News From Fort Schuyler

April 22, 2000 - Volume 4, No. 14

COMMAND PERFORMANCE? - Commenting on last week's NEED MUSICAL MARINERS item, WALT NADOLNY, Class of 1978, writes: "I was wondering just what they are looking for? I do have a Master's ticket. I also have a second career as a symphony musician. To back up a bit, I have always harbored the ambition of being a classical musician and when I ended up breaking my back on a ship a number of years ago, I realized I had the time and drive to act on it. I have played in a number of mid-sized orchestras in the Boston area and founded the Boston Brass Quintet. My wife's career took us to Milwaukee, where she is an executive with Harley-Davidson. I am currently an active symphony musician in Milwaukee, playing in a number of orchestras. I will be soloing with the Concord Chamber Orchestra in May, a group where I have been appointed principal. I play tenor and bass trombone. I am looking to further my musical career by venturing into conducting. So my question is ' can I command the thing while playing?"

OBLIGATORY WARNING - Accompanying a summary and URL about proposed changes in procedures concerning the review of service obligation requirements, was this note from ROD McFADDEN, Class of 1975: "If you're a junior officer (LT. & below, including Midshipmen) AND haven't been paying attention to your service obligation, AND you don't review the attached Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [NPRM], you're in for a shock." He explains: "Currently the regulations call for review by a panel composed of a representative of MARAD and representatives from the Department of the Navy, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , and the United States Coast Guard. The proposed revisions provide for an appeal to the Maritime Administrator, the head of the agency, rather than review by the panel. The intended effect of this regulation is to streamline the procession of reaching a final agency decision and allow for timely action on requests for review. Dates: Comments are due May 10 2000." You can view this document, " Appeal Procedure for Determinations Concerning Compliance with Service Obligations, Deferments, and Waivers." at: http://152.119.239.10/docimages/pdf45/76351_web.pdf If this pdf causes your PC to misbehave (as it did mine), Rod says, "...hie thee to the closest library with a subscription to the Federal Register. Ask for Federal Register volume 65:69, which was published 10 April 2000. The NPRM starts on page 18957."

VENTING - The R/V ATLANTIS, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessel, built 1997, is back at sea with GARY CHILJEAN, Class of 1969, as Master. You can follow his progress in the Pacific Ocean on this research cruise while the crewed submersible, ALVIN, checks out hydrothermal vents. Go to http://www.marinetech.org and click on "Return to 9 North."

CADET HOMEPAGE - One of the Luce Library's regular users of charts, sailing directions, light lists, tide tables, and coast pilots has his own home page. Cadet MATT PICARD, Class of 2001, is a Deck Cadet who has taken advantage of Netscape's free homepages to show some pictures of SST 1999, both aboard and in foreign ports. Just a few pages, but pictures can tell a lot - and Matt, who is also a varsity wrestler, is a great advertisement for Fort Schuyler. Go to: http://sites.netscape.net/mattyp4/homepage

FILLING IN MISSING PIECES - Almost fifty years after he departed Loch Ewe, Scotland on an arctic convoy, IAN McCUNN, Class of January 1944, returned there for a visit. In one of the books he purchased there, he read a harrowing account of the stranding and loss of a Liberty Ship during a terrific storm. The townspeople watched the drama unfold, but were unable to mount a timely rescue due to the gale. He writes: "A postscript regarding 'The Wreck of the SS William H. Welsh.' That tragic incident occurred February 26, 1944, just six days after our departure from Loch Ewe on the 20^th. As I was learning the way of war, participants mostly related only to what was taking place around them at any one time. Only years later would history paint a broader picture that permitted expanding our horizons. Such was the 'Welsh' incident. I never knew about it for 48 years until reading the pamphlet..."

CAREEN OR KEEL HAUL? - Apparently JACK HAYES, Class of 1947, is having second thoughts about the advisability of careening the Sea Scout Ship 210 LONO KAI: "It looked so easy when they did it on television in Taipei, but were getting concerned that we will put the boat on a bar where she falls over with the mast down and keel up, so that the incoming tide will slop over the gunnels and sink her. We promised the Scouts that we would take the more-than-a-foot of grass off the bottom this way, and I hope you can come up with some learned instruction." (Expert advice can be sent to Jack at: Jackhayes@islc.net )

FAREWELL FNFF - It's au revoir to the Film Noir Film Festival which concludes April 26 in the library A/V Room. Featured titles included: Double Indemnity, The Set-Up, Lady from Shanghai, and will end with The Asphalt Jungle. The impresarios for this 6PM - 8 PM venture, Professors JOHN ROCCO and ED TASSINARI of the Humanities Department, introduced the films and led the post-screening discussion.

CAN'T REACH THE COLLEGE? - Due to a scheduled electrical maintenance project at Fort Schuyler, there was no power or telephones on campus on Friday, April 21. The academic program was not impacted by this, since students don't return from Easter break until Tuesday. The college internet server was shut down at the close of business on April 20, however, and will probably be off-line until Monday.