Having recently joined the ranks of octogenarians, many classmates, wives, and widows are facing health and caregiver challenges as well as mourning the loss of loved ones and coping with the isolation and anxiety associated with Covid-19. Under the leadership of Al Huck (alexhuck@gmail.com) and Alan Rapoport (alanrapoport@gmail.com), the Caring Class Network (CCN) has been formed to create opportunities for classmates to share common family health challenges and gain access to experts and support resources both from within and outside the class. Fortunately, the class is endowed with many healthcare and mental health professionals who have generously agreed to be available to those in need of expert counsel and guidance. For further information and to access the list of volunteer class professionals and outside resources, refer to the CCN pages on the class website: 1962.dartmouth.org.

To get the ball rolling, 41 classmates, wives, and widows participated in the first CCN Zoom session moderated by Messrs. Huck and Rapoport to discuss the network’s objectives, exchange views on how to proceed, and share some of the challenges they are facing as patients and caregivers and thoughts on solutions and resources. In this connection we were joined by representatives of the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging at the Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health. To view the Zoom video, visit https://bit.ly/3szkYY7. Other Zoom sessions will follow. A dedicated listserv has been created for ongoing group conversation on related topics. To join, email mayordomo Dan Tompkins (daniel.tompkins@temple.edu).

A hearty non-PC wah hoo wah for seasoned novelist Bill Carpenter, whose latest novel, Silence, will be published by Islandport Press in June. Bill examines the bitter legacy of 9/11 from the perspective of an injured Maine veteran returning from Iraq. Look for it at www.islandportpress.com/bookshop.

After enjoying the view of Rio’s Copacabana beach for many years, Zaida and Peter Knight have relocated to Corvallis, Oregon, to be near family. A semi-professional photographer, Peter shares his photographs of the stirring Oregonian scenery at https://bit.ly/3dNbfcG.

I regret to report the death of Walter Bruce McRae of Athens, Georgia,on December 14, 2020.

—David L. Smith, RR4 Box 225B4, Galveston, TX 77554; (775) 870-2354; david@davidlsmith.com