Summer 2021 (A) Newsletter
đ Download PDFCommodoreâs Message Hello Sailors, Driving along one day I heard an old song that made me think about what I would write about this past year that has been like no other. The 1996 Counting Crows song says: âthereâs a reason to believe that maybe this year will be better than the last.â That sums up where we are with our planning for the Rockland 2021 Homecoming. We have sent in the application to the Rockland Harbor Commission and the Racing Application to the Coast Guard. The message we have received is to âmove forward!â The officers and members of the FSS Executive Committee have unanimously voted to do just that! I hope you have all begun the process of taking the covers off of your sloops and getting them ready for the water. It is time to go sailing. The COVID guidelines keep evolving and our goal is to work within them. Just like we never know how the weather is going to treat us, all good sailors keep an eye to the sky and watch the tides. Lately, adjusting to shifting COVID guidelines, has been a little like Maine fog, which can creep in most any morning and be gone by mid-day. The Rockland Homecoming will take place on July 22, 23 and 24. It will be our 60th year of gathering together and racing Friendship sloops. There are so many reasons to celebrate that accomplishment. The boats bring us all together but it is the people who roll up their sleeves to get the work done who have maintained this vibrant group of independent sailors, and our members who love and support them. I am writing this, my final message as Commodore, from a place of gratitude. I have enjoyed my three-year term and am headed for the finish line with a sense of achievement. All that has been accomplished has been because of the dedicated crew who are the officers, Executive Committee, and members of the Friendship Sloop Society. The Race Committee has added a new Vice-Chairman in Rich Langton while Bill Whitney has filled the role of Safety Advisor. We have a new Recording Secretary in Kathe Newman Walton after Nancy Toppanâs retirement following many years of dedicated service. We have a crew with a plan in the new Publicity Committee of Karen & Richard Schwartz and Ross Branch. Did you catch their work with our event listed in the WoodenBoat Magazine? We have an amazing group of people who have executed plans to move us out of the fog which is COVID-19. I extend my congratulations to all of you for what has been accomplished. Sixty years is a long time to keep this historic small sailing group afloat. I would also like to mention that Victor and Nancy Goulding are primed to take over as Commodores. Congratulations to you both. So, if you should receive a note from the Nominating Committee, asking if you would be interested in joining the Executive Committee I hope you will consider saying yesâŠI am very glad I did! There are many reasons to believe that this year will be better than the last. Yours in friendship, Diane Huston Fassak, Commodore Westwind #95 History of a Sloop: Dirigo In May of 1964 Ernest Sprowl launched his sloop Dirigo #46. The Maine Department of Economic Development came up with the idea of sending the sloop over the road to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York to help publicize Maine Day. Several Friendship Sloop Society members were present, along with Miss Maine, Governor Reed, and other dignitaries. It was indeed a gala occasion, with the Friendship sloop Dirigo as the center of attention. (Continued to Page 7) Volume 33 FSS.ORG Summer 2021 Issue 2 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society Dirigo racing in Friendship. (Roger Duncan photo)
Membership: Two new members have been added to the ranks of the Friendship Sloop Society since the beginning of 2021. A reminder to renew membership was sent out to 105 members in February with a fairly healthy response. As of late April, about 70% of members have renewed and mailed in their dues, on par with the last several years. Overall, member numbers remain remarkably steady, with 232 total members, including 4 honorary and 10 compli- mentary memberships. The FSS counts on member input, inter- est and involvement to keep the gears turning and the organiza- tion thriving. Please remember to renew if you havenât done so already; we count on YOU! Also, we always greatly appreciate receiving the short notes and updates many of you send in with your renewals; please donât stop! Dues and notes of interest can be mailed to Carole Wojcik, Membership Secretary, 347 Lincoln St., Norwell, MA 02061. Registrar: There have been two changes of sloop ownership since January 2021. Longtime member Barrie Abrams has sold his sloop Marie E #147 to his son, Jared. The sloopâs homeport will now be Larchmont, NY. As a new owner, a one year complimentary membership has been sent to Jared. David and Nancy Schandall of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia have sold their sloop Schoodic #128 to Martyn and Margaret Clark of Broad Cove, Nova Scotia. David writes, âWe owned the boat for 15 years so it was a hard decision, but for various reasons it was time for a new owner. The new owners are well versed in the care and use of wooden boats. I am sorry we never made it to a reunion. We did take good care of the sloop while we owned her and I believe, except for expected aging, she was in better condition than when we took possession.â A compli- mentary membership has been sent to Martyn & Margaret. – 2 – Membership & Registrarâs Report by Carole Wojcik, Membership Secretary & John Wojcik, Registrar This photo was submitted by Bill Zuber from his personal collection. He calls this assembly âThe Geezer Groupâ, seen here in the cockpit of the Zuberâs sloop Gladiator #71, doing what Friendship sloop sailors do so well! They are on the way to the 2009 Rockland Homecoming after the Southwest Harbor race, rafted in the Benjamin River along the Eggemogin Reach. From the left, they are Bill Whitney, Kathy Whitney (in foreground), Carole Wojcik, John Wojcik, Charlie Burnham (deceased), Maria Burnham, and Caroline Zuber.
Marlinspike Seamanship By Ted Walsh Wire Pulling Grips With rigging season right around the corner it seems like a good time to mention a slightly obscure rigging tool. A wire-pulling grip, sometimes called just a wire grip, or a Haven grip, is a cam device for quickly locking on to a wire cable so that it can be pulled. If you set up your own shrouds this is one of those simple tools that can save you a lot of time. We keep one in our rigging bag and use it primarily at the beginning of the season. There are times when you need to pull on a line or a stay, for example, but leave the end of the line or stay free so it can be secured. A wire grip allows you to quickly grab a stay, shroud, or even a line, giving you a purchase to haul on it so that the bitter end can be brought to the place. For example: The mast on our boat has a tendency to lean aft just after it has been stepped. That means that the main stay will not reach the turnbuckle to which it is supposed to attach. The wire grip allows us to grab the stay and attach a tackle to haul on the stay until the eye reaches the turnbuckle on the stem. – 3 – Wire grips, or Haven grips can be found at some big-box stores like Home Depot, and at suppli- ers for arborists. They are not very expensive but can save you a lot of time setting up shrouds. Another use for this grip is in bowsing the deadeye pennants.
From the Race Committee By Dave Graham, Race Committee Chairman Greetings to all Friendship sloopers! Itâs wonderful to be talking about racing once more! As you know, the late-breaking news most likely has us celebrating our 60th anniversary by doing what was started back in 1961, though possibly a bit modified this year as far as crowd gathering is concerned. As you may have already read in this issue of our Societyâs Newsletter, state and local COVID restric- tions will be an important part of our âHomecomingâ this year and may dictate a limit on the number of attendees each day at our three skippersâ meetings. To make up for that possibility, we will make every attempt to be quite liberal with regard to our use of the VHF radio during our 2021 races at Rockland. At the present time, your Race Committee is getting geared-up to do what will be necessary to provide you with great racing, and Mother Nature has given us a hint that she will be doing the same. This year, we are pleased to bring you something new, in the form of our Race Committee boat, Aestimare. It is with grateful appreciation that I introduce you to her owner/skipper, Peter Clapp, a long-time Friendship sloop devotee from Spruce Head, ME. In Peterâs own words, âAestimare, being the Latin origin of the word Esteem, was chosen to honor the long line of people I hold in high esteem that are related to the creation of this fine vessel, from its inception to her care-takers and hopefully on into the future. Aestimare is in fact the former Sarah Holloway, built in 2006 at the Ralph Stanley yard by the fine craftsmen there; namely Ralph and Richard Stanley.â We have written about this fine vessel in previous FSS Newsletters, and she was on schedule to perform RC duties during the 2020 Homecoming, which was unfortunately canceled. I offer a tip of the hat to Peter for his magnificent offer of such a fine Race Committee boat that will serve us well. Thank you so very much, Peter! Now that we know we will very likely be preparing for racing at Rockland, the Race Committee will get underway to produce our Sailing Instructions for 2021 and get our necessary equipment ready for this yearâs racing. Meanwhile, Dick Salter and the Cronin family are preparing, respectively, Messing About and Effie M, our valiant Friendship Sloop Society patrol boats, for âAction on the High Seasâ off Rockland. See you in Rockland, everybody! Southwest Harbor Race Is On! Southwest Harbor, on the shores of Mount Desert Island, has the greatest concentration of Friendship sloops in the world, in part because of the number of wooden sloops that have been built or rebuilt by Ralph Stanley, and the fiberglass boats built by Jarvis Newman, who both operated boat shops there. It is also a hub for classic boats and serious sailing and racing, and several Friendships charter from the harbor. What better way to spend Saturday, July 17 than sailing the magnificent waters off Southwest Harbor with Acadia National Park and Somes Sound as a backdrop, with a dozen or more fellow sloops? The race typically starts at 1 pm with an informal skippers’ meeting in the morning and an after race pot luck on-shore. Details have yet to be worked out in light of changing COVID guidelines, but the Society’s website fss.org will keep you current. Race organizers Caroline Cronin Phillips can be reached at (774) 200-0506, and Scott Martin at (201) 873-6133. Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund By Phil Pratt, Chairman Thank you FSS members for your continuing strong support of the Friendship Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Fund Trustees are pleased to report that the finances are in place to again award record-breaking dollars per student in 2021! The Trustees of the Fund continue working on broader appeals with more options to direct the use of your gift. Youâve already seen the âIn Memory Ofâ, and âIn Honor Ofâ options to remember or honor special people in your lives. The Trustees will soon launch the âCreative Ways to Gift Programâ to accept non-cash gifts. Details will be announced in the 2021 Fund Appeal. For more information about the Fund, gifts, qualifica- tions to receive a scholarship, and future plans, etc., contact Phil Pratt at (207) 832-4335, davisloop100@gmail.com or PO Box 129, Friendship, ME 04547 – 4 – Lady M #193 and Inherit the Wind #156 negotiate a racing mark in perfect conditions in 2018. (Bill Finch photo) Rusty Strange on the foredeck of Hegira #230 whistling up the wind on the calmest of days in 2013 as Eden and others glide by up ahead. (Joey Toppan photo)
2021 Calendar of FSS Events (Some dates weather dependent, please check fss.org for updates) Red Brook Harbor Rendezvous (Bassetts Island, MA) Friday, June 25 Scituate Harbor Rendezvous Saturday, June 26 Cape Ann Rendezvous Sunday, June 27 Boothbay/Linekin Bay Rendezvous Friday, July 2 Southwest Harbor Rendezvous, Race and Potluck Supper Saturday, July 17 Pulpit Harbor (North Haven) Rendezvous Tuesday, July 20 60th Annual Rockland Homecoming: Rendezvous and Races Rockland Public Landing Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 22-24 Sloops arrive Wednesday, July 21, depart Sunday, July 25 Races on Thursday & Friday, start time 1 PM, Saturday at noon Skippers meetings daily, 11 AM under the tent ï Welcome: Informal small gatherings under the tent, on the floats, on the sloops, Wednesday afternoon/evening ï Awards Banquet: Saturday night, 5 PM, Rockland Public Landing, under the tent FSS Annual Meeting Saturday, November 20 Best Western Merry Manor Hotel, South Portland, ME Events of Interest – Summer 2021 New England Waters (please check websites for confirmation) **Casco Bay Gaffers Race, Portland, ME June 27-28, free, 5th year. After-race party at Cookâs Lobster and Ale House, Bailey Island tevakesailingcharters@hotmail.com, or www.schooneralert.com (207) 841-9125 **Windjammer Days, Boothbay Harbor, ME June 27 â July 3, 59th annual festival, events for the whole family www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org **Camden Classics Cup, Camden, ME July 29-31, 6th annual event www.camdenclassicscup.com Sweet Chariot Music Festival, Swanâs Island, ME August 3-5, arrive by boat! www.sweetchariotmusicfestival.com **Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, Brooklin, ME Saturday, August 7, all wooden boats 24 ft. or longer welcome Www.erregatta.com **Chowder Cup Race, Friendship Harbor, ME Saturday, August 7, one day race, free, 40th year! Contact Charlie Witherell at cwitherell@roadrunner.com or Bill Shaughnessy at william_shaughnessy@comcast.net Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta, Marblehead, MA August 14-15, Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead, MA www.corinthianclassic.org Wooden Boat Show, Mystic, CT August 20-22, Annual show at Mystic Seaport Presented and produced by WoodenBoat Magazine www.thewoodenboatshow.com Antique and Classic Boat Festival, Salem, MA Dates TBA, check website. Brewer Hawthorne Cove Marina www.boatfestival.org 36th Annual Gloucester, MA Schooner Festival September 4-6, Gloucester Harbor waterfront www.gloucesterschoonerfestival.net (** indicates Friendship sloops welcome with registration) – 5 –
Face it. Your boat lives in a corrosive environment. Salt water, salt air, high humidity, dissimilar metals, hull sweat, leaks, you name it; they all contribute one way or another to the corrosion that inevitably finds its way onto your boat and mine. We all recognize it in its simplest forms like rust on steel, stain- less steel and iron parts or the white power, known as inter- granular exfoliation, on aluminum parts. Then we have the all too common green verdigris on our bronze hardware and the brown patina that paves the way for it. Because these forms of corrosion are readily recognized, and you can see it slowly eating up your precious boat, you usually attack it and try to eliminate it and its source or at least control it, which is really all you can do. Unfortunately, there are many hidden areas on a boat where what we donât see we donât address on a routine basis. When was the last time you looked at the back of your electrical panel? Another common spot that is routinely forgotten is the big high current electrical connections on the batteries or, more importantly, the ground connection on the engine. If you service the batteries annually like you should, the idea of clean- ing the connections has at least crossed your mind. But you may not have recognized what a little corrosion, or a poor contact between the battery post and cable can create if you didnât clean the mating surfaces. Consider for a minute the amount of DC current it takes to start your engine. Depending on how cold it is and the size of your power plant, it could take up to 50 Amps or more from the battery to the starter motor to roll the engine over. Any dirt or corrosion between the connections creates a resistance to current flow. So if the connection at the battery, at the ground connection on the engine, or anywhere in between is corroded, less power is delivered to the starter motor. Think of this in terms of water flowing in a pipe. Where: Rate of water flow = Water pressure Size of The Pipe Electrically this equates to: Current = Voltage Resistance The rate of electrical current flow is similar to the water flow. The water pressure equates to the batteryâs state of charge, with 13.8 Volts being a fully charged battery and the size of the pipe restricting the total amount of water flow through the pipe equates to resistance. If, for example, you have a very small amount of resis- tance (.5 Ohms) in the circuit, the maximum amount of current delivered to the starter with a fully charged (13.8 VDC) battery would be: 27.6 Amps = 13.8 Volts .5 Ohms So you can see that if you needed 50 Amps to get the engine spinning over fast enough to start, that half an Ohm (.5) of resistance isnât helping. And worse still, as the resistance goes up, the current available to the starter goes down even further. In addition to having clean, corrosion-free connections on your batteries, itâs important to have the correct size lug connections on the ends of your battery cables. Lugs come in many sizes. I canât tell you how many times Iâve seen boats where the battery and electrical cables were grossly mismatched. The typical marine or commercial battery has a 5/16-inch post. I have seen a boat owner use a 3/4-inch lug that was too big and floated loosely on the post. To get a better fit they sandwiched the lug with washers. This is not good practice! Matching the correct size and type of lug on the cable to the post will provide a much more secure and electrically superior connection to the battery. To clean battery and other important connections, I use a rag moistened with a little kerosene or diesel fuel to remove any preservative or grease, then a red Scotch-Brite pad, fine sandpaper or a small wire brush. (Be careful not to remove too much of the soft copper or lead surfaces you are cleaning!) After cleaning and reconnecting the battery terminals, I highly recommend coating them with one of the several anti-corrosion products like CRC, Permatex or Gunk. These are available in spray cans at auto parts stores or your local chandlery, and provide good protection from battery acids and salt water, and help keep corrosion at bay. The same principles apply to the other electrical connections on the boat, especially those that may occasionally draw a lot of current. Master battery switches, autopilots and master electrical panel switches are all candidates due to the environment in which they exist. Itâs common practice in the electrical power industry to routinely inspect and possibly shut down power panels to re-torque the nuts and bolts that hold the electric connections together. Admittedly, we arenât producing the high currents and voltages that commercial power plants are, but considering the more challenging marine environment our boats live in and the continuing movement and vibration found on boats, itâs not a bad idea to do an annual corrosion inspection on the battery and other high current connections. Additionally Iâd suggest that every five years or so a closer look at the other electrical connections may be in order. – 6 – Tannis #7, over hard in a fresh breeze in 2018 in Rockland, with no shortage of crew holding down the windward rail. (Bill Finch photo) Tech Tips – The Corrosion You Never Knew You Had By Bill Whitney
Food For Thought (And a Special Volunteer Needed) Kirsten Cronin is the mastermind behind the success of the Homecoming Awards Banquet. She and her team, âKirstenâs Krewâ work feverishly to make this culminating event the achievement that it is. This year, after many years of a flat funding, the FSS has increased the banquet budget to give Kirsten and her workers a bit more leeway with the menu. She is looking for a volunteer with a car to go to the Hannafordâs Supermarket (2 miles away) on Saturday afternoon, July 24, just before the banquet, to pick up the food order and transport it back to the tent at the Rockland Public Landing. Anyone who wants to play a key role in this amazing effort is encouraged to text Kirsten at (207) 691-2675. Of course, due to the Maine COVID guidelines this yearâs banquet may have a significantly different feel and structure to it. Your help will be greatly appreciated by Kirsten, her tireless crew of volunteers, and the hungry sailors and visitors who gratefully feast at the banquet. Sail, Power, Steam, and Friendships By Robin McIntosh The Sail, Power, and Steam Museum of Rockland, ME will again be launching Friendship sloops #19 Blackjack (recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places) and Persistence #120, along with the newly rebuilt Muscongus Bay sloop Jade this summer. The Museum’s fleet is available for sailing through charter, lessons, or daysails, utilizing COVID safety precautions. Additionally, the Museum has hired a full time Waterfront Director, Diane Sternberg, to manage the fleet, dockage, moorings, and all sail programs. Most notably, there will be a return and expansion of SKFF (Sail Kids For Free), a FREE youth sailing program designed to give kids between the ages of 6-14 the opportunity to learn the art & science of sail regardless of their ability to pay. The Museum is located at 75 Mechanic St. on Rocklandâs waterfront, and all FSS members and friends are encouraged to visit this gem of maritime history. For more information on the Museum and its programs, call (207) 596-0200 or go to www.SailPowerSteamMuseum.org or www.MidcoastSailingCenter.org History of a Sloop: Dirigo (Continued from Front Page) The Society also sponsored a cruise to the World’s Fair that year that was led by Bernard MacKenzie, with three sloops making the trip with stop overs at Marion, Newport, Mystic, and Manhasset, NY. Ron Esser of Blawnox, PA has owned the sloop since 2000, renamed her Momentum, and sails her out of Erie, PA. In the past, Ron has allowed the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies in Erie to use the sloop as a school ship for environ- mental studies. Previous owners are: Ernest Sprowl 1964-1983, Bill Leavenworth 1984-1988, Bill & Judy Wasson 1989-1994, & Windjammer Cruises of Newport 1995-1999. A Boothbay Harbor Welcome By Ross Branch, Operations Manager The Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor The 59th Annual Windjammer Days Festival in Booth- bay Harbor, ME is coming up from June 27 to July 3, and Bristol Marine at The Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor would like to invite FSS members to join us. There are many wonderful events happening in and around the harbor during this week- long event. For a full listing, visit the Windjammer Days website at www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org. The Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor would like to offer dock space or a mooring at no charge to all FSS members arriv- ing by boat. For more information, contact Ross Branch at (207) 633-3171 or ross@bristolmarine.com. The Schooner Ernestina Morrissey is in its final phase of construction at the Shipyard. On Wednesday, June 30, the Shipyard will be hosting a reception, giving people an opportu- nity to take one more look at the celebrated Gloucester fishing schooner before she heads to Massachusetts Maritime Academy to train cadets. All schooner and Friendship sloop captains and crew are welcome. On July 1 at 3:00 PM an antique boat parade will take place in the harbor. Any vessel older than 25 years may partici- pate. The boats are arranged from oldest to newest and pass by all the local hotels and restaurants as they motor through the inner harbor. The organizers of Windjammer Days are hoping there might be enough Friendship sloops joining the parade to have our own group. There will be a reception for participants afterwards at the Oceanside Golf Resort. The first Boothbay Classics Race of the season will take place on Saturday, July 3. This race includes any boat whose design is older than 25 years and Friendship sloops are encouraged to participate. This race is a two part series with the second race scheduled for August 14. Participation in both races is not required. It would be great if we could get several sloops to race on July 3. If we field enough boats, the Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor would be happy to organize a catered event after the race, to be held on the pier of the Shipyard. – 7 – Thereâs plenty of time to catch up on the news in this slow moving jumble of sloops at the 2013 Homecoming in Rockland. From the left we have Tannis #7, Lady M #193, Salatia #90, Celebration #227, and Rights of Man #52. (Joey Toppan photo)
Friendship Sloop Society 347 Lincoln Street Norwell, MA 02061 Address Correction Service Requested Cuttyhunk and Other Wonders By Bill Zuber The Heroic Attempt to Salvage the Disaster of the Cancelled 2020 60th FSS Celebration with the Mighty Challengers of the FSS, During a Cruise in Massachusetts Waters in Early August of That Year What follows is the perspective from the deck of Messing About (or âCrashing Aboutâ), with Capt. Dick Salter on our 2020 expedition exploring the Elizabeth Islands and Buzzards Bay: After gathering the three very able Friendship sloops, Gaivota, Hegira and Banshee, and their intrepid and very able crews, we all met in Hadley Harbor to discuss the most important factor for sailing vessels, THE WEATHER! Although the forecast was for increasing southwesterly winds, (right on the nose), necessitating windward tack after tack, it was with the total agreement of all that we should strike out for Cuttyhunk Island at the southwestern end of the Elizabeth Islands, to see what the natives do in that place for their last fling near the end of the rather strange and difficult summer of the COVID-19 attack. With those three, I was reminded of an expedition in 1492, Giavota-Santa Maria, Hegira-Pinta, Banshee-Nina, though Columbus never really had either the vessels or the crew that were up to a windward task, or the watch dog (Messing About) to help if needed. The vessels seemed to take the day in stride, probably better than the crews, as perhaps there was more than one crash of things stowing themselves below, and some painful bumps and bruises as the breeze freshenedâŠ.and freshened, as it will in those waters. Thankfully, all arrived intact, and as far as I know, as Roger Duncan had said on more than one occasion, â Nothing got busted, and no people got killed!â That being said, both vessels and crews performed admirably, and it proved once again that all the years of experiences and sharing of information and friendships, have helped to keep vessels and their owners together for 60 years. In so far as that beating to windward is concerned: It was Mark Twain who said, âI was not just glad I did it to have had the experience to speak about it later, but chiefly so I would not have to do it again!â – 8 –
– 9 – Eden #122 working hard along the Rockland breakwater to gain on the skillfully sailed 22â Echo #54 in 2013. At that time, Echo was owned by the Major family who sailed her annually to Rockland from her homeport of Friendship, ME. In 2015 the Majors sold her to George Hagerty and acquired the much larger Sazerac #44. Echo now sails out of Wickford, RI in the sailorâs paradise of Narragansett Bay. (Joey Toppan photo) Bill Cronin, owner of White Eagle #31 and a member of the Tannis #7 crew and his daughter Kenerson perfect their teamwork and tactics before the start of the blindfolded dinghy race at the Rockland Public Landing in 2013. (Joey Toppan photo) A detailed view of the stern and cockpit of #247 Black Star while sheâs tied up on the floats in 2014. Built by the Apprenticeshop in Rockland in 1989, she is owned and maintained immaculately by Ted Walsh and Judy Heininger, and sails out of Boothbay Harbor, ME. (Joey Toppan photo) Jabberwocky #189 made an impressive return to the FSS Homecoming in 2019, placing second in Division II racing. Owner Craig Snider sails her out of Center Harbor, ME. (Bill Finch photo) The hull of Banshee #180 was built by Jarvis Newman in his shop in Southwest Harbor in 1976, and was completed by original owners John and Carole Wojcik. She sails out of Mattapoisset, MA, and after decades of steady use and 36 trips to Maine and back each summer to participate in Homecoming celebrations, she still looks brand new. (Joey Toppan photo)
