Assorted news arriving by electron or snail. Dan Hedges recently bought a fully electric Nissan Leaf, charged solely from the solar array on his roof. No electric bill for his fuel cost, and it handles and accelerates well to boot!


Francine and John Pilling wrote about a recent neighborhood tasting event at the Red Lantern on Stanhope Street in Boston. It was a trip down memory lane, as the same location was remembered as the Red Coach Grill, Satch’s and one of the first Bertucci’s. Time marches on. John remains active at the Boston Architectural College, leading studios on Spanish and American colonial architecture in Puerto Rico and Cuba, among other places. He might run into John Isaacson’s wife, Consuelo, who is running a small foundation serving Caritas Cubana, who travels to Cuba periodically as well. John and Consuelo’s two kids are both in Brooklyn, amazing their parents by somehow making a living in the film world. 


John Miksic wrote from Singapore, where he just added the position of head of the archeology unit of the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Center at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies to his regular duties as a professor at the National University of Singapore. John helped cut the ribbon along with the president of Singapore. 


Sally and Peter Emmel enthusiastically wrote to praise a Dartmouth alumni travel trip they recently took, called the “Waterways of Russia.” Two days in Moscow, five days on the Volga-Baltic waterway on the MS Volga Dream and two days in St. Petersburg. His report was rich with observations, with particular commendation for the superb condition of the churches, the “Europeanness” of St. Petersburg and the high level of exquisite food, service and professionalism of the entire trip.


Frequent correspondent David “Howie” Soren reported that he will be directing and producing a new film about the ancient Etruscans and Romans, assisted by John Stephens as the computer graphics designers for the forum reconstructions. John and Howie were roommates way back when, and remain good friends despite the distance between Arizona and Vermont.


Class rock music guru Pete Wonson, author of the book Old Times, Good Times: A Rock and Roll Story, alerted us that there will be a reunion of sorts of several bands in Vermont on August 3-4. Watch for more details in a future issues or on the class website. And yours truly, your class secretary, has joined the growing ranks of the retired (sort of), but like many of us was persuaded to stay at Children’s Hospital Boston part time through June to assist in the transitions within the planning office.


Berry-Baker Library shared with the class that four books were recently purchased in memory of deceased classmates James Lewis, Gary Blaich, Frank Couper and John Weigel. And yet another deceased classmate: Eric Jones passed away in December after a long illness. Watch for the obituary on the magazine’s website. Keep the news coming.


—David Peck, 157 Sandwich Road, Plymouth, MA 02360-2503; (508) 746-5894; david.peck@ childrens.harvard.edu