Class of 1974 Summer 2022 Class Note

Greetings, Black Bears!

Spring is in the air and Don and I survived our second Maine winter. We certainly had more snow, and the
ice made for daring trips outside with the dogs. Thank goodness for snow cleats! We headed to New
Orleans in early May for the retirement of Col. David P. Grant USMC after 30 years serving our country. We
are so very proud of him and his military family. Mike Grant ’97 is now the owner of Grant Tree Service in
Camden, and he does part-time work for the town of Camden. Finally, we are looking forward to summer
and our new pontoon boat. Fun times ahead!

What’s new?

Apparently, the city of Biddeford likes their mayor. Alan Casavant was elected to his sixth term as mayor last
November. The city has been through many changes in the last decade with him at the helm. The former
mill town has been revitalized, but like many Maine cities, affordable housing is a top concern. Alan was a
state representative and high school teacher prior to becoming mayor. He feels he still has work to do to
shape the projects already started and to ensure Biddeford’s future.

State Representative Jeffrey Evangelos G has opted not to run for reelection in 2022. He currently serves
House District 91, which includes Friendship, Waldoboro, Union, and Washington. However, he will be
getting back to some grassroots activism on issues he is passionate about, including criminal justice reform,
issues related to lobstering, and assisting the dispossessed like the Native Americans in the state. I think it’s
fair to say we haven’t heard the last of Jeffrey. It seems he has even left the door open to pursue office
again at a later date.

I had an email from Steve Torrey bringing his classmates up to date.

Steve and Ellen Goodwin Torrey ’75 relate that following his retirement as a U.S. Navy medical officer,
Steve spent the next 16 years in northern New Hampshire teaching life sciences at the high school and
college levels. Ellen continues to write mystery novels and has self-published on Amazon. Both are now
spending retirement in central Florida, enjoying the warmth.

And here is an update from Steve Orlofsky regarding some concert dates around Castine and Greenville if
you love jazz.

Steve will be performing a lot this summer and fall in various bands. Some highlights will be the Night & Day
Jazz Trio on Tuesday evenings in July through September at the Pentagoet Inn, Castine; and the nine-piece
funk band Maine Street R&B Revue playing in Greenville on the Katahdin’s sunset cruise on July 23 and
August 20.

Chris Fisher Walker finally retired after 31 years of teaching (special education and various elementary
grades), eight years of mentoring first and second year teachers in the Alaskan Bush (traveling by small
aircraft), and three years of working as an adjunct professor with student teachers for Alaska Pacific
University and the University of Alaska.

“Now it’s time for a new life, spending time with my husband, Jim, making music on the bagpipes, and hiking
with my Sheltie, Mirth! And yes! I’m staying in Alaska.”

It would be great to hear from more of you! I forgot to mention that Don and I attended a Black Bear hockey
game in Portland. The best part was having dinner with Todd ’93, ‘97G and Danielle “Dee” Daigle Saucier
’93, ’96G and their two girls prior to the game. And he paid!

Enjoy the coming weather and keep the news coming!