Candidate for Maryland's General Assembly - Len Zuza

Last week I opened a surprising and interesting letter from Len Zuza.  In it he informed me that he is running as a candidate for the office of Delegate to the State of Maryland's General Assembly.  Obviously, the election is this fall and he is running against a 20-year incumbent.  I'll let Len tell you about his decision.

"What triggered this Mad Hatter adventure?  Local politicians agreed to the construction of a huge natural gas liquefaction facility that will not only ruin the bucolic setting of the region where Karen and I decided to settle, it will add a lot of pollution to the area where Karen, our friends and I have been working hard to reduce pollution.  Add to that the fact that county officials gave away $360 million in unnecessary tax benefits to Dominion Energy and that was all I needed to decide to run against a 20-year incumbent who is the equivalent of the Chris Christie of Maryland..."

Zuza for Delegate

Len additionally wrote that his wife and he have been running an oyster restoration program since 2006.  He has been serving as president of the Southern Maryland Oyster Cultivation Society.  He noted that they have planted more than 12 million oysters and have been recognized by a local scientist as having improved water quality with these oysters.  I am thinking what a bold initiative Len has been involved in!  And, now, he is undertaking a more audacious challenge to make a positive difference.

Len expressed his regret that once again he will be unable to attend our class reunion.  In previous years he has been in the heart of oyster cultivation.  This year he is engaged in an intense political campaign.

I think many of you will agree with me that Len is one more member of our class who is still actively involved in his life vocation.

Ireland - The Emerald Isle

Aer Lingus moved away from the gate at Chicago O'Hare around 3:50 pm (local time) on Sunday, June 22.  Aboard were Don and Betty Wampach along with Tom and Chris Meyer.  Destination: Ireland.  After a 7 and 1/2 hour flight we landed at Dublin International around 5:15 am (local time) on Monday, June 23.  On the following day we began our week's tour of the north portion of Ireland, including the country of Northern Ireland, via Inroads Ireland.  Betty, Don, Chris, and I were a part of a group of 12 tourists along with an Irish driver/guide.

As we traveled across the lush green countryside, we saw many amazing sites:

• the remnants of a 5th century monastic settlement with its distinctive Celtic High Crosses and 1000-year-old Irish Round Tower
• the mysterious Proleek Dolmen, an ancient portal tomb
• the chilling Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, spanning the mainland to tiny Carrick Island
• the unique Giant's Causeway sculpted by thousands of hexagonally shaped stone columns descending into the Atlantic Ocean
• the stunning Bunglass sea cliffs
• the Carrowkeel burial tombs - ancient, megalithic passage chambers older than the Egyptian pyramids

We sang Evensong in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin

At the same time, our travels were enriched by the warmth and history of the Irish people:

• potatoes served with every meal
• dancing with a group of local residents in their lovely community center in the small town of Culdaff
• local minstrels playing Irish music in the small, crowded pubs of Ardara
• a funeral procession moving ever so slowly through the town of Ardara, with the deceased's many bicycle club companions walking on each side of the hearse and long string of cars
• brightly painted buildings conveying the artistic ardor of numerous small country towns

Don perfected the art of drinking a Guinness

I love my Banana Split

Regarding this trip, Don spoke for all four of us when he said, "We had a blast!!!"

Reunion Plans being Finalized

Ewing Mansion at Southfork Ranch

On July 10, Dan Clayton met with Star Swaner at Southfork Ranch, just north of Dallas, to discuss plans for a group lunch and tour at this location on Saturday, October 25.  You likely remember that this site's fame emanates from the hit TV series "Dallas."  I think this will be a spectacular experience during our reunion.

Lunch in Legends Ballroom

The Ewing Barbecue Lunch will be served within a Western atmosphere in the Legends Ballroom, 12:30-2:00 pm.  This will be no ordinary pork-BBQ-with-chips lunch.  Our lunch will feature Mesquite Smoked Choice Beef Brisket with Barbecue Sauce along with Southern Potato Salad, Creamy Cole Slaw, Southfork Ranch Style Beans, Garnish Tray, and Homemade Southwestern Cornbread Muffins, topped off by Apple Cobbler with Whipped Cream.  Does this lunch not excite your salivary glands and gustatory senses?  After lunch we will take a tour, guided or self-directed yet to be determined, of the Ewing Mansion and the museum.  Our event will climax at 4:00 pm.

Museum at Southfork Ranch

If there are any of you classmates out there still undecided about attending our reunion, this event itself should swing you over to coming.  Fr. Dan and I will be very happy to hear from you.

Tom Devereaux on the Mend

Last week Fr. Tom emailed Fr. Dan to inform him that, when he was in Washington, DC, June 22-26, he "incurred a detached retina."  He further reported that he underwent successful surgery on his right eye on June 27 and that he "still cannot see out of that eye until the gas bubble inside the eye dissipates."  Fr. Tom expressed his disappointment that he will be unable to attend our class reunion in Dallas.  However, he subsequently added that, if he heals more quickly than the doctors anticipate, he will attempt to attend.  He closed by saying, "It is wait and see (pun ha ha)."