News From Fort Schuyler

September 24, 1998 - Volume 2, No. 44

LONG ISLAND CHAPTER CASUAL ALUMNI NIGHT - On Thursday, 1 October, the Long Island Chapter of the Alumni Association will be hosting a casual alumni night at the Uniondale Marrriot. Invitations have gone out to alumni from all the State Maritime Academies and from Kings Point. For more information call Andy Charlton at 1-USS-OLD-SHIP, Tom Hall at 516-598-8810 and Rich Ohlsen at 516-924-7454. You can also send email to: LIMaritimeAlumni@yahoo.com.

IS THERE A MARITIME COLLEGE CONNECTION? - This question, recently posed by AUSTIN L. DOOLEY, Class of 1968, stumped the editor. "I saw Ragtime yesterday. One of the references in the play was to the Arctic Explorer [Matthew] Henson, an African-American explorer who accompanied Perry to the North Pole. Wasn't there a ST. MARY'S/NEWPORT connection with Henson? I seem to remember reading somewhere about Henson and Perry and the ST. MARY'S?"

Any answers ?

AND WHAT DID YOU DO FOR VACATION? - If you are JERRY HASSELBACH, Class of 1969, and Master of MV PRESIDENT ADAMS, you write: "I just returned from a busman's holiday. A cruise from St Petersburg, Russia to Moscow, via the rivers, canals, lakes and locks of the Baltic-Moscow waterway. It was quite a trip, and a very interesting time to do it."

CHARTING A NEW COURSE - A note from ROY SOLURI, Class of 1962, brought the good news of his promotion to Deputy Chief of the Marine Navigation Department at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency.

DID HE INVENT DR. SEUSS? - "I do have one question for the Charlie Rey experts," writes JERRY HASSELBACH "just what the heck was it that he put in the eggs that made them green. I mean this was every morning? That was the only specific that I can remember, in general, looking back, after being on ships and places all over the world, that had to be the worst food that I have ever eaten. I know that we feed the crew on the MV PRESIDENT ADAMS on $6 per man per day. This includes a choice of three entrees at each meal and we have unlimited soda, mineral water, juice, yogurt, ice cream bars, etc. The food is good quality cuts of meat, occasional lobster and crab. So the question is that if we can do it for that little, where did all the money go that was supposed to go for food for the cadets? It sure did not go toward that awful slop." (Editor's note: "Green Eggs and Ham" was the first best seller by the pseudonymous Dr. Seuss back in 1960.)

FAMILY TIES - Please continue to send additions to corrections.

KOCHEFKO Siblings: Charles 68 - Ronald 74

Contributors: Austin L. Dooley

SOME WENT ON TO OTHER ENDEAVORS - In a recent e-mail, KEN KERTTULA, Class of 1970, writes: "I recently saw a biography on Geraldo Rivera that ran on the cable/satellite station A&E. In it they stated that Geraldo attended SUNY Maritime College for two years (did not graduate). They showed a picture with a banner that had a red background. They said that this was the source of Geraldo's love of sailing. He now owns a ketch formally owned by Tom Watson of "IBM fame". I believe he and his family are doing an around the world trip in stages to fit in with his work." (According to a 1975 profile in "Current Biography" and other sources, Jerry Rivers attended Maritime from September 1961 - May 1963 and then shipped out for two years. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Arizona and received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1969. He began his broadcast career in 1970. The rest is history.)

REGINA MARIS NEEDS EXPERT HELP - The 1908 vintage 3-master barkentine, REGINA MARIS, was recently towed from Greenport to Glen Cove in very sad condition. There is a very strong interest in restoring this historic ship. Members/volunteers are being sought. Contact DAVE NIERI, Class of 1972, at (516) 242-4300 for details on how you can help. (A cadet-curated exhibition about the REGINA MARIS at the Luce Library is planned for mid-October.)