Class Note 1983. Six intrepid classmates and a spouse visited me in space recently. Our spacecraft, The Nomad, was just shy of the “Earth pull zone,” where spacecrafts are captured by Earth’s gravity. This make-believe trip was actually a performance of Specimen, the off-off Broadway sci-fi comedy, set on the command deck of the ship. I acted in the original production staged this spring at Axis Theater in N.Y.C. Thank you to Robin Rocchi and husband Al, Pat Hedley, David Ellis, Beth (Zabby) Hovey, Anne Blanchard, and Lore Serra for attending the show. Special thanks to Lore, who organized the event, a dramatic twist to our monthly Friday N.Y.C. lunches. We relaunch Specimen October 28-November 21 for a second run at Axis. Come see the show!
Earlier in the spring I traveled closer to home, attending the Dartmouth men’s hockey quarterfinals with our classmate Bill Hammond, who lives in the Upper Valley. We cheered the Big Green on to victory over Colgate and caught up with each other in the beautifully renovated Thompson Arena. Bill later shared this update.
“Although I am semiretired from education, I enjoy keeping active in the community. I fill in at Hanover High’s math and English departments (where I taught for 30 years) when teachers are on maternity leave or have an extended illness. I helped coach Hanover High’s development Nordic ski team this winter. They learn the techniques of cross-country skiing but have no obligation to race. Many of the students on the team have never skied before, so they learn what it is like to have long feet in snow. This year we had students from Serbia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan along with our local students.
“I run an April action auction as a member of the Hanover Lions Club. We come up with services that we think people would like—tree pruning, window washing, carpentry, room painting, baking, random acts of kindness—and then people bid online for these services. This year we’re raising money for the Upper Valley Health Closet, an organization that provides free durable medical equipment (from a simple walker to a hospital bed) to those who need it.
“I also enjoy volunteering at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center twice a week. In my mid-20s I learned how to do reiki (a deep relaxation technique for mind and body); in the cancer infusion suite and on the in-patient side, doing reiki with patients helps them relax and enjoy a little comfort during difficult times. I’m also president of the Winthrop Bean Award for Theatre Arts. This monetary prize underwrites high school, student-produced shows and helps young theater artists bring their ideas to life. With the Hanover Improvement Society, we make sure that Storrs Pond, Campion Rink, and the Nugget Theater remain resources for the local community.” Thanks for sharing, Bill!
Shanta Sullivan is stepping back from her secretarial duties to concentrate on caring for her family. Thanks for keeping our class connected, Shanta!
—Jim Sterling, 108 E 4th St., Apt 17, NY, NY 10003; jsterlnyc@gmail.com