Hello, ’76ers,
I hope you all survived the winter and are now basking in the warmth of summer. It seems that most of our news is focused on retirements as we approach our seventh decade.
David Gilmore sent me an email last winter. David retired in May of 2021 from Arkansas State University, where he and his wife, Diane Holloran Gilmore, both worked in the biology department. Diane is in full retirement mode, but David is continuing some volunteer time with his research group. David has also started a new academic adventure, taking a few credits each semester towards a BA in music at Arkansas State. He writes that during his time at UMaine he collected quite a few music credits (University Singers, Chamber Singers, Oratorio Society, Theory I and II) and now has the opportunity to earn his degree.
Dana Totman announced his retirement from Avesta Housing, where he has served as president and CEO for nearly 22 years. Under his leadership the number of staff have increased from 60 to 300 and the number of affordable homes in the Avesta portfolio has increased from 700 to 3200.
After 39 years as director of the North Maine Woods, Albro “Al” F. Cowperthwaite retired last September. Al developed and led a strong alliance between outdoor enthusiasts and the forest companies that own much of the land, ensuring that Maine’s forestland remains open for recreation.
Former Bangor Daily News columnist and sportswriter David Barber has been inducted into the Maine Golf Hall of Fame. Dave spent 41 years in the sports department at the BDN before retiring in 2013.
State Senator Scott W. Cyrway announced that he will run for the Maine House of Representatives in newly created House District 63 representing Albion, Freedom, Unity, and part of Winslow. Scott lives in Albion and has three children and 11 grandchildren.
The Hon. Kenneth Hillas participated in a webinar last March hosted by the University of Maine Alumni Association called “The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Implications for the U.S. and the World.” Ken teaches at the University of Maine Graduate School of Policy and International Affairs and works intermittently as a senior inspector in the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General. He has served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland and the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic.