Nancy and I just returned from watching the Head of Charles Regatta this afternoon—just a few feet from our “student housing” just off the banks of the river on Memorial Drive in Boston. It was a spectacular fall day with brilliant sunshine and temperatures in the low 50s. I couldn’t help but remember much colder days on the Connecticut River as a member of the famous class of 1975 freshman crew team with other stalwarts such as Scott “Scooter” Lochridge and Rob “Simmy” Sinsheimer to name just a few. And yes, this was where the “Boz” got his name, for as our boat moved stealthily down the river, yours truly had much longer hair (not so neatly kept under a ski hat) that seemed to remind a group of fourth-graders watching crew practice that one of their favorite television stars was in the boat. As they collectively shouted, “There’s Bozo,” my much-loved nickname was forever known in Dartmouth history. And so the story goes. And now for the mailbag.


Our own literary legend and publisher of Life, Bob Sullivan wrote, and I quote, “A note to the file under shameless self promotion: Skyhorse Publishing is bringing back out a 15th anniversary edition of my Christmas book, Flight of the Reindeer. It’s a great book and story and those of you with young children or, dare I say, grandchildren should get it.” (Secretary’s note: Next year University Press of New England will be co-publishing with us a wonderful new children’s Christmas book written by Julie Miner ’76 and illustrated by Sara Hunter ’76 called The Lighthouse Santa. It’s a true story about Edward Snowe, the real “flying Santa” who flew Christmas gifts over lighthouses and dropped them to the children of lighthouse operators for more than 50 years—it’s a great story and an all-Dartmouth cast.)


Richard Pechtner wrote in with a great update following our June reunion: “It was nice reconnecting with former Sig Ep classmates and friends. My son Joseph ’04 got his D.M.D. from Tufts in 2009 and married Christine Reinhold ’06 at Rollins Chapel in Hanover last summer. My son William ’04 just got his M.D. from USF College of Medicine and is pursuing an internal medicine internship in Tampa, Florida. My daughter Diana ’12 is entering her junior year at Dartmouth. She is a member of the a cappella singing group, the Decibelles, and she is the solo feature baton twirler with the Dartmouth Marching Band. This past winter at the Dartmouth-Harvard football game she performed some duet twirling routines with her sister Patricia (Harvard ’06). Patricia is in her third year at Miami medical school. My wife, Robin, teaches at a local state college and is pursuing a doctorate degree at Nova University. I am still a solo practice cardiologist in the town of Vero Beach, Florida. The Dodgers have left the area but the beaches are still lovely.” There’s a lot of green in Richard’s family.


Well that’s all the news for now. As they say, don’t be a stranger. Nanc sends her best, as do I. 


—Jim Bildner, 5 Boardman Ave., Manchester, MA 01944; (617) 737-1100; jim_bildner@hks11. harvard.edu