.com
Festivities began with a welcome reception at the Margaritaville Resort pier, where classmates reunited before sunset to share old memories and new information during cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.Next day the trolleys picked up the group for a circumnavigation of our fair island, sprinkled with witty commentary by the drivers. That afternoon the group embarked on a large catamaran to view the sunset off the shores of Key West.
Day three included a behind-the-scenes tour of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum by Duncan Mathewson III, who was there in 1985 when it happened: the discovery of the Atocha, a Spanish galleon that had foundered just off Key West in 1622 with lots of moolah. The exhibit included scores of golden rings, necklaces and emeralds, and Duncan gave us the skinny regarding the discovery crew. Read his book, The Treasure of the Atocha,and watch for the movie version sometime in the next year or so.
The farewell banquet at Roof Top Café was emceed by our president, Dudley Smith, and began with Jim Adler conferring presidential awards to Seth Strickland and Ken Taber. Gene Kohn added humor and accolades and Mort Kondracke followed with a trustee report. Finally, for those who returned home by driving up the Keys, brunch at Sid and Deb Goldman’s Oceanside home capped one of the best birthday gigs ever pulled off by our class.
Only one complaint was registered by Denny Goodman, who felt depressed by his need to return to the ice and snow of Hanover.
Plans are being laid for our group 85th birthday celebration. Any ideas? Bob Brown suggests a Mississippi River cruise on the American Queen.
—Sid Goldman, 97 Bay Drive, Key West, FL 33040-6114; (305) 745-3645; sidgoldman@gmail.com