News From Fort Schuyler

March 22, 2002 - Volume 6, No. 11

DECENNIAL DUTY DONE - A year-long self-study process culminated this week at Fort Schuyler with an on-site visit to the campus by a team of academics from colleges representing the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The top to bottom self-study effort was coordinated by DR. JOSEPH C. HOFFMAN, Class of 1975. Joe teaches mathematics in the Science Department and serves as the Dean of Freshman Programs. The visitation concluded on Wednesday with a verbal report by the accreditation team to faculty and staff. It will be followed in a few weeks by a final written evaluation and recommendations.

SHIP CHECKS - A 16 March New York Times feature story, "Coast Guard Encounters Big Hurdles in New Effort to Screen Arriving Ships," deals with the heightened port security measures implemented since 9/11. This includes checking crew lists on all arriving ships for terrorist links, and detecting things like nuclear and chemical weapons on suspect ships. The article focuses on the daunting workload of the USCG Office of Policy and Planning for Waterways Management and its chief, CAPT ANTHONY REGALBUTO, Class of 1971. He is quoted as saying that, although Coast Guard crews know "how to use their eyes and ears as sensors to see if anything is out of the ordinary," they still need sophisticated detection equipment to test for the presence of chemical weapons, nuclear materials or explosives. The article concludes, "But Captain Regalbuto said he and his staff believed it was much better to have begun the program, even with inevitable problems, than to have done nothing at all." Tony commented to NFFS, "...since the 9/11 attacks, my job has been very challenging, but the maritime industry and Coast Guard have risen to the occasion." See the entire story at www.nytimes/com/2002/03/16/national/16COAS.html

SHIP SEX - Commenting, "Damn landlubbers," RODNEY G. McFADDEN, Class of 1975, sent a heads up on a CNN story broadcast on 20 March. The story, 'Ships to Lose Their Femininity,' concerns the fact that British shipping industry newspaper of record, Lloyd's List, "...has decided that from now on ships will lose their femininity and will be referred to as 'it' not 'she.'" The editor of Lloyd's List is quoted as saying: "We see it as a reflection of the modern business of shipping. Ultimately they are commodities...not things that have characters." (www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/sailing/03/20/lloyds.sex/index.html)

DANCE TIME - The big annual fund-raiser for scholarships takes place on 13 April at the New York Hilton. This year's Scholarship Benefit Dinner-Dance (formerly The Admiral's Ball) will honor U.S. Maritime Administrator, WILLIAM SCHUBERT. This event, sponsored by the Maritime College at Fort Schuyler Foundation, will also honor JOE GERSON, Class of 1947, with an Order of St. Mary's Medal and make a posthumous Distinguished Service Award to STAN MELASKY, the Foundation's late Executive Director. His widow, Pam, and son, Josh, will receive the award. "For over 25 years the Maritime College Foundation has provided funds for scholarships to deserving and needy students who could not, without this financial assistance, attend the Maritime College or participate in its Summer Sea Term on the Training Ship EMPIRE STATE." For more information and reservations go to: http://www.fsmaa.org/DinnerDance/

HOW FRED GOT TO BE 'DOC HESS' - Dr. FRED C. HESS marked his 81st birthday this past September. A celebrated professor and mentor at Fort Schuyler from 1946 to 1986, Fred recently completed a 150-page soup to nuts memoir: 'Some of My Favorite Memories from Childhood into the Twenty-First Century.' A reader of this book soon realizes that Doc Hess has a phenomenal memory and a talent for being in the right place at the right time. There are many vignettes which will resonate with Fort Schuyler graduates, especially in the first 125 pages. Fred recalls highlights of his days as a teacher, faculty advisor to the Dance Committee, shipboard instructor on the EMPIRE STATE, Channel 11 weatherman, and lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium. In many ways this publications complements and extends his earlier reminiscence, 'Fort Schuyler and Me,' which is still available through the Alumni Association. Distribution plans for 'Some of My Favorite Memories' have not been finalized. Let Richard Corson know if you wish to receive information about the availability of this publication: rcorson@nyc.rr.com