Summer greetings, everyone! I hope that you are packed and ready to join us for our 60th Reunion in
September. It is mid-March as I write this column, and I am happy to report that even at this early date, over
20 classmates have made reservations at Schoodic for our pre-Reunion event. As part of the pre-Reunion
schedule, we will be having a silent auction to raise money for class funds. We encourage everyone to bring
an item for that event. If for some reason you are unable to attend our 60th, you can still participate by
donating something for the auction. Just send your item to either Millie or me and we will be happy to add it
to the event with your name attached.
News from the mailbox: Eli Karter ’68G wrote that he and Susan finally ventured out for their first post-
COVID trip last fall for a theatre week in London. While stage productions brought them across the pond, Eli
reports that exploring the London pubs was also a highlight. At Christmas time the whole Karter clan
traveled to Tulum, Mexico, to enjoy a holiday week together. Classmate Ingrid Bain Larochelle also
enjoyed Mexico over the holidays. Ingrid, her daughters, and two grandchildren spent a week in Mazatlán
and are planning a return trip this December. Ingrid also shared the news that in May, two of her
grandchildren received their master’s degrees.
Don Ouellette and his wife, Betty, continue to enjoy the skiing passion they started during a family outing
shortly after Christmas 1969 when their children, Susan and James, were very young. For more than 50
years, the couple has skied most New England slopes as well as Park City, Utah and a few years back, Mt.
Tremblant in Canada. Don and Betty spent a lovely week on the Vermont slopes again this year. Don writes: “With the big challenges in the past, we now enjoy well groomed trails where we can glide without too much concern. Hoping to ski a few more years.”
Two classmates have once again published books this past year. Downeast Genius is Earl Smith’s seventh
book! Author and historian, Earl uses his knowledge and wit to tell the stories of many inventors with Maine
roots that helped transform the country in the era following the Civil War. The book is filled with tales of grit,
luck, and frolic while exploring inventions of things so widely different as elevators, insulin, Moxie, machine
guns, and Dixie cups. In Bill Smullen’s fourth book, Aspire to Inspire: The Ways, Means and Magic of
Mentoring, Bill uses his wide mentoring experiences to walk us through the important skills every mentor
must have to be successful. Whether part of a formal mentoring program or as a parent, family member or
friend, we are all called on to be a mentor many times in our lives. Bill’s latest book provides us with great
tools for those moments.
As September and our 60th Reunion approach, I am very happy to announce that we have reached our goal
of raising the principal of our Val Beck Sterritt Scholarship to over $100,000. Thank you once again to
every one of you classmates who have made this possible. If you have not contributed thus far, it is never
too late! Our scholarship is our legacy to the university, truly “the college of our hearts always.”
Looking forward to seeing so many of you in September. Stay safe, be well, send news.