Greetings from just down the road from UMaine! If you know me at all, you know I love the Maine Black Bears and follow all the athletic programs. It’s an exciting time for UMaine Athletics with lots of facility upgrades, thanks to the Alfond Foundation. If you haven’t been back to campus in a while and you’re a sports geek, you must come visit! Right now, the Alfond Arena is torn apart, and a large expansion is being added to the offices, training facilities, and locker rooms.
Susan Melden Palatucci reported via our Facebook page that some classmates had a mini reunion in Yarmouth this past fall, including Karen Lynch and Danny Beale. You can see a photo of the group on Facebook, which is a nice way to entice you to follow the page and contribute to it! Despite what you may hear, Facebook can be a good thing! It’s great for connecting with old friends and keeping up with news of families, careers, etc. I love watching the conversations pop up between those who may not have seen each other in years. Please check it out!
Since my inbox and the mail bag were quite empty, I baited you on Facebook to feed me some news by asking those who called “The Hill” home during their time at UMaine to share some memories. Thanks to those who chimed in.
Kathy Trenholm lived in Somerset and remembers the Christmas when some guys put a tree on the roof, and you could see it from I-95! Gail Clough Rice was an Oxford Hall resident, as was Larry Cyr. Larry recalled the blizzard of ’78, when classes were cancelled (which seldom happened back then) and students were sliding down The Alfond roof on cafeteria trays! He and some dorm mates would often go to Essex Street Hill in Bangor for sledding — of course on trays “borrowed” from the cafeteria! Larry shared a couple of photos that you can see on the page. Knox was home to Cal Buxton. Katie Martin-Stephens also lived there and remembers watching the northern lights for the first time from the dorm’s roof — ”absolutely breathtaking” and her best viewing ever!
If you lived in the Stewart complex, get your stories ready for the next issue as we work our way around campus! Ben Kassel promises to share some from the boys in the Gannett Penthouse!
Bar Harbor landscape architect Bruce John Riddell released his second book in June of 2024, Seal Rock, his first foray into the science fiction genre. His first book was LandART – From Acadia to Zen, an anthology of his landscape design philosophy which features plans and photos of many of the gardens he has designed and built throughout Maine in his 40-year career. Seal Rock is a magical, mystical, historical mystery ride best described as having a Harry Potter-Stephen King sort of vibe! The book is available at all Sherman’s Bookstores in Maine, along with other local bookstores.
Rob LaPrade is a proud dad these days! His oldest son, Christopher, completed his sports medicine fellowship and has joined him in his practice, Twin Cities Orthopedics, in Edina and Eagan, MN. Middle son, Matt, is a fourth-year orthopedic surgery resident in Wisconsin, and his youngest son, Jeff, is a front- end design loader for a tech startup company. Rob continues to work full-time and says 40 percent of his patients come from out of state. He teaches sports medicine fellows, orthopedic residents, and other medical students in his practice, has an engaged research group, and travels the world to teach and chair courses throughout the year. Congrats on your accomplishments and contributions to sports medicine, Rob! He and his wife, Sandy, reside in Tonka Bay, MN.
That’s all for now, ’81 gang! Kindly remember our class scholarship fund in your annual donations, send along your news via email or Facebook, and try to keep the Medicare claims to a minimum, as most of us are now over that 65 hump!