It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when the doors of the Vital Spot finally opened. Walt Peek ’65 and Nancy were the first to reach the bar. They were shortly joined by Chuck Curatalo ’67, Tom DeBello ’65, Bob Hussey ’67, Gordy Bruce ‘68 and Irv Beimler ’68. Everyone warmly greeted each other and the taps started flowing. However our young Sig Tau hosts were nowhere in sight which seemed strange for a group notorious for their enjoyment of a good time. As we later learned they were either too hung over from their Friday night beer blast or too busy being finger printed at the local jail. It seems that the plains-clothes police who arrived at their party door got pissed off because they had to pay for their beer tickets. The vengeful SOBs hauled them in for selling alcohol without a license.
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No matter, a good time was had by all. As we chugged our beers and Bloody Mary’s, we caught up with our pasts. Except for having to stop every now and then to secure a pesky loose denture, we rattled on about our kids, grandkids, wives, ex-wives, former mistresses and concubines and the effectiveness of various brands of stool softeners. It wasn’t very long before everyone was “feeling good” and taking turns rubbing Chuck’s bald head for good luck.
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The highlight of this happy time was when we hoisted Tom DeBello up onto the bar for a rendition of “My Man.” His revival of Torchee LaPhlegmn brought tears to all our eyes. He would have received a standing ovation if he hadn’t tripped over his shedding boa and landed on top of the bodacious Ago bartender. After we pried Tom loose, the grinning girl informed us that the next scheduled event The Sig Tau/Phi Lamb/Ago/Phi Sig Four Way Breakfast wasn’t actually a breakfast but another beer party. Obviously, none of these kids are nutrition majors.
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Irv with his impeccable taste for fine cuisine suggested we had better head uptown for a “solid” breakfast at Dots (a.k.a. Snots) which is now called the Family Restaurant. That wild and crazy guy Gordy with maracas in hand formed a “very happy” Conga line and led us up the hill and across the busy Main Street. Dodging all those cars proved to be a harrowing experience for all. Where were the Geneseo Boy Scots when we needed them?
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We only had to wait twenty minutes for a table which was almost enough time for our arthritic hips and backs to stop aching and for our heartbeats to return to normal. A gum-chewing blond waitress resembling Dot took our orders. The only difficulty she had was when Irv and Tom ordered their eggs “poached.” Apparently this has never happened before in the wilderness of Geneseo. Nevertheless, the darling girl served our food promptly and kept our orange juices spiked with heaping teaspoons of Metamucil.
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Bob Hussey our health conscious bro suggested that we take a slow walk through the campus to aid our digestion before going to Ago House. After winding down Bank Street past the old Sig Tau House, Blake Hall, Mary Jemison and the dorms our stomachs had settled and the nasty side effects of the Metamucil had been expelled.
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When we finally arrived we were greeted by very few Sig Taus. Apparently many had not yet recovered from the previous night’s alcoholic endeavor or had not been able to secure bail. Nevertheless we were greeted by our old bro Roger Brown ’71 with beer mug in hand. He kept us entertained with his fine wit and keen sense of humor. However, if he said he was once so thin “he could piss behind a sapling and no one would see him” one more time, we would have rolled his portly body down the hill into the Regatta Pond. After consuming a keg or two and enjoying the sights of the young Ago lovelies, it was time for the 4:00 pm check-in at Days Inn.
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We were met in the motel lobby by the Honorable Mayor of Bloomfield Dan Kwarta ’67 and his wife Judy ’69. After more catching up we checked in and headed for the Big Tree Inn where we found Bob Veltz ’68 and Al Tolsma ’67 drinking patiently at the bar. We were shortly joined by Jack Morrell ’66, Tommy Welch ’69 and Dave Mead ’68. While the bartenders kept our glasses full, we had a jolly time rehashing our glorious pasts. We talked about the Regatta, the Follies, snow sculptures, the “Sig Taus for a Day”, White Rose Balls, parties under the bridge and our numerous semesters of academic probations. There was so much to talk about that we started dinner an hour later than planned.
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The Big Tree provided us with a private room at no extra charge. The food and service were excellent and our conversations and laughter continued throughout dinner. Names from our pasts: Pat Pallend, Mike Luczak, Fred Welch, Jim Burk, Bruce Jordan, Jack Sheehan and others peppered our conversations. We also talked about getting older and joked about PSA tests, colonoscopies and other medical ordeals that come with the territory. Dave Mead wondered aloud “why is he developing tits as he gets older”.
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After our coffee and scrumptious deserts we vowed to do this again, maybe even twice a year since there is an Alumni Weekend in each semester. Everyone expressed an interest in “A Day at the Races” at Saratoga and a few wondered about planning a Caribbean Cruise get together. Then those that had to leave hugged their goodbyes while the rest headed down the hill again to the Sig Tau/Ago Alumni Party at Ago House.
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When we arrived the house was filled with Ago lovelies and Sig Tau studs. Apparently the effects of the previous evening had finally worn off and bail had been paid. With rap music blaring from the speakers and kegs piled to the ceiling we partied and danced along with our young hosts. The young Sig Taus especially the officers were kind, considerate and gracious. They must have thought we we’re really cool and promised to invite us all to other activities. Dave and Irv took part in a drinking game that consisted of tossing a ping pong ball across a table into glasses of beer. They did very well and enjoyed drinking their winnings.
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At about one pm all the kegs had been emptied and most of the young Agos and Sigs had headed to the local bars. Irv, Chuck, Dave, Gordy and Roger found themselves in an almost empty house. We were persuaded by a lone young Sig Tau to head up the hill for a beer at what he promised would be a quiet bar. The blue bastard lied! After trudging up the hill we entered a bar with blasting rap music and people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. We turned around, bid our young host good-by, piled into a car with Chuck the designated driver who led us safely back to the Days Inn for a much needed night’s sleep.
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The next morning Irv, Chuck, Roger, Gordy, Nancy and Walt met for continental breakfast at the motel. Still high from the wonderful time, we sipped our coffee, talked about what a great time we had and how much we were looking forward to getting together again. Then we gave each other a heartfelt hug and went our separate ways.
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Mini-Bio: Spotlighting “Dan Kwarta”
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Dan Kwarta writes: “I left Geneseo in 1968 and married Judy Sawyer. We lived in Bristol NY for four years then moved to Bloomfield NY where we have been ever since. I taught in Victor from 1968 to 2002 (34 years). For sixteen of those years I was a sixth grade math teacher and for eighteen years as a seventh grade math teacher. I was Chairman of the Junior High School math department for twenty-five years. I was involved with the Victor Teachers Association for my entire tenure at Victor and held many offices including President, Vice-president, and Negotiations Chair. I was also the Teacher Retirement System Rep for the district for eight years.
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At home I stay busy camping, gardening and following football and hockey. I also have been active in our local fire department and am an Emergency Medical Technician. I volunteer for the Red Cross as an instructor trainer for first aid and CPR. I have been Mayor of Bloomfield for nineteen years. I am starting to give up a few of these activities as I get older. But someone is always looking for me to do something else.
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Judy worked at Bloomfield Central for two years and than stayed home to raise our children. When she was ready to go back to work the jobs were not available so she did the substituting route. She went back to school in Brockport and got her second masters in School Counseling. She worked in the Rochester City Schools and was laid off during a budget crunch. She then got a job in Greece Central and ended her career there. She did some part-time teaching at SUNY Brockport teaching Intro to Counseling to undergraduates. She loved doing this.
Judy enjoys camping, reading, gardening and spoiling the grandchildren. She is active in the church and the counseling organizations at Brockport. She also has started a support group in our part of the county for individuals whose relatives are serving in the armed forces and are active overseas.
Judy and I have two children. Jennifer was born in ’71 and Christa was born in ’73. Jennifer went to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass and has a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. She presently lives in the state of Indiana with her husband Robert and our three grandchildren (two boys and a girl; Peyton 7, Evan 3, and Loren 5 mos.) She is a stay at home mom and is home-schooling our oldest grandson.
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Christa went to Johnson and Wales University in Providence RI and received a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She went to work for the Providence Bruins for three years and then went to Canisus College to obtain her masters degree in Sports Administration. She moved to Charlotte, NC and is presently working for the sports marketing agency Octagon based out of Conn. Her present client is NEXTEL and is in charge of contracts and branding the race tracks with the NEXTEL logo at all of the NASCAR tracks. It’s lots of work, lots of long hour and lots of traveling. She is single.”
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NOTE: Please send in a mini-bio. We would like to feature one Old Guard per newsletter
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Lost Old Guards:
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We are sending out copies of this newsletter to Old Guards who have not yet replied to our invitations. Hopefully they will send in their email addresses in order to receive future editions. They are Mike Luczak ’68, Bob Kochman ’67, Roy Howard ’67, Jeff Gosch ’67, Erik Wilson ’68, Chuck Hall ’68, Pat Pallend ’67, Chris Watson ’67, Leroy Clinton ’65, Larry Patzwald ’68, and Richard DeMay ’67. If you wish to personally contact some of these members, their phone numbers may be listed in past issues of the newsletter. The Alumni Office apparently doesn’t have all the addresses for those who did not graduate and/or transferred to other colleges.
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Alumni Weekend Pictures:
If anyone has any digital pictures of the weekend that they would like to share, please send them to Dave dmead001@rochester.rr.com so he can place them on the website and/or Sean Coughlin sean@xelium.net the Sig Tau Webmaster who can place them in the Alumni Picture Gallery on the Sig Tau website.
A Day at the Races:
The Alumni Office informs us that “A Day at the Races” has been scheduled to take place at Saratoga Racetrack on Thursday, August 26, 2004. The Office will be selling tickets to this event on their website and by telephone sometime in the middle of June. The event includes a very nice lunch at the racetrack. Jack and Kathe Sheehan will be having a pool party at their beautiful home and backyard following the races. As soon as the event is eligible for booking we will send out a newsletter which will contain information regarding the purchase of tickets and hotel reservations. This is also a great event for your wife or girlfriend to enjoy. In the meantime remember to stay “happy-go-lucky, bare-assed and free!”
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Chuck ’67
ccuratal@rochester.rr.com
Editor
PS: See the new picture page link on archive page!
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