Here I am sitting on my couch and enjoying a March school snow day and hoping that you too have had some good surprises since the last column! Also hope that you and yours have stayed healthy and Covid-free.
Thank you, John Cruz, Jr., for sending this news:
“I officially retired in 2019 after 40 years working at University of Massachusetts Medical School. I was a senior scientist in the Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research and later in the Department of Pathology. In 2020, I was asked to come back and work part time assisting researchers with SARS-CoV-2 experiments. That work is currently ongoing. Since graduating in 1979, I have maintained contact with many UMaine alumni who resided in Dunn Hall. I have had the opportunity to get together with many of these close friends over the years.”
Author Dale T. Phillips has a new article on Maine mystery writers, out in Mystery Readers Journal (mysteryreaders.org). He also has a column in each issue of the online Killer Nashville Magazine. Dale was recently interviewed by Doug Holder (brother of noted Broadway lighting director Don Holder ’89). You can find the interview at tinyurl.com/mr9p44s2
Brian Naylor ’04H recently retired as a correspondent for NPR after a nearly 40-year career. Besides being a familiar voice on “All Things Considered,” he has reported on several administrations, Congress, and the federal government as part of the Washington desk. Brian states that “while there were a lot of stories that were fun to work on, many were more difficult: 9/11, mass shootings, the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster, the Gulf oil spill, a tsunami in Japan, January 6th.” He says, “I’m grateful of course for our audience, who listen to and read those stories, support our efforts, and sometimes even find fault.”
A Recipe for Disaster: Talking About Cooking the Way We Talk About Sex was written and produced by UMaine professor of family relations and sexuality Sandra Caron ’82G. It stars members of the student group Athletes for Sexual Responsibility. This group was developed by Sandra in 1990. The video uses humor to talk about the serious topic — the need for better, more positive sexuality education.
Dr. Noah Nesin will be taking on a new role at Penobscot Community Health Care in Bangor. He’ll now be the primary care innovation advisor, a position that is part of the new management structure at the organization. His previous position of chief medical officer is being eliminated and the organization will be led by a team which will include his new position.
Bigelow Investment Advisors has a new leadership team after its founders Gary Robinson (CEO) and Kathryn Dion (president) retired in early 2022. They remained as consultants for the first half of the year. As of 2021 the company had 300 clients and $400 million in client assets. Gary and Kathryn founded Bigelow in 2007.
Greg Wilfert started working as a lifeguard at Scarborough Beach State Park in 1972. He is still on the job! When the state of Maine tried to divest the park, he ended up leasing the land and running the park himself for a time. His official title is manager of the park, but he spends about 90 percent of the time lifeguarding. There have been more than 900 rescues but not a single drowning at the park. That’s 50 years of great, safe service.
That’s all for now! Please send us your news. We’d love to hear from you.