CIGAR BOX BULLETIN

Volume No. 53, No. 2  May 11, 2005

President BRIAN FORROW opened the meeting promptly at the tenth hour. With our right-hand over our hearts, SAL DEANGELO led the Pledge of Allegiance. While we were still standing, JIM SMERIGLIO led us in song to AmericaThe Beautiful. We followed his lead while singing Wait Till The SunShines, Nellie and a robust Carolina in the Morning. PETER RYAN ably assisted at the piano. Recording Secretary FRED BROOKS began by telling a story about a known expert on the subject of love who failed to get help on the third part of the $64,000 question from a famous Frenchman. FRED then proceeded to give a thorough review of last week’s CBB. Of note for this week is the first presentation of the MARION C. LIMBACHER Art Lecture Series 7:30 PM Thursday, May 12 at the Cole Auditorium of Greenwich Library. Corresponding Secretary BILL DYNAN led off with reading a letter to the editor that was written by WAYNE WRIGHT. WAYNE used town estimates to project that 350 non-migrating geese produce up to seven tons of droppings a month in Bruce Park and Binney Park. Will such droppings help the flowers grow? BILL then told a joke about a mountain man who mistakenly placed a device on his piano. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Two weeks ago, GENE WAGGAMAN gave a farewell to our lame duck President BOB CHURCH. This week he appropriately presented our incoming President BRIAN FORROW with a sitting duck. FRANK PREUCIL, the chairman of the Audit Committee of one, concluded that our “financial statements presented fairly … the financial position and results for the year.” We thanked our outgoing Treasurer HERB EGLI and the man who kept the books, DICK CASE, for all their work and time • CARL VAN AKEN said that someone from Fidelity Investments will be here next week to discuss investment metrics. The following week will be on Estate Planning. Our 2nd Vice President RICH LIMBACHER quoted that “the price of admission to the RMA is volunteerism.” With this in mind, he announced changes with regards to our weekly pastry pick-up arrangement with St. Moritz. SAL DEANGELO and PHIL HAHN will now be assisted by BOB HORTON, JOE COLEMAN, BEN BENSON, ED BROADBENT and JOHN CALABRO. RICH thanked new member MEL MARGULIS for volunteering to help MIKE PARISE setup for our weekly meetings. GENE SCHWARTZ of the Computer Club announced a presentation after the May 25 meeting to be held in the Computer Lab at the Senior Center. The subject is how to use eBay and Portero, a local company, to get rid of some of our treasures. 

RETURNEES: Returning from Florida: JOHN SCHINTO, CLYDE MOONIE, JON GATES (Osprey), LARRY REBAK (Palm Beach Gardens), and JIM MCKAY (Venice). From elsewhere were: BILL DYNAN (Bethesda, MD and D.C), RON KLINGNER (Myrtle Beach, SC), and GENE SCHWARTZ (Hawaii). 

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Memorial: President BRIAN FORROW asked for a moment of silence as we commemorated the 60th Anniversary of V-E Day. Visiting: To CHUCK STANDARD’s knowledge, BOB ALDEN is the only one who is currently in the hospital. BOB went there after playing tennis on Monday. DAVE DONALD is now in rehab at King Street Rehab. Program: SAM MARASSO announced that next week CHUCK LIVINGSTON will introduce The Melody Men, and the following week historian Nimr Ibrahim will discuss the Middle East. Special Events: TOM HEALY reported that the June 2 trip to Belmont is now sold out. There are now tickets available to only two events. These events are the June 30 Mets-Phillies game and the December 10, Boston Pops Holiday concert. Please note that bus for the Tanglewood concert on July 10 will leave from the Old Greenwich Civic Center at 9 am. Membership: DOUG TAYLOR gave the attendance as 156 members; three candidates, MEL MARGULIS, JIM DEAN, and DICK GRISMAR; and five guests: FRANK PAOLINI of SAM MARASSO, BOB BENSON and BOB CALLAHAN of RICH HOPKINS, and JOHN WATLING and KENT ATKINS of FRED WALDRON. Volunteers: For the week ending May 11, FRED VEITH reported 845 hours to outside agencies by 86 men and 212 hours to RMA by 43 men. 

HappyBirthdays: There were only two: HERB EGLI 75 and PETER DIXON 81.

TODAY'S INDUCTEE: We inducted MELVIN MARGULIS, a former eye doctor in White Plains and a relative newcomer to Greenwich, upon the recommendation of FRED BROOKS and BOB ROSENBERG. As mentioned above, MEL has volunteered to help MIKE PARISE setup our meetings each week. MEL likes to play tennis, ski and play bridge. MEL, welcome to the RMA, our tennis courts and our bridge tables.

GAMES: Bridge: PETE JACKSON reported the results for the first summer session. He came in third out of eight players with 770 points. He trailed LORING WEBBER with 1690 and KURT SCHAFFIR with 1010 points. Golf: BOB JOHNSON said that 38 men teed off on another great day at “The Griff.” TOM HEALY recorded his third consecutive nearest-the-pin victory on #7 before REID MCINTYRE broke his streak on #15. FRANK HENDERSON had the longest drive on #17. REID MCINTYRE posted the lowest gross at 84. DICK BARTHOLOMEW was second at 87, and LEON FREEMAN, TOM HEALY and JIM MCKAY all tied for third at 91. Tennis: DICK BARTHOLOMEW reported the winners and games for courts #1 thru #4 as: himself 17, LEN SAARI 17, FRANK LEE 12, and IRVING KNIGHT 14. We launch our outdoor 9-11 Tuesday and Thursday sessions next Tuesday, May 17 at the two tennis courts on Loughlin Avenue in Cos Cob. No reservations are needed. 

TODAY’S PROGRAM: RICH HOPKINS introduced his friend and former associate, William S. Doane, an active volunteer at the Mystic Aquarium Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Program. It was a fascinating presentation of how some 300 volunteers rescue and return to the sea, if possible, stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. Four types of seals: Harbor, Gray, Harp and Hooded, have returned to the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound in recent years because of two federal laws - The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) and The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Stranding Program is partially funded by the Long Island Sound License Plate Program. 

DICK BARTHOLOMEW, Editor

SPECIAL EVENTS

June2 - Thurs - Belmont Race Track, private buffet at clubhouse. Ticket exchange, $60. Leave St. Cath.at 10:30 am and return around 6:30 pm.

June30 - Thurs - Mets vs. Phillies. 10 tickets available at $50. Leave St. Cath. at 10:15 am.

July 10 - Sun - Boston Symphony at Tanglewood. Lunch at CorkN’ Hearth in Lee, MA. Leave Old Greenwich Civic Center at 9 am. Ticket exchange, $85.

August 10 - Wed - Goodspeed Opera House, Matinee of The Boy Friend. Lunch at La Vita Gustosa. Ticket exchange, $90. Leave St. Cath. at 10 am.

Dec. 10 - Sat - Boston Pops Holiday Concert (Arena at Harbor Yards) performance at 7:30 PM; U-drive, Tickets $60; 10 tickets available.

NEXT WEEK

The Melody Men