COVER G**L - The 28 April issue of Crain's New York Business features a picture of Dr. SHARON DECKER, former member of the Humanities Department. The accompanying article, "Bent out of shape", is about her work in restoring the business life of the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan, still suffering the effects of 9-11. Sharon, executive director of the TriBeCa Organization, is promoting the 2nd Annual TriBeCa Film Festival, which runs May 3-11. For more - http://www.crainsny.com [Thanks to Dr. ARNIE MARKOE for this heads up.]

FACING A NEW CHALLENGE - One of America's most notable yachtsmen and sailing commentators, GARY JOBSON, Class of 1973, has notified his friends that he has been diagnosed with a serious illness. In a 23 April e-mail, Gary wrote: "Before heading to the America's Cup in Auckland I developed an annoying cough. During my time covering the America's Cup I became quite fatigued between our ESPN shows. After returning from Auckland I set out on an ambitious lecture tour. To date I have given 26 presentations all around the USA. Most of the audiences were capacity crowds. The questions on the America's Cup were fascinating and insightful. Clearly people who care about the sport followed the Cup closely."

"As my lecture tour progressed, however, I became increasingly fatigued and the cough did not go away. With the assistance of an inhaler and rest on either side of my programs, I was able to speak. In the last ten days things turned for the worse. Last week I started a series of tests that included a CT scan, a lymph node biopsy and a variety of other procedures. For me, it is difficult to walk and I am out of breath all the time. For the first time in my 30 year speaking career I have been forced to cancel presentations."

"Yesterday I was diagnosed with lymphoma, which is ironic since I have been chairman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's regatta series for the past 11 years. I have been advised not to schedule any activities for the next two months."

"I will be receiving chemotherapy for the next six to eight months to battle back from this disease. I am going to be in a quiet period now for the next ten days. Apparently the treatments are hard. Sorry to give you this report. My spirits are good. I hope to be around the waterfront later this summer." You can visit Gary at http://www.jobsonsailing.com [NFFS thanks MIKE MORRIS, Class of 1981, for this heads up on Gary.]

Gary's classmate, JIM DeSIMONE, adds: "I was at a yacht club presentation Gary made recently on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He is an excellent speaker and his presentation was both informative and entertaining. In his remarks, he included a comment about a classmate in the audience from 'our days together in the Bronx.' ... If he was tired two weeks ago, he has more energy than most, as he was charged up as ever and in extremely good humor."...I like to think he is armed with information and the best medical advice to overcome this problem. We wish him all the best." [Amen to that.]

SPORTS FIRST - SUNY Maritime College will host its first ever collegiate national championship November 7-8-9 when the 2003 North American Sloop Championships come to Fort Schuyler. An article in the online "Maritime Watch" section of the college webpage notes that "While Maritime is one of the smallest colleges ever to host a national sailing championship, it is recognized as an exceptionally scenic and spectator-friendly venue.... According to race organizers, the three days of racing will take place on Eastchester Bay between City Island and Throggs Neck."

"Maritime won the ICSA North American Sloop Championship in 1973 with a team that included GARY JOBSON, ESPN's current America's Cup commentator and tactician on COURAGEOUS, Ted Turner's 1977 America's Cup winner. The team's coach at that time was GRAHAM HALL, now the Maritime College's Director of Waterfront Activities." [For full details go to http://www.sunymaritime.edu ]

ALUMNAE IN THE NEWS - The 08 April issue of the Times Herald-Record (Orange County NY) ran a profile of LTJG ELAINA DAVIS, Class of 1999, entitled "Coast Guard officer scared but focused," largely based on e-mail she sent to her family during recent months. According to the article, Elaina is third in command aboard the Cutter DALLAS, escorting the Nimitz Class aircraft carriers USS TRUMAN and USS ROOSEVELT to the Persian Gulf. Elaina (who will be promoted to full lieutenant in June) majored in marine biology and oceanography at Fort Schuyler. She entered the Coast Guard on graduation. She wrote that her shipboard experience aboard the DALLAS in a war zone was like "being surrounded by family sharing 'a bond like no other. '" The article concludes: "In a recent e-mail to a reporter she wrote; 'I'm even a little embarrassed that someone is writing about me, when there are men and women on the front lines, in the air, infantry, reconnaissance, airborne who deserve so much more credit than I do. I realize that what my shipmates and I are doing out here is important, but those persons "in the thick of it" are the real heroes." (http://www.recordonline.com - click on "War in Iraq" and then "Local News.")

15 SCORE - Faculty and staff who together have worked a total of 300 years at Fort Schuyler were honored at a 'Service Awards Luncheon' on 30 April. The ceremony recognized those who were marking 10/15/20/25 and 30 years. At the top end were: TONY DEL TORO, DAN MASTROMARINO & ELIJAH STAMPS (30 years) and MARGIE O'BRIEN, Prof. ANTHONY WEIS, Dr. SHMUEL YAHALOM (25 years) Dedicated folks.

TYROS TOO - Fort Schuyler is also benefitting from its talented newcomers. Following up on last week's NFFS item about the re-appearance of the student newspaper, CDR ALLEN STUBBLEFIELD writes "...all the cadets involved with the Porthole are 4/C (Class of 2006). Glad to see the newcomers are diving in and trying things, even if the outcomes are less than perfect." [Reviving Porthole was the perfect project to undertake.]

Also responding to the Porthole item was DICK YERIAN, Class of 1969. "I was interested in the information about the Porthole ... since I was the Editor during my 2nd Class year - 1967/68. One of my good classmates, PAUL LOBO, was also very active on the paper. Seems we got it out about once a month. Can't recall what Volume/Issues they were, but I probably could find one very old, yellowed copy in my also very old footlocker! Classmates out here in San Francisco are PAUL LOBO, an active SF Bar Pilot ... for many years, and LLOYD RATH, who, I believe, is still sailing as a Master with Matson.

ALT-CTRL-DEL - Speaking of youth, the Torchlight Tour spokesman quoted last week is a sophomore, not a senior. Cadet WILLIAM R. KING writes: "I'm Class of 2005, sir, so I'll be around for a few more years. Hope to see you at the tours." [You will - on 8 May - weather permitting.]

FIRST WINNER FOR NEW AWARD - The library has announced that Cadet URSULA RUTLEDGE, Class of 2003, will be the recipient of the Stephen B. Luce Library Student Award at the Graduation Awards Dinner on 8 May. Cadet Rutledge used library resources for research on such projects as international environmental law and the technology for incineration of municipal waste in international waters, NYC waterfront development ideas, enhancing the Erie Canal as a tourist destination, and a campus-based recycling study. In her library award essay, she concludes: "I've found the library to be a sanctuary and haven for not only developing ideas, but also in helping create and inspire them. You can always run into something related to your research along the way that sparks another thought or idea. The Stephen B. Luce Library [staff] has been there every step of the way to provide a closer look and provide direction and guidance for those turning wheels. And if they don't have it, there's always the interloan!" [Congratulations to Cadet Rutledge - and to those expert librarians.]

MARCH OF TIME - A note from JANE B. FITZPATRICK, Associate Librarian, about the ABS Record, the premier register of ships classified by the American Bureau of Shipping: "2002 will be the last year the ABS Record will be in print format. This ends a long run in our holdings. From now on we will need to direct patrons to http://www.eagle.org/rules/downloads.html " [The Luce Library's run of the ABS Record dates back to 1918.]