Southport Village Voices
An E-Magazine by & for the Residents of Southport
Number 55 , September 2014
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We waited a long time for it to arrive, but the glorious weather we've enjoyed this summer has all but erased the memory of our endless winter and disappointing spring. Months of warm days and cool nights, with no humidity, have provided the ideal climate for outdoor activities. And we saved a bundle on air conditioning.
Now, cooler temperatures and migrating birds signal that our little corner of the earth is once again tilting away from the sun. At South Cape Beach, the willets and piping plovers have already departed, and flocks of swallows, numbering in the thousands, are assembling (in their kamikaze way) for their journey to some place warmer. Soon, the ospreys will follow them and a quieter season will set in.
Speaking of birds, I met a man the other day on the Mashpee River Woodlands Trail who is working with others to restore the bob white quail population along the river. He had just released 150 chicks into the woods and their unmistakable whistle could already be heard among the trees. Now, if they can just avoid running into foxes. Incidentally, that trail, with its river views, is the perfect place for a leisurely autumn stroll in the woods.
Frank Lord has written a regular SVV column on local history for some years, but he's taking a break to give more of his time and considerable energy to his other volunteer efforts. We've learned a lot from his column and hope he'll return to SVV at some point. Thanks Frank.
PS: Don't miss the pictures at the end of this issue of Southport Village Voices.
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WANTED: Storytellers, Essayists, Interviewers, Poets, Etc.
Southport Village Voices welcomes new writers. A monthly commitment is not necessary; an occasional contribution is appreciated. We're looking for residents who would enjoy doing interviews with Southport residents or writing about travel, telling stories or writing essays, poetry or memoirs. Let your imagination be your guide. If you want to contribute but  prefer not to write, let me know and I'll arrange for someone to talk with you and do the writing.
David Kapp
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SOUTHPORT PROFILE
Tom & Diane Harvey
an interview with Odin Tidemand
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"Your soulmate understands and connects with you in every way and on every level, which brings a sense of peace, calmness and happiness when you are around them...bonding with another person in this way is the most significant and satisfying thing you will experience in your lifetime...you are also all that much more aware of the beauty in life, because you have been given a great gift and will always be thankful." Excerpted from the Urban Dictionary definition of "soulmate"  | |
Tom & Diane Harvey
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If you didn't believe in soul mates before, you will after meeting Diane and Tom Harvey. When they first met, she was 16 he was 18. Tom was wearing a uniform and Diane was captivated; she liked a man in uniform, even if it was a mismatch from a pick-up hockey team. Tom's sister had invited Diane to the informal after game gathering. It was love at first sight. High school sweethearts. That was 40 years ago and that initial infatuation has grown into a mature and deeply caring marriage. Tom still plays hockey with the same guys who were on that pick-up hockey team, though now they play in a rink instead of a flooded, frozen football field. Tom has worked for the same company for 26 years and Diane has worked for the same local police department for almost 40 years. Tom plays softball with guys he has known since college graduation and most of Diane's friends are from her youth. I quickly learned that loyalty is a trait that Diane and Tom hold dearly. However, loyalty alone cannot explain why they have maintained such long term relationships. I would later learn that their sense of respect for themselves and others and valuing each and every person as someone special has a lot to do with it. So, here is some hard data on this couple. Diane was born in Boston and attended all girls Catholic schools. Her parents wanted to make sure Diane and her four brothers and a sister had activities to keep them busy and out of trouble, so they joined the CYO marching band. Diane played the trombone and clarinet in the band, not because she was particularly interested in those instruments but because they were available. As one sibling stopped playing an instrument, he or she would pass it down to the next younger sibling. Easy! Diane also skied and skated, not competitively, but for fun. And not on a flooded football field, Diane's neighborhood had a real skating rink. After high school Diane began her career at a local police department. Early on, she worked in the sexual assault unit in an administrative capacity but eventually pursued a career as a domestic abuse advocate, a rewarding but difficult assignment. Diane's respect for others and her belief in everyone's self-worth are qualities that have enabled her to be an effective advocate. She calls the victims, researches resources, goes to court with them and empowers them with self-confidence and a sense of self-worth. Her clients are initially unable to see a way out of their dilemma; Diane helps them discover a new and positive path.  | |
The Harvey family: Brian, Diane, Tom and Joe,
on the occasion of Diane's graduation from Quincy College.
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While helping others blaze a new trail, Diane received an associates degree in human services from Quincy College, an achievement of which she is very proud, but that isn't all. With the help of Tom, she raised two sons, Brian and Joe - and a dog. They lived in Norwood and vacationed on the Cape and on Sanibel Island in Florida. Brian now teaches math to urban children who have disabilities, and Joe works for EF, an academic tour company that organizes coming-of-age foreign exchange experiences for school-age youth. Meanwhile, Tom was also engaged in a rewarding career as a "road shopper" recruiter. After receiving his degree in accounting from Boston College, he decided accounting was too staid; he wanted greater challenges and more variety. He entered the temporary staffing field and was immediately struck by the company's cavalier attitude toward its employees, the resource upon which its success depended. He started going the extra mile to make temporary employees feel valued and important, and they responded. Eventually Tom was recruiting engineers for temporary assignments throughout the US. Many were unable to find work in their home towns and were willing to travel. However, some of the locations where large projects were being built were far from civilization. Tom's ability to show potential recruits the benefits of working in such areas enabled him to successfully staff difficult openings. By treating these engineers, also known as "road shoppers," with dignity and respect Tom helped to build a highly skilled core of loyal engineers. He created a win-win experience for his company, their clients and the engineers. In one case, Tom tracked down a young engineer working as a carpenter at a nightclub in Boston. The engineer had no phone, so Tom called one of the engineer's relatives, learned the address of the nightclub and drove to the worksite. Tom informed him that he had arranged an interview for him the very next day at Bose, as a temporary mechanical engineer. The young man was thrilled. He went to the interview, was hired as a temporary engineer and eventually became a permanent employee supervising a cadre of 75 engineers and support staff. That was 22 years ago and this man still keeps in touch with Tom to remind him how appreciative he was that Tom went the extra mile for him.  | |
Tom has played with the Goodtimers, shown here on their 40th anniversary, since 1974.
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I mentioned earlier that Tom still plays softball with guys he has known since college graduation. That team, the Goodtimers of Lexington, has grown up together, eventually morphing into a senior league contender and recently celebrating their 40th anniversary! While considering an appropriate way to celebrate this milestone, the team learned of a woman with two children in Woburn who needed support after the sudden loss of her husband. They decided that an appropriate way to celebrate their 40 years of good fortune would be to sponsor a fundraiser for this family. They arranged to have former Red Sox players attend, to have Lenny Clarke and Steve Sweeney perform, and to sell donated items via silent auctions. When all was said and done, this group of good guys raised $28,000 to help pay college tuition for the widow's children. So why did the Harveys choose Southport? Well, Tom's parents owned a house in Falmouth and the family vacationed on the Cape. After Tom and Diane had children, they also made Cape vacations part of their own family tradition. When they started to think about retirement (full retirement is still a couple of years away), they decided the Cape was a great place to live. Tom was drawn to Southport's active lifestyle, especially the easy access to golf and tennis. Diane liked the wide range of clubs and being able to relax at the pool. Tom and Diane have always been a big part of each other's families and Southport offered a great place to continue that tradition. They have been impressed by how friendly residents are and feel very welcomed. Southport is fortunate to have a couple who value not only each other, but everyone they meet. I wish them a long and happy relationship with the Southport family! |
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It's rumored that the typewriter
is coming back. Some say it's an
attempt to reinstate privacy but
I don't know about that. Sure,
data can't be mined or traced
but every machine has its own
fingerprint, each key hits differently.
Remember when the 'Q' would
stick or the '8' would strike the
platen heavier than the rest?
The capital 'I' would also serve #'1'.
I think they'll recur in a hipster
kind of way, a reminder of more
honest times before the delete
button, a time when thoughts
were original and fresh, and visible
smudges were telltale signs of
attempts to change one's mind,
at least on paper. I liked the sound,
the clack of the keys. I relish the
nostalgia. I was a young girl back
then, my head bent over my
machine with Ko-Rec-Type in hand,
my fingers stained from carbon
paper. I worked hard at my desk.
I had big dreams but I never dreamed
of android or apple products. I
would welcome back the typewriter
and the romanticism that goes with
it so long as technology stays away,
no monitor or USB ports and please
don't quiet that sweet little ding at
the end of the carriage return.
Typewriter:
an ancient typing device
your parents used
after walking home from school
through ten-foot snow drifts
uphill both ways
Urban Dictionary
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MEMOIR
My Brooklyn Bridge
by Ray Schumack
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One day last July the news media took a break from reporting horror stories about Gaza and Ukraine to announce that five pranksters managed to bypass security devices, climb a cable to the top of one of the Brooklyn Bridge's towers, and steal an American flag mounted there. This reminded me that I grew up thinking that the bridge was my bridge because my family and the Brooklyn Bridge were so deeply intertwined.
My mother's father, a stonemason I called Gramps, helped build the stone towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. Gramps also convinced my father to take a civil service test to get a job as a carpenter working for the City of New York. My father took that advice and fortunately got the job just before the great depression began. After attending technical night classes, he took another civil service test, this one for foreman carpenter. He passed that test in first place and was assigned to maintenance work on the Brooklyn Bridge.
His shop was under the approach ramp to the bridge on the Brooklyn side of the river where he supervised a crew of carpenters. Once each summer he took me to his shop to meet his crew and other foreman and their crews, who were responsible for ironwork and painting. Before joining the foremen for lunch I sat in my father's office, using a rubber stamp to place his signature on a year's supply of work report forms.
What did a crew of carpenters have to do on a bridge constructed of steel cables and girders? Until the late 1930s when the roadways were converted to steel grating and cement, they were constructed of blocks of yellow pine, one of the world's hardest woods. But thousands of cars riding over the roadway each year eventually wore them out, so every three or four years Dad and his carpenters worked nights for two weeks, replacing the all the pine blocks with new ones.
 The bridge always had a pedestrian walkway. I haven't been there recently and don't know how it is constructed today but when I visited Dad's shop each summer it had wooden planks. He and I strolled across that walkway, stopping occasionally to note a worn or broken plank that needed to be replaced.
Other occasional projects calling for Dad's presence occurred when Hollywood shot movie scenes on the bridge. He was there when Frank Sinatra performed in the 1947 film, It Happened in Brooklyn. He was there too for the making of 1942's Tarzan Comes to New York. Of course it wasn't Johnny Weissmuller who climbed the cable to dive off the tower; it was an ironworker dressed like Johnny. (He didn't dive off the tower but threw a dummy overboard.)
Until May 24, 1883, when New York City opened this first and longest cable suspended bridge in the world, the only way New Yorkers could get from Brooklyn to Manhattan was by ferry. The first people to use the bridge were Brooklyn farmers, who paid tolls of a few pennies each for walking across the bridge to Manhattan with hogs and sheep and five cents for each cow or steer. Years later there was truck and automobile traffic as well as trains and trolley cars crossing the bridge. Eventually no tolls were charged.
It's still the Brooklyn Bridge but I now know it's not mine.
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NOTE "My Brooklyn Bridge" is one of the stories Ray Schumack tells in his recently published ebook, Snippets. "The Book is about some of the funny things we do today, my quirky family and a few short stories," he says. "My intention is to make you laugh." The 50-page ebook is available on Amazon for $2.99 but can be downloaded for free to a Kindle, iPad, cell phone or other reading device.
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Your E-ZPass Transponder Never Sleeps
by Jonathan Leavitt
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Snowbirds, are you thinking about sending your car to Florida via auto transport? If you're an E-ZPass subscriber, take my advice: Remove the transponder from your car's windshield and leave it at home.
I sent my car to Florida by auto transport last December and was surprised to be notified in January that my car had been charged $13 in E-ZPass tolls while in transit through Delaware. When I shipped the car home in April, I attempted to avoid the problem on the return trip by placing the transponder in the glove compartment. But it's a sensitive little box and it recorded $16.38 in tolls when the car was carried across the Tappan Zee Bridge.
When I learned in January that my account had been charged $13 for using Delaware infrastructure in December, I called E-Zpass MA and was told I had six months to dispute the charges. (In fact, the user manual states, "The time permissible for an account holder to dispute an overcharge of the electronic toll system is three (3) years from the time of the overcharge.") I was also told to file the paperwork required for a refund and they would "see what they could do." I decided to apply for the overcharge refund after returning to Southport in April, and I put the transponder in the glove department. As noted above, that didn't work.
It turns out that getting an E-ZPass refund is anything but E-Z. Back home in April, I submitted copies of the two transport agreements (the first for December pick-up and a second for April pick-up) with the auto transport company plus a vehicle condition report showing that my car was the vehicle being transported. Not good enough. E-ZPass MA replied, "You must provide documentation with complete pick up and drop off data for both trips."
After multiple phone calls, the required documentation certified by the auto transport company was sent to E-Zpass MA. Then I was informed, for the first time, that there is a three-month limit on refunding charges that were incurred outside of Massachusetts! E-ZPass MA would thus refund only the charge ($16.38) incurred on the return trip.
E-ZPass works as far south as North Carolina and as far west as Illinois. If you need it in those areas, put it in your pocket and carry it on the plane (if you think you can get it by airport security). I'm told that wrapping the device in aluminum foil will block the signal but this is yet to be demonstrated to me. My advice: avoid the hassle; leave the transponder at home.
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With the Back-to-School movement in full swing and a lot of young people driving without much experience, I thought it timely to reproduce a letter I wrote to my son on his sixteenth birthday. Its intent is self-explanatory. I am hoping Southport grandparents will read it and pass these thoughts along to your adult children so that they may offer them to new drivers in their families.
Dear Steve:
Even though we've already talked at great length about the things I'm about to write,
I want you to see them in writing. So indulge me. Read every word - often.
You're about to own a car. This car is yours with no strings attached, however, there are certain conditions, specifically:
1.You must wear a seatbelt at all times. No exceptions.
2. You must have permission from Mom or me to take the car out of the neighborhood.
3. Driving is a deadly serious business. Never horse around when you're driving - nor when you're a passenger for that matter.
4. We will both strictly adhere to the conditions in the "Contract for Life" which we will both sign.
5. The financial responsibility for the car is yours. That includes gas, oil, repairs and insurance. However if you ever need a loan for safety-related issues, never hesitate to ask.
6. If you ever fail to meet the standards in items 1 through 5 your driving privileges will be suspended.
7. If your grades suffer because driving is curtailing your study time, your driving privileges will be suspended.
8. If having a car undermines any of your responsibilities (school, extra-curricular activities, family, house, friends) your driving privileges will be suspended.
Remember, Steve, driving is not a right, it's a privilege granted you by your parents and the state of California...in that order. When you get older you'll realize that letting you drive is an act of love and fear. Love, because Mom and I have to let you grow up, develop your own support systems and become comfortable with your own decisions. Fear because of the obvious dangers of driving. It's also an act of faith on our part because we have a great deal of confidence and assurance in your judgment and maturity
So...the above being a digest of our many conversations on this subject, I'll say - not for the last time, "Have fun and, for God's sake, BE CAREFUL!"
Love,
Dad
NOTES
1) The reference to California is because this letter was written when we resided there. 2) Steve was a careful driver and survived and is now a practicing pediatrician in Wareham. 3) This was written before the word "text" became a verb, one more hazard for kids and parents to be aware of. Submitted for your pleasure and, I hope, some small benefit to your family.
Bob Mendes
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Seen at Southport
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I saw this trestle being lifted into place and marveled how fast buildings go up,
new people move in, our community ever changing." Andy Jablon
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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Comes to Southport
Photos by Andy Jablon
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Southporters dry off and enjoy a snack after rising to the ALS Bucket Challenge.
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A family does the ice bucket dump together.
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Everyone needs a hot dog after a ice cold soaking.
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BBQ Pie-Easting Contest
The raffle at the "Fun IS Good" BBQ raised $220 for the Cape Cod Shelter for Women in North Falmouth. Photos by Judi Urda
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Frank Lord & Alan Gladstone (and others)
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Joanne Morrow & Betsy Lord
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Betsy Lord
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Frank Lord
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Grand Illumination Night
on Martha's Vineyard
Bob Lebel scouted up a boat and then he and Keith Rogers rounded up 21 eager neighbors to enjoy this magical night on the island. Dale Biersteker took the picture of Lydia Bierstecker, Judy Lebel and Priscilla Foltz. Carol Fredian took the pictures of the illuminated cottages.
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Contributors to the September 2014 Edition
of Southport Village Voices
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 Lydia Biersteker grew up in Somerville, MA. She met her husband Dale on the beach at Falmouth Heights in 1969, while he was stationed at Fort Devens. After Dale retired in 2005 from his executive position with the USPS, they moved to Florida but decided that they preferred New England. They moved to Southport in 2011. Dale plays golf, and Lydia likes gardening, walking, writing poetry and short prose, exploring genealogy, and lunching with friends. Together, they enjoy dining, exploring wineries and brew pubs, walking the trails of Cape Cod, traveling and playing with their grandkids, who live with their son in Newburyport.
David Kapp is a native of Central Pennsylvania. He met his wife Billie at Nyack College and earned graduate degrees at Wheaton College (Illinois), Brandeis University and Simmons Graduate School of Library Science. David retired from a career as a university library administrator after working in the libraries at Brandeis, Harvard and the University of Connecticut. He was a building consultant for the planning of a number of major university libraries and was, for many years, the editor of Connecticut Libraries. The Kapps moved to Southport in 2009. Their son, daughter an grandson live in Hawaii.
 Jonathan Leavitt grew up in Scarsdale, NY. He earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in the same field from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked at Sprague Electric, Epsco, Di/An controls, MIT Instrumentation/Draper Labs, and GTE, mostly as a development engineer. The highlight of his career was logic design contribution to an experiment that was carried to the moon on Apollo 17. Married for 42 years to the late Arlene (Samiof), he has three married children and six grandchildren. He has lived at Southport since 2008.
Bob Mendes began his career as an advertising copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach in New York before becoming senior vice president of marketing for a west coast department store chain. He left that position to start Pacific Sports, a sports and general marketing agency. There he developed "The Reading Team," a children's literacy program sponsored by the National Football League and the American Library Association, which used NFL players as literacy role models. Bob is the author of "A Twentieth Century Odyssey, the Bob Mathias Story." After retiring, he served as executive director of the Glendora, CA Chamber of Commerce. When grandson Adam was born, Bob and Bette moved to Cape Cod, where they recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Neither retires well. He's had a number of part-time jobs, has written two more books, and volunteers. Bette serves on committees at Southport and at the Falmouth Jewish Congregation. Their son Steve is a pediatrician and lives in Marion with his wife Sarah and their children, and a second son, Jeff, practices law in Indianapolis.
 Ray Schumack has held positions as a magazine editor, publicity director and an account executive for a Madison Avenue advertising and public relations agency. He served for 15 years as chief communications officer for a Fortune 500 company, responsible for all corporate communications and product promotion literature. His business articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fortune magazine and elsewhere. He established his own public relations firm and continues to serve several clients in retirement. His memoir, News Releases from the Korean War, recounts his experiences as a war correspondent, and his recent ebook, Snippets, recounts stories from his family and other subjects. Both are available on Amazon.
 Odin Tidemand moved to Southport in November 2011 from Silver Spring, Maryland. He enjoys writing, genealogy, cooking, theater, classical and folk music and being close to his daughter Julie, who lives in Brockton. Before moving to the Cape, he was a real property appraiser in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Odin was married for 37 years to Nancy, who passed away five years ago. He enjoys the relaxed lifestyle of Southport, his canine kaffee klatch, and the incredible natural beauty of Cape Cod.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Tom & Diane Harvey for their interview and photos,
to Dale Biersteker, Carol Fredian, Andy Jablon & Judi Urda for photos,
and to my proofreader Billie Kapp.
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