Southport Village Voices
An E-Magazine by & for the Residents of Southport
Number 57 , November 2014
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October Morning, Martha Pond Photo: D. Kapp
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I was taking my usual walk, it was a beautiful mid-October day, the kind where summer and fall roll into one to give us perfection. I was missing my brother who died a few years ago, remembering how early on after he passed I felt his presence around me but no more. I started to think about a recent CBS Sunday Morning Show where they spoke of coincidences, signs, or as the guest called them, Godwinks.
I wanted to be Godwinked. I asked for a sign, anything that reminded me of my brother. Nothing. What was I expecting, the street to crack and open up, for a skywriter to fly overhead and scrawl out his name? I don't know. I passed a geranium plant that someone had tossed along the edge of the woods. It seemed to thrive in the brambles and pine needles. A red geranium, G-E-R-A, the first four letters of his name, Gerald. Was I being Godwinked? I wanted to think so.
I walked through the parking lot. A license plate read 'Curly J'. Again, was it a sign from Jerry? A contractor who was two weeks past the date when he promised he'd show up slowed his truck, "Thursday morning okay?" How many laughs did I share with Jerry, also a contractor, over the infamous I'll-be-there-in-two-weeks joke, the universal promise of all never or late-to-show contractors. The signs are there. They're always there. Shame on me for forgetting to look for them. And thank you, Jerry, for playing my game with me this morning.
I've been Godwinked!
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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 an interview or a restaurant review, writing about a travel adventure, telling a story or writing an essay, poem or memoir. 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,editor
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Southport Honors Its Veterans
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Southport's Annual Veterans Day Ceremony
begins at 11:00 on November 11, by the flagpoles in front of the Village Center.
As new flags are raised, one of the flags being retired will be presented
to each of three veterans who are being honored:
Edward Kelly (Army Air Corps), Leo Piscatelli (Marines) & Roy Smith (Coast Guard).
Two flags will be presented posthumously to relatives of
Leonard Katz (Army) and Wallace Rucki (Navy).
Leonard Katz
1925 - July 2014
US Army, Staff Sergeant
Intelligence Unit, 761st Field Artillery Battalion
January 1944 - May 1946
Lenny Katz was a native of Boston.
He was inducted into the US Army at the age of 18 and served from January 1944 until May 1946. Lenny attained the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Intelligence Unit of the 761st Field Artillery Battalion.
As he was partially fluent in the German language, he was in charge of interviewing soldiers and civilians in the occupation at the war's end.
During this period he identified many former Nazis masquerading as civilians and received commendations for his work.
March 1943 - December 1944
Maybe it was the influence of Charles Lindberg, but whatever the reason, Ed Kelly was fascinated with aviation as a boy and he spent a lot of time building model airplanes. His interest led him naturally to Renssellear Polytechnic Institute where he pursued a degree in aeronautical engineering and, along with a lot of other draft-age young men at the onset of WW II, he hoped to be admitted to the US Army Air Force Flight School. He realized that goal in early 1943, was trained in Florida and Alabama and "got his wings" in March 1944.
Later that year he was shipped overseas to North Africa, assigned to the 79th Fighter Group, 87th Squadron and then sent to Italy to pilot a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. From bases along the Adriatic Sea, his squadron, varying in number from 35 to 45 pilots at a time, provided "close support" to the infantry, attacking German defenders and helping the Allies drive the German Army ever northward and out of Italy.
As the German Army retreated, the mission of the 87th Squadron extended into Austria and Yugoslavia, where they attacked transportation, communication and supply facilities. After the war in Europe ended in May 1945, Ed served on occupation duty in Austria until he left the Air Corps at the end of that year. During the course of his service, Ed flew 70 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals with three oak leaf clusters.
Returning home, his interest in aviation unabated, Ed finished his aeronautical engineering degree at RPI and then went to work for Grumman Aircraft on Long Island in 1949, the same year that he married his wife Jeanne. At Grumman, he helped to build real airplanes and the Apollo Lunar Modules until he retired in 1986. He and Jean moved to Southport in 2002.
NOTE: The veterans of the 79th Fighter Group maintained close contact in the years after WW II and published a substantial history of their experiences during the war. That book The Falcon, Combat History of the 79th Fighter Group, 1943 - 1945, United State Army Air Forces, 1942 -1945 can be seen by clicking here.  Leo Piscatelli US Marines Corporal August 1956 - August 1958 Leo Piscatelli, a native of Roslindale, MA, was 18 years old in 1956, just a year out of school and already working for the Old Colony Trust Company in Boston. Ike was President, the Korean War was over and the country was briefly at peace. However, healthy young men were still being drafted into the Army, and Leo anticipated life in a uniform in his near future. So, when a friend at the bank suggested that they seize the initiative and enlist in the US Marines instead, he agreed. "I knew nothing about the Marines," he says. "It just felt better to make my own choice than to wait around for somebody else to make a choice for me." Leo did his basic training at Paris Island, NC, from August 1956 until May 1957, and while there was hospitalized three times with infections. Then, as a Private First Class, he was transferred to Camp Lejune NC for additional training and finally stationed at the Boston Naval Shipyard. At the Shipyard, Leo was a member of the Military Police, serving on guard duty and participating in ceremonial events such as funerals, flag presentations and military parades. A memorable event of his career was the day he raised the flag in salute to former Marine Ted Williams during a ceremony at Fenway Park. Leo was discharged in August 1958 with the rank of Corporal and returned to Old Colony Trust, where he began a successful career as a tax accountant. In 1969, he moved to the Massachusetts Company, the oldest trust company in the nation and the overseer of Benjamin Franklin's trust. In the course of his 29-year career with the company, Leo became its tax manager; he retired in 1998. 
Roy Smith US Coast Guard Petty Officer, 2nd Class July 1958 - January 1963 Roy Smith was 19 in 1958, living with his parents in East Bridgewater, MA and self employed delivering locally-produced farm products to folks in the nearby city, when a cousin in the US Coast Guard influenced him to join the Coast Guard. "I wasn't ready for college and I didn't want to spend my life peddling produce but I did want to see the world, so the Coast Guard was an attractive choice," he says. Following boot camp training in Cape May, NJ, he got his choice to be assigned to a "big ship," out of Base Boston in the First Coast Guard District. The USCGC "Castle Rock," a 311' cutter, patrolled stations in the Atlantic hundreds of miles off shore, reporting weather data, providing navigation services and being available for search and rescue operations. Eventually Roy applied to the USCG Hospital Corps School, was trained as a medic and assigned to the First District Medical Officer in Boston. Still eager to see the world, he "begged" to be assigned to the USCGC Eastwind, an icebreaker headed for Antarctica. Most seamen wish for assignments to warm waters so, not surprisingly, Roy got his wish and was headed to Christchurch, New Zealand in October 1960.  | |
The USCG Cutter "Eastwind"
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He recalls the waters between New Zealand and Antarctica, known as the "Roaring 40s," as some of the roughest sailing he ever experienced. The "Eastwind," a round-bottomed WW II vessel, rolled perilously in those waters. In Antarctica, the ship cleared sea lanes for ships delivering crews and supplies to research stations in McMurdo Sound and elsewhere. On the return voyage to Boston, the ship was charged to act as an ambassador in the People-to-People program initiated under President Eisenhower, stopping in ports in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Greece, Italy and Portugal where local people could board the ship and meet the crew. In doing so, the Eastwind became the first icebreaker to circumnavigate the globe. Back on the East Coast, Roy was eventually assigned to the US Public Health Service in Portland, ME, completing his service with the Coast Guard there.
 Wallace Chester Rucki
March 24,1931-April 28, 2014
US Navy, Petty Officer 1st Class
February 1952 - February 1955
Wally Rucki was a native of Buffalo NY.
After graduating from Buffalo Technical High School in 1949, he enrolled at the University of Buffalo.
Rather than waiting to be inducted into the US Army,
he joined the US Naval Reserve and,
at the end of his sophomore year, he was called up to active duty during the Korean War.
Wally was sent to Bainbridge, MD for training, where he became ill with pneumonia and was hospitalized.
When he was released from the hospital he was assigned, not to an aircraft carrier as he had hoped, but to the USS Hawkins, a destroyer returning from Korean waters. He spent his Navy career on the Hawkins, which never returned to Korea but sailed to the Mediterranean and Cuba instead.
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USS Hawkins
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In 1954, while the ship was stationed in Charlestown MA, and shortly before he was discharged, Wally met his future wife Arlene at a dance; they married in 1955. He resumed his academic work at Northeastern University, graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and went to work for Honeywell. After a few years, Wally took a job with Northrup Engineering (now Northrup Grumman) where he worked on a variety of NASA, defense, aviation and guidance projects until retirement. Wally and Arlene moved to Southport in 2003.
In 2011, when Peter Leblanc proposed that a veterans memorial be built at Southport and asked for volunteers to make it happen, Wally joined what would become our Veterans Committee. His engineering and design skills proved to be invaluable in creating the memorial that is now in place by the Village Center.
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MEMOIR
The Frog Pond
by Roy Smith
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There were several small ponds in our rural New England village.
One was shallow and a favorite for kids to explore. Hardly meeting the definition of a pond, this swampy area meandered off through acres of woodland. It was about a half mile from home and close to the railroad tracks. It had been an intriguing lure and relatively safe place for kids for several generations.
In the summer we would ride our bikes down the small hill to the tracks, turn right and skid to a stop in the gravel area where the railroad roundhouse used to be, jump off the bikes and race around the edge of the weed choked water. We were out to catch some frogs. Frog and turtle catching was a major energy sink for small boys and a few adventurous girls in our village.
When the cat tails were plentiful and in their regal splendor, I often brought a few home but don't remember that they were used or appreciated as much as I expected. There was also an abundance of swamp iris and other lush vegetation around the edges. The iris were much more appreciated by my mother. Usually, we carried a stick and unless we were on a hunt demanding stealth, everything got a whack or a poke.
Back to the frogs. they were large, fat and dark green to black in color. If this was a spring or early summer evening adventure, being close to the bull frogs singing was a unique thrill. It was great fun to squat in the weeds, watch and listen to these marvelous critters up close.
It takes great skill and patience to sneak up on these fellows. We might carry a home-made net made out of an old silk stocking, not too effective, but we caught a few of the less alert frogs. The nets were good for scooping up clusters of the gelatinous frog egg masses or for catching polliwogs (or tadpoles) after they hatched. There was usually a jar with frog eggs about to hatch on the window shelf at the schoolhouse.
The biggest, fattest most admired croaker always seemed to escape. Even if we were lucky our catches were released after being admired up close. The fun was in catching the frogs, unlike turtles that could be easily caught, brought home and kept for a short time as pets. Some of the "big kids" were known to carve initials on the underside of turtle shells. We occasionally found one of these fellows alive and healthy, but marked for life. As I remember, our gang was more interested in hunting and exploring than leaving our mark.
In winter, after a snowfall and a good solid freeze, this small pond and the flooded woods beyond became a true wonderland. The spruce and white pine trees would be covered with ice and snow. Frequently, older boys would clear trails over the ice and through the marshy woodland. We were able to skate in the small open areas, around the grassy hummocks and through the snow covered trees into the woods. In the brisk cold the air crackled and everything sparkled. One could shake a pine bough and cover the ice surface and one's pals with a slippery, icy dusting as we raced along the trail. It was grand fun.
The next generation of youngsters to enjoy this little oasis was the last. A handsome little seven-year-old, who lived nearby, built a crude raft with a couple of friends to better explore the area. He fell off and drowned in the shallow water on one of their expeditions. That was enough to change everything. Suddenly the pond became a sad and dark place that children were sternly warned away from.
Many years later, riding the train from the Cape to Boston I saw that the area had became completely overgrown and the water dried up. The frog pond near the railroad tracks was now a happy childhood memory for a few earlier generations of neighborhood youngsters and, unfortunately, a tragic reminder for others.
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Myth Dispelled
by Adam Possner
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The flu vaccine cannot
give you the flu, I tell him.
It's dead virus, there's
nothing alive about it.
It can't make you sick.
That's a myth.
But if we bury it in
the grassy knoll
of your shoulder,
an inch under the stratum
corneum, as sanctioned by
your signature
in a white-coated ceremony
presided over by
my medical assistant
and then mark the grave
with a temporary
non-stick headstone,
the trivalent spirit
of that vaccine
has a 70 to 90 percent
chance of warding off
the Evil One,
and that's the God's
honest truth.
"Myth Dispelled" by Adam Possner, MD /JAMA.
December 5,2012 Vol. 308 (21):2178.
"Copyright © 2012 American Medical Association.
All rights reserved.
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New In The Neighborhood
snapshot interviews & photos by Andy Jablon
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Walter LeFavor
33 Twin Oaks; moved in October 2013
Where are you from originally?
Boston (Dorchester)
Where have you lived prior to Southport I was in the Air Force for 23 years and lived in many places: Hawaii, Northern California, Delaware, Japan. Just before moving to Southport, I lived in Cotuit with my wife Ginny.
Why Southport? One cold February day when driving by the entrance to Southport, I said to Ginny, "Let's see what this place is all about." The thought of never shoveling snow again inspired us to purchase the following week. Also, the Village Center was very appealing.
What do you like best about Southport? Ginny died two weeks after we moved in. Having a supportive community here helped me through the grieving. It's the community and the people that really make this place special.
What do you like least? Ongoing construction; otherwise no complaints
What do you like to be involved in? Golf, social activities, wood shop
Gerry & Janice Murphy
34 Southport Drive; moved in October 2014
First residents on Southport Drive
Where are you from originally?
Janice: Ipswich, Gerry: Brockton
Where have you lived prior to Southport?
Pembroke, 34 years; Brewster,15 years
Why Southport? We wanted a better environment for retirement and wanted to free up time from always working on our home. And we wanted to be near our two daughters in Boston. We looked everywhere on the Cape and close by but found nothing like Southport.
What do you like best about Southport?
Janice: Gated community, activities, everything is easily available.
Gerry: Construction is very good. Good response to the customer; they quickly took care of our punch list.
What do you like least? No complaints
What do you like to be involved in? Janice: Exercise classes and swimming pool; Gerry: Golf and exercising
 Virginia Bremer
8 Upland Circle, part-time since April 2013
Where are you from originally? Northern New Jersey
Where have you lived prior to Southport? Wellesley, MA, Princeton, NJ, Greensboro, NC, New York City, presently living in Holliston, MA
Why Southport? I missed beaches after growing up near the Jersey shore. The Cape and Southport landscape is very similar to the Jersey Pine Barrens. Southport looked like a good place for future retirement, especially for a single woman.
What do you like best about Southport? The sense of community, people are extremely friendly. I love the pool and all the options here to walk with my dog Bailey. I really like the nature information signs throughout Southport.
What do you like least? I wish the alarm system could be accessed remotely by wi-fi.
What do you like to be involved in? Swimming, walking, art
If you would like to do a snapshot interview with Andy Jablon or know someone who might like to be introduced, please send him a note at
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- You Can't Make These Things Up A court in New York State is being asked to rule on whether a chimpanzee can be given the status of "Personhood." Tommy the chimp apparently has a lawyer who argues that animals with human qualities deserve basic rights including freedom from imprisonment. The lawyer goes on: "Keeping a legal person in solitary confinement in a cage is unlawful." There's more to the story, but look, if the suit is successful and the chimp can't find work, will he be counted in the unemployment statistics? Would he qualify for welfare? Will chimps eventually campaign for the right to marry? Would these "Rights of personhood" extend to other animals, like elephants and giraffes?
- Every once in a while I dig out my favorite quote, but my copy of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is so ragged I'll have to try doing it from memory. It's by
(I think) John Gardner: "In a society where plumbers are shunned because plumbing is a lowly pursuit and philosophers are exalted because philosophy is a lofty pursuit, there is bound to be trouble. Neither their pipes nor their theories will hold water."
- Dumbest quote: "I'm not getting any younger."
- Our electricity prices, according to the news, will be going up due to "The cost of delivery systems." I'm not sure how this would work, but I'd be willing to go and pick up my own electricity if they'd let me.
- Many of our ancestors entered this country through Ellis Island, where they were subject to rigid, even humiliating, physical exams. They were prodded, poked, probed and pushed around with little concern for their dignity. Sometimes they were even returned to the country from whence they came. BUT they rarely brought an infectious disease into this country. We have no idea how many horrific epidemics the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and other public health associations have protected us from in the past, but they've sure blown it on the Ebola situation.
- With whom would you most like to be stranded on a desert island? Interesting how values and desires change as we get older. Many years ago when we still had dinosaurs and I was in college, the answer was Bette Weber (now Bette Mendes). Today the answer would probably be Martha Radditz. I admire her willingness to put herself in harm's way in the Mideast and also her style of reporting. Unusual for today, she puts the story first and refrains from adding her point of view.
- Virgin America Airlines is now offering mood lighting and the ability to order drinks from your seat. Instead of senseless so-called amenities like these, would it maybe be possible to just add a few inches in front of each seat so people over 5'8" aren't scrunched?
- Provincetown has passed a law banning plastic bags, as have many other communities, including San Francisco. If only people would take the trouble to recycle their re-cyclables, such laws wouldn't be necessary.
- Strictly personal: I really hate to see doctors advertise. The reason for advertising is to gain a competitive edge in the market place and, in my opinion, medicine should be collaborative rather than competitive.
- Final thought: Now that Bette is on the Board of Governors, she insists that I rise whenever she enters the room.
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NATURE
Mulling Over Maple Colors
by Ernest Ruber
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The green tree is actually a Red Maple, just beginning to show color on October 30. The tree on the right is a hybrid of Red and Silver maples, past its peak color and quickly shedding its leaves.
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While enjoying our beautiful foliage colors this month, I observed that many of our Red Maples are still almost completely green; as of October 30 their leaves are not yet turning. There are two kinds of maple trees at Southport: the true Red Maple and a variety that I believe to be a hybrid of Red and Silver Maples.
The dramatic difference in the shape of their leaves is evident in the picture below. Looking closely at a green-leaved tree and at a orange/red leaved tree, I confirmed that the green tree was actually the true Red Maple; the orange/red tree was the hybrid.
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The red leaf is from the hybrid maple; the green leaf from a red maple.
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I hypothesized that all of the green maples would be true Red Maples and all of the orange/red trees would be hybrids and decided to get a sample leaf from at least 10 trees of each color to see if the evidence would support my hypothesis.
On October 30, I collected leaves from 14 Red Maple trees; 13 leaves were green, one had turned red. And I collected a leaf from 11 hybrid trees. Ten leaves were fully red/orange; only one had a lot of green. See photos of my samples below. The data support my hypothesis: Red Maples change color as much as two weeks later than the hybrids.
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Leaves from the Red Maple,
virtually all still green
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Leaves from the hybrid maple,
virtually all red/orange
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But why bother to count the number of trees examined? Because we tend to see things in a biased way and counting prevents this. Moreover, there is diversity in all populations; look at your neighbor! So this tends to eliminate the effect of sampling an unusual individual -- think about a seven-foot tall basketball player as an odd choice to represent our species.
This is a little "what" study, i.e., "What's happening?" In science, the "why" studies follow, i.e., "Why is it happening?" We know that trees respond to diminishing daylight and declining temperatures by changing the chemical composition and color of their leaves, then dropping them. ("That's Fall folks.") For some physiological reason these two types of maples respond to these triggers at different times. The answers are probably found in biochemistry.
Tree species have different pigment ratios and consequently somewhat different leaf colors in autumn: Red Maple - bright red; Sugar Maple - pastel red, yellow, apricot; Silver Maple and Norway Maple - yellow. There are two kinds of "why" answers to these "what" observations: one is a biochemical answer, the other is ecological and evolutionary. This little study is an example of the kind that leads scientists to look for answers to more complex questions.
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Seen At Southport
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October 8 was Member Appreciation Day at Southport, celebrating a very good season of golf at Southport. Nine teams, each with three resident golfers and one visiting pro from a nearby course, competed for prizes and glory. Jesse Schectman's team included (l to r) Jack Richards, George Gaudin, Bill Earle and Jesse. More on this event in the next issue of FOCUS.
Photo: Paul Butters
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Southport's Fourth Annual Quilters Weekend
Twenty-two Southport quilters turned the Bonvie Ballroom into a colorful and creative quilting workshop over the weekend of October 24-26 and had a great time sharing, laughing and learning while working on their projects. This year we did the Twist, using the popular new Twister pattern. As you can see from the photographs, the pattern shows up in all sorts of items -- quilts, table runners, wall hangings. (There was one hold out; can you spot her?) we shared delicious meals, played games and learned new techniques. Dr.Karen Van Haan shared her beautiful needlepoint and quilting pieces with us, and Gini Murphy taught us some quilting history with us with her feed sack quilt. It was a wonderful weekend. Thank you Southport Quilters!
Betty Kayes; photos D. Kapp
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Back row: Gail Jordan, Elizabeth Donovan, Nancy Brown, Kathy Hutcheson
Front row, Lynn Vigeant, Marlene Freeman, Penny Hershey
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Back row: Gini Murphy, Jean Babcock, Lois Johnson, Bonnie Towle, Kathy Casaubon,
Betty Kayes, Mary Ann Cozza; Front row: Sue Potter, Jan Miller, Joan Keefe, Rita Pollack
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The Finalists, Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament
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Left to right: Dan Riley, Bobbie King, Marylyn Beardsley, Joe Mizgerd,
Elinor Saltz, Stan Samuelson, Mary Jane Drinkwater, Alan Gladstone
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Nurse Didi Dilley and Active Adult Ginny Pender
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The Ladies 9 Hole Golf League
had a wonderful season, but like all good things it must come to an end. Some of our hardier golfers will play to the end of November but others find it a little too cold to play in the mornings, and some are heading to warmer places. We had four well attended tournaments, our last being the Halloween Tournament on October 20. At this event, ghosts, goblins and other costumed creatures practiced their skills by driving with tennis balls, putting with a broom and going through our 'spooky' course. After all this hard work, food and drink was provided. Our annual golf banquet, shared with the Ladies 18 Hole League at the Pocasset Country Club, was also a season highlight.
This year's 9 Hole Committee included: Cheri Daggett, Sue Potter, Muffy Richards and Liz Rogers. Muffy will be leaving the committee; we thank her for the countless hours she gave to make our league fun and successful, and we welcome Anne Cogan, our new committee member. Our league is open to all ladies. If you do not have the required handicap, the folks at the clubhouse can help you. We look forward to seeing our returning golfers and some new golfers in 2015.
Liz Rogers; photos Cheri Daggett
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Ginny Pender
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Rose Burns
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Way back in June, Ernie Ruber posed a competition, the Yellow Flower Challenge, with a one dollar prize and a certificate for the person who could identify the most yellow flowers growing wild at Southport by July 31.
Bet you didn't know that there are at least
15 different kinds of dandelions.
And the winner is Lynn Vigeant, shown here with her buck and her certificate.
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Contributors to the November 2014 Edition
of Southport Village Voices
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 Lydia Biersteker grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts. 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 Vero Beach, 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.
 Andy Jablon and his wife Tracy live in downtown Boston. He owns a television production company in Watertown that provides crews for the major TV networks who shoot stories in New England. As producer, Andy interviews all sorts of interesting people on a regular basis. Tracy works at a cancer pharmaceutical company in Cambridge. They ride their bikes along the Charles River to work each day in almost all kinds of weather. You can spot them riding around Southport on 35-year-old fold-up Raleigh three-speeds.
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.
Ernest Ruber and his wife of 55 years, Natalie, came to Southport in 2002 and enjoyed their life together here until her death in early 2011. Ernie retired from Northeastern University where he was Professor of Biology and Ecology. He designed and recently revised the interpretive nature trail at Southport and has written many nature/science articles for Southport Village Voices. He reports for Southport News on pool tournaments, in which he usually plays and frequently wins. Ernie has two adult children and a grandchild.
 Roy Smith grew up in East and West Bridgewater, MA. He served as a corpsman in the US Coast Guard on the weather cutter USCGC Castle Rock and the icebreaker USCGC Eastwind, on voyages from the Arctic to the Antarctic. In his thirty-year career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution he was initially a sea-going chemistry tech and later an administrator in the Geology and Geophysics Department. After retiring from WHOI, he was general manager of McLane Research Laboratories in Falmouth. Roy met his wife Cynthia at WHOI, where she worked summers while on teaching break. They moved to Southport two years ago and consider the choice one of their best. Since retirement both have volunteered at the Falmouth Service Center. Roy has charitable woodworking projects underway at all times and Cynthia is involved with various charities on the Upper Cape. They have two sons, Jason, an engineer at WHOI, and Aaron, a sculptor, and two beautiful granddaughters.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Lenny Katz Family, Ed Kelley, Leo Piscatelli,
Roy Smith, Arlene Rucki
Al Benjamin, Peter LeBlanc,
Shelley Mc, Betty Kayes, Liz Rogers,
Dave Drinkwater
and to my proofreader Billie Kapp.
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