Relocating Tate
I enjoyed the article on James
Tate's writing workshop in the Summer
2008
issue, but would note an error in the title of the picture of the al
fresco
dinner. The picture shows the poet's home in Pelham, not Amherst.
Joseph S. Larson '56, '58G
Pelham
What Were We Thinking?
How could it be that the alumni mag for the
University of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, whose waters once
teemed with Codfish, could publish a picture of a distended, hatchery-raised
Rainbow Trout, in an article on our state fish?! Next time, please
consult the ichthyologists when you need a proper piscatorial portrait.
Clark Whitcomb '64, '65G
Nantucket
A Missed Beacon
After reading the article on UMass alums who own their own
restaurant businesses on Cape Cod in your recent issue, I’d like to
call your attention to someone you missed. Kate Roche, a 1988 UMass
graduate who majored in physical education rather than HRTA, is owner
of The Beacon Room. In 1997, she bought this small breakfast-only restaurant
in Orleans MA and converted it into a lovely lunch and dinner restaurant.
After major building renovations, creative landscaping, and later addition
of a spacious, airy extra room, Kate now enjoys a highly deserved reputation
as one of the premier restaurateurs on the Cape. The Beacon Room can
be counted on for outstanding consistency in all aspects of restaurant
ratings. The highest quality food served at reasonable prices, an excellent
wine cellar, a relaxed atmosphere and great camaraderie all year long,
and an exceptionally friendly staff – these make The Beacon Room a
superb value. And Kate did it all by learning the business from the
ground up and without relying on a “handoff” from a previous generation
of restaurateurs!
Patt Dodds, Professor Emerita UMass
The Lure of the Cape
Thank you for the fun article on Cape
Cod cuisine in the Summer
2008 edition. My family and I try to get out of
the Vermont mountains and to the Cape several times a year to visit
family, fish, hike, ride bicycles, boat, play at the beach and of
course, eat. I was,
however, quite surprised when I saw that above the title on the sidebar "For
the Love of Cod" you had a photograph of a rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss and not a photograph of a cod. Like the "Trout
Scouts" Tom and Dan Harrison you featured in the same issue,
I, too, grew up fishing for trout in the hill towns of Western Massachusetts. However,
the largest rainbow trout I have ever caught, I actually hooked on
a Mickey Finn bucktail streamer in Wakeby Pond in Mashpee. Over
the years I have caught and released a number of sea run trout on the
Cape as well, but I have yet to catch one that looked like a Cod. Thanks
for the excellent magazine!
Robert F. Raskevitz, '84
East Randolph, Vermont
Beautiful Bruce
I remember seeing Bruce
Springstein as the opening act at the stadium
for Spring concert of '73 or '74. Also on the bill: Cold
Blood featuring Lydia Pense. The headliners: It's a Beautiful
Day. And it turned out to be just that!
Lillian LaFrance '74
Glens Falls, NY
Citizen Alert
In your Summer 2008 edition Oh, the
Places You'll Go, on page 41 there
is a side article titled "For
the Love of Cod". However,
the picture above the text is not the Atlantic cod- Gadus morhua, but
the rainbow trout. Every Massachusetts citizen should be able to identify
this fish which has been so prominent in our state's history and economy.
Please rightfully acknowledge this fish, for the love of cod.
Lisa Millete
The Cod, 2010
Traffic Jam
In response to Nick Minotti's request for Corroboration,
Please:
Traffic did indeed play at the Cage during academic year 1970-71. I
remember it with great fondness, as it was my first date with my first "hippie" boyfriend.
The near-riot Nick refers to was the crush of people rushing the entrance
when the Cage opened its doors for the show.
And a sincere thank you to Nick for remembering, and corroborating for me, the appearance of Bruce Springsteen opening for Fleetwood Mac at the stadium. I believe it was spring of '72. When I've related this memory to friends, they respond with some skepticism.
Karen (Plonowski) Mason '73
More Than We Knew
It is puzzling to me that you reviewed two restaurants
in Wellfleet but
omitted a great restaurant, The Tavern, owned by two UMass
grads, Robert Morrill '66 and Judy
Pihl '67. They established
Sweet Seasons in 1974 and later moved it up to the Inn
at Duck Creeke. They
subsequently bought the inn and ran Sweet Seasons and The Tavern for
many years. Now they just run The Tavern, which has entertainment
and wonderful food. Judy's clam chowder has won awards. The
restaurant deserves to be recognized.
Diane McNeill Carvalho ’66
West Haven, Connecticut
Concert Memories Continue
Nick Minotti, '74 asked for corroboration relating
to several concerts in the early '70's. I think my recollections should be able to
help an "old hippy". The Fleetwood Mac concert he references
was held just outside the football stadium in the spring of 1971. The
opening act for Fleetwood Mac was a band called "It's a Beautiful
Day". I remember the concert very clearly because attending
this concert was the full extent of my college visits prior to attending
UMass the next Fall semester. The Fleetwood Mac performing that
day was the pre-Buckingham and Nicks version that later became the
biggest group of the mid-70's.
The Traffic concert that Mr. Minotti referred to was, I believe, one year earlier in the Spring of 1970. By the time I arrived, it was already a legendary event. Many of us were still living under the Woodstock delusion that all concerts should be free but this one turned into an ugly affair as fences were torn down and unticketed students broke into the Cage.
As for the Springsteen concert occurred several years later. Springsteen played at UMass in the Spring of 1973 - ironically, this concert was part of an effort to keep concerts small after the Traffic concert fiasco. Springsteen was a virtual unknown at the time but considered to be up and coming. I was able to corroborate my memory of this concert with a reference to UMass INDEX 1973 - pictures of the Springsteen concert are on page 277. I did not go to this concert much to my regret. I lived in New Jersey through the 1980's when Bruce was at his height of popularity. I saw several of his concerts held at Giants stadium but always wished that I had caught him early on at a small on-campus concert at UMass.
Spencer Sullivan, '75
Germantown, Tennessee
We Wizz We Didn't Miss You
I love the Summer
08 issue
very well done. BUT... I am a bit sad to not have been a part of the
issue. My family has owned and operated
Water Wizz Water Park in Wareham for
25 years. I am a graduate with a BS in arts and sciences. I was
originally headed for Veterinary School but got side tracked due to
my fathers health, and now for the past 15 years represent our park
as the General Manager. We are even on the local maps people can buy!
Maybe next year you could feature us along with more Cape and Island
grads.
Rebecca Kells ’91
East Wareham
Holy, Mackerel, Get That Fish Right
As usual, I enjoyed reading the UMass Amherst magazine
(summer 2008 issue), including your piece, 'For
the Love of Cod' on P.41. However,
you should have passed the accompanying photo by
Professor Juanes (quoted in the article) before print time. That sure
looks like a nice specimen of a trout; almost certainly a strain of
rainbow trout, which is a freshwater fish. It is definitely not a cod
fish.
Oh well.
Hey, here's an idea. On one of your next days off, why not hook up with the Harrison brothers (P.43) for a cruise down the Deerfield or Millers River. I'm sure they'll show you how much fun it is to catch one of these babies ... and identify them as well.
I hope you take this 'letter to the editor' in the friendly spirit in which it was intended.
Sincerely,
John A. Breznak ’71G
Fountain Hills, Arizona
The World Awaits
Yesterday we received your latest magazine, and as
always, enjoyed reading it.
The cover in particular caught my eye. "Oh, the Places You'll Go" touches our family. My daughter Paige Rexrode, graduated from UMass Amherst last May, with a degree in French, and she is currently seven weeks into a year-long trip around the world. As I write this, she is in route to India, having spent over a month in Africa. Here is a sample of what she writes in her blog paigesworldtrip.blogspot.com. Her itinerary will include, Nepal, Tibet, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Japan and Canada. Just thought you might be interested in what your alumnus is up to!
Susan Rexrode
Orange
Compass, Please
I have a point of correction concerning UMASS Magazine
Summer 2008 edition on the page 44 map. Holyoke is located on the west
side of river and Hadley on the east side.
If one is traveling North on either Route 5 or 91 through Holyoke, you pass from Holyoke through a small piece of Easthampton then directly into Northampton. Hadley is across the river to the east.
F.T. Moynihan ’74
Columbia, Ohio
Walking Tall
Reading the letter from Mel
Foster ’57, about his being a walk-on,
brought back some old memories for me. I arrived on campus in
the fall of ’49 with marginal grades and little renown as a football
player from Reading High School. As a walk-on, I decided to try
out for freshman football. On the first day of practice, 110 (or so)
kids showed up and there was not enough equipment for everyone. At
the end of the practice, Coach “Red” Ball made up teams of eleven and
I was one of a few left standing not included in the drill. Gradually,
during the course of the season I managed to play a lot in the freshman
games, probably due to my determination and quickness. I lettered
all three years of varsity football and as a senior quarterback for
Coach O’Rourke, I played on a team that received national recognition
for an offense that broke many records at many levels. I was
inducted into the “Hall” in 1972, possibly one of the few “walk-ons”
to be so honored. There are always some athletes who are “late
bloomers” and mature to become valuable members of our various sports
teams. Thankfully, the athletic department is open to giving
such young people a chance to show their talents.
Sports were quite different in the early fifties. Freshmen could not play varsity and the football team played only eight games. Lacrosse and other sports now played did not exist. Athletes were not segregated and were mixed in with the entire student body. Our instructors and professors were outstanding, as were our coaches. I remember at our initial convocation being told to look at the two people sitting on each side of us and that one of us would not make it past the first semester. It was a tough grind which forced me to learn how to study. My years at UMass were a defining moment in my life. I entered as a shy, immature kid and emerged as a young adult, confident and ready to take on the world. I am eternally grateful.
Noel Reebenacker ‘53
Stuart, Florida
Eagle-eyed Fisherman
I expect that I will not be the only reader to notice, but the picture
your staff used to illustrate a sidebar about codfish in
the Summer, 2008 issue, was not an Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), but
a native of our more westerly regions, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus
mykiss). While this species is now found in various waters
capeside, it is doubtful that it had arrived there before the
twentieth century.
John Foley '76
Worcester
Missing New England
Thanks so much for featuring the Cape!
Although my wife and I have returned to our New England roots for visits over the past decades, and have included the Cape, your lead article has again whetted our appetites.
After graduation, we both worked there summers during law school. It is a little bit different now, isn't it?
Perhaps we will get another chance next summer when we return for the 50th Anniversary gala.
All best.
Bob Myers, '59
From The Cape to Paris
I'm a UMass Amherst EdD graduate from
the Center for International Education, and really enjoyed this issue.
It brought back memories of Massachusetts childhood summers - offshore
on Nantucket to be precise, although you found enough culinary stuff
to crow about on the mainland Cape.
Hey, what about telling people that there's a UMass grad in Paris guiding strolls year-round to discover that city's endless history?
Very good wishes!
Arthur Gillette ’77G
Meudon, France
The Real Story on the Review
Dear Editor: Nice job on the magazine, nice Summer issue. One correction: in
the note on Christin Couture on p. 59, there are two errors that I wish you
would correct. First: Christin, wonderful as she is, and lucky are we to have
her, is not "The" Art Editor--she was appointed to join two
existing art
edtors, Oriole Farb Feshbach and Pam Glaven, both, incidentally, also UMass
MFA alumna. They continue a distinguished tradition of Art Editors that
included in the past Leonard Baskin and Jerome Liebling. Second, the
Massachusetts Review, was NOT "established ...by a group of professors
from
the Five Colleges. As the last of the original founders still around, I must
set the record straight. It was founded by a small group of seven that
included Fritz Ellert, an alum and then Chairman of the German Dept at UMass,
Paul Gagnon, another alum and Professor of Umass History Dept at UMass, the
treasurer of the Alumni Association, and David Clark and I, two professors
from the UMass English Department. On the basis of a promise of $1500 from the
Alumni Association, we dared to start the venture, no one from the Five
Colleges was involved, until we quickly recruited Leonard Baskin, then
Professor of Art at Smith, along with Sidney Kaplan, Professor of English,
Umass,both of whom decisively set the tone and format of the journal. After
two issues we were running out of cash, the Commonwealth at that time did not
allow the University a relatively free hand with the budget (that changed a
few years later, and the support has been generous ever since), so then we
appealed to the Five Colleges (actually Four at the time, Hampshire not yet
founded) for support for three years, and with the help of many distinguished
academic friends at those institutions, they acquiesced. From then on, our
Editorial Board always has been rich with members of all the colleges and the
University, and the journal has to report every year to the Five College
Presidents about the budget and finances. That is all. There has never been
any editorial control of the magazine's contents except by the Editors and
Editorial Board. Quite an achievement for a journal about to celebrate its
fiftieth anniversary this Spring.
Sincerely yours, Jules Chametzky, Professor
of English, Emeritus; Editor, Emeritus, The Massachusetts review.
 |
 |
| A North Atlantic Cod | Our creative director's idea of a Cod |
Someone must have been pulling your leg when they gave you the photo
to use over your piece about Cod and
the Cape. The fish at the top
of your article is a trout.
I'm sure there's a lot of us who are getting a chuckle out of that. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.
Arthur Falbo
Oh, my Cod! We need to take our creative director out fishing. Thank you for pointing out the error. It is kind of funny, though. —editors
Sixth Sense
Thank you for the five-question quiz that “will tell you if your affairs
are in order” (“Take This
Quiz Before You Die,” Spring 2008). Attorney
Steven J. J. Weisman’s ’70 questions address important elements of
death-planning. Another item is overlooked even more frequently than
estate-planning: disposal of one’s body. Along those lines, I offer
one more question:
6. The best way to plan for your funeral or memorial is:
- a) Let your children, relatives, or friends do it;
- b) let the funeral director do it;
- c) Do it yourself, in writing, ahead of time; or
- d) What funeral?
I’m not going to die.
In keeping with the format of the quiz, the correct answer is (c). Your
family, your estate, your own wishes, and your own peace of mind will
be best served if you give this some thought now, before the need is
upon you. After a death, when everyone is upset, grieving, and vulnerable,
is the absolute worst time to plan a funeral—but that is typically
when it is done. Do you want an elaborate ceremony with all the trimmings?
Do you want a simple cremation and scattering? Would you like to donate
your body to science? Each of these arrangements involves different
timetables and costs—and is most likely to be carried out if others know
in advance what you want. If you need help getting started, there is
an affiliate of the nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance in most states.
To locate the nearest one, call 800-765-0107 or visit funerals.org.
Dr. Carol N. Coan ’95G, ’08G
Trustee, Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts
Greenfield
Memories, Bitter and Sweet
It’s nice to read that Wilson’s department store is still going strong
in Greenfield (Spring 2008). I used to go to the candy counter at
Wilson’s to buy a particular kind of sugar-free chocolate bar to
send to California to my uncle who could not find it anywhere else.
While there I would usually manage to find a few sugar-containing
chocolate items for myself.
Peter Callas ’94G
Williston, VT
Thank you so much for the article on my all-time favorite store, Wilson’s.
Following a pleasant ride over the Mohawk Trail, I could always find
the perfect dress or coat upstairs, the elusive kitchen item downstairs,
and the fun bargains near stationery and books on the main floor. I had
no idea of the North Adams (R. Stanley Reid) or UMass Amherst (Kevin
O’Neil ’78 and Tamara Beauregard ’74) connections but was delighted to
learn about them.
Justyna Steuer Carlson ’67G
North Adams
Thanks for the memories! My late husband, Jim
’61, and I moved to Greenfield
in 1962 for his first teaching job, at Greenfield Junior High School.
We always shopped at Wilson’s Department
Store and enjoyed our Friday night dinners at Bill’s Restaurant too!
I also have a poignant memory of Wilson’s as I was shopping there on
the day of President Kennedy’s assassination
and heard the announcement over their intercom. It’s comforting to learn
that Wilson’s is still thriving.
J. Marie Stevenson ‘63, ’66G
Cotuit
Induct Foley!
It was a pleasure to read the letter from Mel
Foster ’57 (Spring 2008)
regarding Jack Foley ’57. Jack’s basketball accomplishments, including
becoming the first player in UMass history to exceed 1,000 career points,
are truly outstanding.
However, they are dwarfed by the character, sincerity, selflessness,
and leadership skills that he displayed on and off the court. This
was an athlete whose character made you proud that he represented your
school—certainly an athlete most deserving of a place in the campus’s
Hall of Fame. I join Mel Foster in urging that Jack be given that consideration
and encourage all UMass alumni who shared those golden years of the
1950s to do the same.
Don Rizzo ’57
Davidsonville, MD
On behalf of my beloved and deceased father, John
J. “Jack” Foley ’57, I wish to sincerely thank Mel Foster ’57 of Lompoc, California,
for taking the time to write about the great basketball accomplishments
of my father while a member of the men’s basketball team from 1954
to 1957. I appreciate Mr. Foster’s enthusiastic support for my father’s
(future) inclusion in the UMass Hall of Fame. It was with great surprise,
Mr. Foster, and with enormous gratitude, that I read your letter.
It is true that my father had an outstanding basketball career at UMass,
culminating in being the first UMass player ever to score over 1,000
points during his varsity career. He was feted for this school-first
career record and scoring achievements with “Jack Foley Night” at the
end of his senior season.
In addition to his captaincy, he was named to the All-Western Massachusetts,
Yankee Conference, and All-New England squads by panels of coaches
and sportswriters. He secured top scoring honors by shooting 45 percent
from the floor and 75 percent at foul shots. Jack is a UMass All-Time
Statistics Leader for scoring in 1956 and 1957, for free-throw percentages
for 1955-1957, and is a top contender for most foul shots made in a
UMass career.
My late mother’s scrapbook of articles and clippings chronicle my father’s
achievements
as a star high school player for St. John’s in Shrewsbury and as a
standout at UMass Amherst.
He was inducted posthumously into the St. John’s Hall of Fame on November
27, 1999. To be inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame is an honor he
truly deserves. My father loved and supported UMass Amherst wholeheartedly
and returned to the campus annually. To be acknowledged for his basketball
achievements and included in the UMass Hall of Fame would be the ultimate
honor in his memory, preserving his legacy for years to come. Mr. Foster,
Mr. Burke, Mr. Bartley, and UMass officials, let’s keep this ball rolling!
Margaret A. (Foley) Sydlowski ’84
Amesbury
Jobs Well Done
Thanks to Faye Wolfe for an outstanding article, “Jobs
of the Future”
(Spring 2008). I found it to be uplifting on two levels. It reminded
me of my own feelings of hope as I struggled to figure out what I
wanted to do with my life while I was at UMass Amherst in the seventies,
and it made me reflect on all the dedicated professors who cared
so much back then and the professors of today who still do.
Matt Sepe ’79
Assistant Director, Human Resources
Middlesex Community College
Lowell
Corroboration, Please
I started my freshman year at UMass in the fall of 1970. I certainly
know how deceptive memories can be, but I swear during my first year
(or second year at the latest), Traffic played at the Cage and a near-riot
ended all shows at that venue for the future. I also “think” that Springsteen opened for Fleetwood Mac at the football stadium during my early years.
I recall a writer for The Daily Collegian describing the relatively
unknown Bruce as a cross between Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. At the
time that description seemed to fit perfectly. I know my recollections
contrast with Ms. Mitchell’s. Can anyone help out an old hippy?
Nick Minotti ’74
Florida
Marriage and Money
“The Money Issue” was excellent but I could not read page 27—too faint;
vision problems may well be the case with older alums. Helen
Bride’s name appeared in a letter, and we were sisters in Pi Beta Phi. I met
my husband, Donald Blomquist (now deceased), at UMass. We dated six
months and were married 49 years. (I don’t recall a course on “How
to Stay Married”—maybe there should be one.) My new role is great-grandmother,
which may be true of many of my Pi Phi sisters. My education certainly
helped with my jobs in public relations.
Nancy Blomquist ’49
Shrewsbury
Charitable Wisdom
I just read “A Wealth
of Wisdom” (Spring 2008). I just wanted to say
how impressed and inspired I am by Kathy LeMay’s
’93 words and deeds.
The reasons she gives for why we should care about social change, her
advice to donors, and the example of her own life may be the best guidance
on charitable giving I have ever received in one brief sitting. Many
thanks to Ms. LeMay for giving so much to all of us, and many thanks
to you, too, for giving her a forum.
Jeff Greer ’84
Charlottesville, Virginia
Pinching Pennies
I enjoyed reading “The
Spending Diaries” (Spring 2008). As a student
in the 1960s I spent about $1,100 a term, which seemed like a lot of
money to me at the time; tuition was $100 and room and board consumed
most of the rest. I salute those students who look at their total
annual expenses and plan how to cover them. One suggestion they might
try is a spending diet. Don’t spend anything for a whole day and
then see how many days they can repeat that. All those snacks and
treats add up. I do recall that there were great cultural events
available at bargain prices and sometimes for free…interesting speakers,
great plays. My laundry bill was about 45 cents a week for the washer
and dryer in the dorm.
Chris Read ’67
Webster, Texas
Building Consensus
The Fall 2007 issue featured several articles on the accomplishments
of alumni in the fields of historic architecture, restoration, preservation,
and adaptive re-use of historic structures. This issue also carried
a notice that UMass Amherst has become the first public institution
in New England to offer an accredited professional graduate degree
in architecture. But concurrent with the publication of this issue,
on November 14, 2007, the UMass Amherst campus was placed, by Preservation
Massachusetts, on its list of Massachusetts’ 10 Most Endangered Historic
Resources. The contrast between the accomplishments of our alumni and
faculty and a campus on the historic endangered list can be readily
explained. The UMass Amherst campus contains examples of American architecture
dating from 1728 to the present. About 26 buildings on the campus are
included in the Commonwealth’s Inventory of Historic and Archaeological
Resources. But in 2007 the campus administration published a report
that proposed the demolition, or planned neglect, of several of the
campus’ state-listed historic buildings. The list was compiled without
consulting the faculty in architecture or engaging the kind of professional
expertise so well described as available among our alumni. About one
week after media reports announcing the endangered list, the UMass
Building Authority provided a concrete example of the serious nature
of the endangerment. The Authority, without having complied with state
environmental and historic preservation review laws and regulations,
started demolition of one of the state-listed buildings. This led to
a costly delay in a $52 million project to build a new student recreation
center. Meanwhile, the Old Chapel, whose exterior restoration won the
campus the state’s highest historic preservation award, remains unused,
an utter shambles inside.
I submit that it is time for the campus administration to develop
an approach to historic preservation that complies with state law and
actively engages the expertise of faculty and alumni.
Joseph S. Larson ‘56, ‘58G
Pelham
