News From Fort Schuyler

October 29, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 49

POW HIGHLIGHTS - According to the Plan of the Week, cadets mark the solstice on November 1 in Fort Schuyler-style as they switch to their winter uniform. The millennial edition of the yearbook, Eight Bells '00, sure to be a collector's item, was also announced in the POW. Price until November 23 is $55 (if you wait until April 2000 it will cost $70.) For more information contact nym8bells@hotmail.com

EBB TIDE - The death, on October 15, of TOM DREIMILLER, Class of 1956, was reported by ED SHEPHERD, Class of 1957. Ed writes: "A celebration of his life and burial was held in Gales Ferry, CT on 19 October. In attendance were several members of the New England Chapter of the Alumni Association. Tom served for many years as President of this chapter. After graduation, he sailed for a while, joined the Navy for two years and then began a long and successful career as an engineer and manager at the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation." According to the obituary in the October 17 Hartford Courant, Tom is survived by three daughters, a son and eight grandchildren. He was buried with full military honors.

AYE, AYE MR. STARBUCK - In a letter to the editor in the Arts section of the October 24 NY Times, Humanities Department PROFESSOR JOHN ROCCO, questioning a reviewer's lack of appreciation for the influence of Melville's Moby-Dick in modern culture, even parenthetically manages to harpoon a voracious corporate behemoth as he makes his point: "Every time you buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks you are being overcharged by Ahab's first mate."

RISING TO THE TOP - Fort Schuyler has gained two new masters in recent weeks. According to PETE VECCHIO, Class of 1992, his classmate CHRIS ZOLA, Chief Mate of the TS EMPIRE STATE VI and PROFESSOR BRENDAN SABURN, Class of 1983, both earned their unlimited master's licenses. Congratulations Captains.

STUDENT PROPELLER CLUB UNDERWAY - The kickoff meeting of the student chapter of the Propeller Club was held in the Luce Library on October 14. According to chapter VP, CADET DAVID UHL, Class of 2001, highlights of the meeting included TWO presentations to the chapter by the president of the Port of New York Propeller Club, DR. AUSTIN DOOLEY, Class of 1968 - one presentation was an illustrated lecture on maritime affairs. The other presentation was a check for $250 to promote the activities of the chapter.

TALL ORDER - The college will be hosting the French International Basketball Team in an exhibition game to be held on Thursday, November 4 at 7 PM. Admission is free for this pre-season tuneup by the Privateers.

REAL DYNAMO - The President and CEO of DynCorp, PAUL V. LOMBARDI, Class of 1963, was recently profiled in Enterprise Virginia magazine. DynCorp, a Fortune 1000 company, is one of the leaders in the big high-tech industry that has developed in the Washington, DC area. According to the article, the company had 1998 revenues of $1.233 billion. One recent contract award was for data capture of the upcoming Year 2000 Census. (Thanks to FRANK CRITELLI, Class of 1963, for forwarding this article to the alumni archives.)

KEEP THIS IN SIGHT - Anyone who has sailed on tankers may enjoy "The T2 Tanker Page" established by Arthur D. Whittaker, Jr., the son of an engineer who sailed 1934 - 1965. This handsome, informative site, obviously a labor of love, is an outstanding example of how the web lets us communicate almost directly to a wide readership. Go to http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Campus/3415/merchant.html

THINGS CHANGE - Some remember the property adjacent to the college gate as the Marineland boat showroom and marina, others remember it as the site of Cammarata's Bar presided over by Rose. Today the land outside the college gate is known as Pennyfield Estates, a town-house development of twelve 3-family units. According to a recent visitor a 3 bedroom unit rents for $1600 per month. It was also reported that this renter really loves the great view she has of the George Washington Bridge (sic). Who says salesmanship is a lost art ?

CHANGE OF STATUS - NFFS contributor JAMES M. MALONEY, Class of 1980, reports that he is striking out on his own law practice after years of corporate practice. Jim not only has a number of articles to his credit in the Fordham Law Review and the Journal of Maritime Law & Commerce, but he has a Master's license (1600 tons) and worked as a paramedic for eight years while he went to law school. You can contact him at (516) 767-1395.

EARLY LINE - NASA Pilot-Astronaut SCOTT KELLY, Class of 1987, is due to blast off from Cape Canaveral on December 7 for the delayed Hubble Telescope repair mission. Scott will be taking a SUNY Maritime baseball cap into space, along with the explorer's flag commemorating ROSS MARVIN, Class of 1902, who perished in 1909 during the course of Matthew Peary's eighth attempt to reach the North Pole.

REQUIRED READING - The September issue of Sea Technology magazine features an "op.ed." piece by CAPT EDWARD DANGLER, Class of 1949, entitled " Law of the Sea: Give it a Chance." Ed, who served as a technical adviser at the UN Law of the Sea Conference, is an expert on undersea mineral resource issues. He argues that while the treaty may have some shortcomings, it has only been in effect for five years. "...we cannot thoroughly evaluate its benefits or detriments within such a limited time span. Just look at the U.S. Constitution, which has been in effect more than 200 years, and has evolved over 26 amendments."

EXPLANATION - There was no issue of NFFS last week. This was not because of illness, lassitude, censorship, or a strike by the editor for higher wages. He merely was on the road, first attending a conference of SUNY library directors in (way) upstate NY (Geneseo) and then traveling to Woods Hole to attend the 25th annual meeting of the International Association of Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers.