News From Fort Schuyler

October 11, 2002 - Volume 6, No. 30

VERSATILE STAFFER SUCCUMBS - A long-time member of the Maritime College community, HOPE T. BECKER, died of liver cancer on 02 October. Hope, who came to Fort Schuyler in 1992, worked as a Counselor in Student Support Services, and then as an Assistant Director of Admissions. According to an obituary in the October 9, 2002 issue of The Journal News: "Hope was an avid sailor from an early age. She has owned an International One Design that she raced very successfully on the Sound. She participated in many women's championship races on the Sound. In addition, she sailed many small boats to ocean racers all through her life. She was a banker, pilot, editor, librarian, school counselor..... Her friends and her students are a measure of Hope's many accomplishments....Her ashes will be scattered in Western Long Island Sound." According to information received from a member of the college staff: "There's going to be a Memorial Service on Friday, October 11 at 11:30 AM at St. Michael's RC Church, 469 North Street, Greenwich, CT." See the full obituary at http://www.nyjournalnews.com

SCHOOL SHIP BLUES - Thanks to ERHARD KOEHLER, Class of 1987, you can now see the new blue hue of the TSES VI at the Alumni website- http://www.fsmaa.org/TSES/ This should please Europe-based graduate, ANDREAS ISELI, Class of 1999, who recently requested that photos be posted to the web: "I am having a hard time imagining the 'White Pig', as we called it, in dark blue. I am sitting here in Northern Europe working in a shipyard building a 61m small mega yacht, eager to see the EMPIRE STATE in a dark blue hull." He continues: "What about the sayings that a blue hull in not a lucky color for a ship ? Please see the remarks about this in 'The Perfect Storm' where it is mentioned that a serious fisherman and sailor would always paint his boat white or green but never blue ! Also, from my side of the business of building large yachts and pleasure boats, another point: In my industry the naval architects always get worried when a client wants a dark blue hull for his motor yacht, as that color harbours the most problems regarding insulation and air conditioning. There are big boats where the entire inside of the hull is ventilated to get the additional heat off the hull and vent it out, otherwise the metal gets too hot and the nice dark blue paint bubbles. Would be interested to see if the Training Ship suffers from any different A/C loads during next year's cruise ... just a thought !" [Sounds like a good research project.]

Finally, a note from FRANK DUFFY, Executive Vice President of the Maritime Industry Museum and professional ship photographer 'par excellence,' that he ".. just learned that the TV STATE OF MAINE also changed the livery of their training ship and is calling it "HAL" blue. I had my aerial photo of the ship, taken last June when it came to NY, on the cover of their alumni magazine." [Back to that helicopter, Frank.]

JOIN THE TOUR - Check out the new campus Virtual Tour at the Maritime College website. It has good photos, interesting text and even a whistle to wake you up. You can start the tour by clicking on the campus map. Go to http://www.sunymaritime.edu The website's news section, Maritime Watch, is greatly improved and up-to-date. Posted are a number of informative articles relating to today's Maritime College. For example, there is a story on the fact that the Naval ROTC program is now at an all-time high in enrollment, and there is another item about the expansion of the college's Small Vessel Operations Program." It is well worth taking a frequent look at the college website. If you like what you see, let their webmaster know.

EBB TIDE - Moments before press time, NFFS received news of the death of RICHARD CULL, Class of 1954 from his classmate, ROGER P. WESSEL: "Our classmate, an always on the go - fun guy, good skier, mediocre golfer Salvator Richard Ciulla '54, known to some as Cy, Sal, or Sixty and to most as Dick Cull, passed away Aug. 31, 2002, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Dick was a resident of North Hampton, N. H. and a retired executive of GE Corporation. After graduating NYSMC, Dick did a hitch in the Navy, then joined GE and had a 40 year career, largely in gas turbine sales. Prior to retiring, Dick was responsible for GE's Asian sales headquartered in Hong Kong. Dick is survived by four loving children Carlton, Brian, Diane, and Jeffrey, nine grandchildren and a lovely companion, Sheila Doyle of San Clemente, CA. Since retiring, Dick and Sheila were great worldwide travelers and regulars at the annual Class of '54 reunions."

A SUGGESTION FROM AN IRATE ALUMNUS - This note from ED DANGLER, Class of 1949: "I am just catching up on e-mails as I have been here in south of France for several weeks. I noted with much disgust that someone had taken (STOLEN) Joe Gerson's '47 class ring. [See NFFS - September 17, 2002.] This was most shocking and is certainly not in spirit of what Fort Schuyler and all it stands for is about. I suggest that a campaign of contributions be started to provide Joe with a large replica of the ring to be placed on display with appropriate plaque documenting all he has done for the school since his cadet days. I will be among the first to contribute."`