This past “winter” here in the Upper Valley surely ranks as one of the warmest and driest on record—today’s temperature in late February is 50 degrees, with open water on the Connecticut River, no snow on the Green with the exception of the Winter Carnival statue (a bizarre giant cupcake) constructed with snow shipped in from the Skiway. This past weekend marked the annual ski outing of the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley at the Skiway, where conditions were surprisingly good for this snowless winter—it’s amazing what $800/hour of snowmaking can accomplish.


While on the subject of skiing, I understand as many as 20 of our classmates planned to travel out to Vail, Colorado, for this year’s edition of CarniVail in two weeks. This mini-reunion, started almost a dozen years ago by Steve Waterhouse ’65, has grown dramatically since a number of us began attending some five years ago. At this writing we’re all hoping they’ve had a whiter winter in the Rockies than we have had in the East.


From the mailbox: You may remember great music floating down from the piano in the Top of the Hop while on the way for mail at your Hinman box. Credit Mark Markaverich, who was born blind, a result of retinopathy prematura, a condition common in premature births back in the 1940s. Mark has certainly not been slowed by this limitation, as he outlined in a fascinating and lengthy e-mail that I’m happy to share in its entirety. Currently living in Sarasota, Florida, since 1988, Mark is an active member of the Jazz Club of Sarasota, teaches jazz piano at the State College of Florida as well as privately and performs on a circuit of assisted living facilities. In 1998 he released his first solo piano recital, www.cdbaby.com/all/thejazzcats.


After 39 years as a professional geologist, Bob Lamarre has retired. Bob worked as a petroleum geologist for 20 years with Texaco, then consulted and most recently was VP of a small exploration and production company. Wife Laura Wray, Wellesley ’74, also a geologist, continues to work and support him in Denver.


Jim Bays writes, “My granddaughter Pippa Bays at 5 months old made her network TV debut in October in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. She appeared as an orphan in a burlap bag. I am convinced she got the role on sheer cuteness and acting ability, though some might say the fact that her father is the show’s executive producer helped.”


And from Bob Cushman, who has been whitewater rafting in the West for the past 36 years: This past September he went on a private raft trip in the Grand Canyon, 275 miles during 20 days in his 14-foot raft. He currently lives on the banks of the South Fork of the American River in California. He sent me a photo of his shed with about a dozen kayaks stored—looked just like Ledyard Canoe Club!


—Pete Webster, 164 Route 5 South, #7, Norwich, VT 05055; weebs71@gmail.com