Greetings, Class of 1986! It was a beautiful summer here in Maine, in spite of the
pandemic. Boating, bicycling, walking, gardening, grilling — I had plenty of it. As
some of you know, I have been “staying home and saving lives” since 2013,
when I made a conscious decision to telecommute to my job and live a simpler
life in this smaller place. My life has not changed tremendously due to the virus.
I’ve turned over no new leaves other than the ones in my back yard; I’ve made
no resolutions, and read no epic novels. (I read War and Peace in 2011
and Atlas Shrugged in 2012.) Reading epic novels is not a bad thing and I hope
many of you are spending this unusual time doing so. Reading great works of
literature taught me that throughout history, humanity has moved forward by
living fearlessly. And that is what I’m doing. You do the same.
Meanwhile in the midst of this pandemic, Davia Pickett Knowlton retired from
Bangor’s Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center after nearly 50 years in
nursing. She had worked at the hospital since 1977, primarily in labor and
delivery, welcoming thousands of Maine babies into the world. Well done, Davia,
and may your retirement be as interesting as your professional life.
Glendon Rand, longtime cross country and track and field coach for the Brewer
(ME) Witches, was honored with the Maine Interscholastic Athletic
Administrators’ Lawrence Labrie State Distinguished Service Award. An
accomplished distance runner and coach, he was also selected for the Maine
Running Hall of Fame in July. Congratulations, and keep running!
Rick Nickerson’s ’99G name frequently graces this humble column and he’s at it
again. In April, he was named artistic director for the 2020-21 season of the
Maine Music Society. The Maine Music Society likes to say they are “making
music soar” and despite the cancellation of the 2020-2021 season, Rick has
been working tirelessly to continue that spirit on social media.
Stay fearless, Class of 1986!