How things have changed since the last alumni update. I hope all our fellow
members of the Class of ’82 and their families are safe and well. New Hampshire
has so far avoided the degree of impact that so many other states have
experienced, though, unfortunately, the effects have been most devastating to
the elderly, especially nursing home residents. We all hope for an end to the
pandemic soon — in the meantime, keep wearing those masks.
My wife, Karen, and I were fortunate to be able to get away for a week in Maine
this summer. While most out-of-state visitors were required to observe a 14-day
quarantine upon arrival, the rule exempted visitors from New Hampshire. We
spent a lovely week on Arrowsic Island, offering easy access to the beach at
Reid State Park, which was not at all crowded during the week. We also enjoyed
take-out meals from some of our favorite restaurants in Bath. While in Maine, we
took a side trip to Orono to visit the UMaine campus. It was a bittersweet visit, as
the campus was empty and everything locked down. But it brought back a flood
of great memories and hope that normalcy will return soon.
Bret Vicary G, ’86 Ph.D. was honored with the 2020 President’s Award from the
Association of Consulting Foresters of America. Bret is president and CEO of
Sewall Forestry & Natural Resource Consulting, LLC. The award recognizes his
“demonstrated professional excellence in helping to bring professional tree
appraisal practices up to the standards of acceptable practices” according to the
award committee. Publisher of the 10th edition of the Guide for Plant Appraisal
and principal author of the NCREIF Timberland Committee’s Best Appraisal
Practices, Bret is a faculty associate at UMaine and a frequent speaker at timber
investment conferences worldwide.
Want some tips on photographing the heavens? John Meader was featured
recently in a Bangor Daily News article highlighting his amazing photos of the
newly discovered comet NEOWISE over the northern skies. John is an
astronomy educator and photographer from Fairfield, ME. Since 1987 he has
operated the Northern Stars Planetarium, a portable “star dome” that he takes to
elementary and middle schools throughout Maine, reaching around 18,000
students each year. Previously, he worked in the planetarium at the Francis
Malcolm Science Center in Easton, ME. Hopefully, you got a chance to see
NEOWISE last summer — John says it won’t be back for 6,800 years!
It’s so fascinating to learn about the different paths our classmates have taken
since UMaine. Have any news of your own or just want to share what’s new in
your life? If you have anything to share, or just want to give a shout out to your
classmates, please drop me a line.