Hello.
Last night I decided to risk the pandemic to visit the Daxton Hotel so I could give you a report. The streets were busy, the park was full, and almost no one was masked but me. I did chuckle at a man who, though unmasked, was vigorously smearing his hands at one of the city’s hand sanitizer stations. Does that make sense?
You probably know this, but Michigan is surging with variant Covid. Seeing everybody out on the streets last night certainly explains it. The restaurants look half full, which is good because I think they are operating at the largest occupancy rate good covid practices allow.
Being aware of this, I was still taken aback when I entered The Daxton and the first words were, “Do you have a reservation?” Both the bar and restaurant were full, I was told, although it looked like a slow pre-pandemic night.
The hotel opened last week and the chat on 'next door dot com' was surprisingly unanimous: They hated it! Well, they do have a point; the open plan concept combining lobby, bar and restaurant was incredibly deafening, even for a slow pre-pandemic night. I did somehow manage to make myself heard when asking if I might take some photographs for you.
So I liked it more than I expected after reading all the comments. In Detroit, polished concrete with whatever salvageable terrazzo or tile floors would be de rigueur, but for uptown Birmingham they selected polished black granite. It glistens, creating a black mirror effect, and effectively concealing steps and level changes; dangerous for some... yet sophisticated.
The salons were not open but they let me in to photograph. In an image below there are two vitrines; one for merchandise display and the other for Reception. The Koons-style pink rabbit by the elevators suggests a sex club to me, but then… I grew up in the Playboy generation.
I do want to go back and sample the food and drink sometime, but I think with a friend adept at texting, as the temptation to lean in to be heard is too great a covid risk.
Last month I told you that the citizenry had taken up their pitchforks and torches over the issue of proposed rezoning for the future. Our latest controversy is a proposed RH (the home furnishings store formerly known as Restoration Hardware) Gallery to be located across Brown Street to the south from The Daxton. The response seems to be mixed, those who would never buy RH furniture saying “No way!” and anyone who has visited one of their other galleries across the country saying “Yes, please!”
Below is my photo of the proposed site, renderings of the new building, and a link to an announcement:
https://www.downtownpublications.com/single-post/rh-submits-new-plans-for-site-in-birmingham
Class of 70 ZOOMs
Last month The Maple Chorale held a ZOOM mini-reunion and we had our Spring Equinox ZOOM Open House featuring Jim Hagen’s beautiful photography.
This month we go INTERNATIONAL!
Celebrating our 35 classmates who spent the summer of ’69 abroad in the AFS-YFU Student Exchange program, and our 5 senior year foreign exchange students: Niels from Denmark, Edda from Germany, Ekua from Ghana, Reidar from Norway, and Synnove from Sweden.
AFS-YFU photoZOOM
Tuesday, April 13 2021, 7pm eastern
All are invited. No RSVP necessary.
Here’s the link to join ZOOM meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86926812515
Upcoming SHS70 ZOOMS for your calendar:
Grandparenting 3.0: How to Bite Your Tongue!
Tuesday, May 4 2021, 7pm eastern
Taught by Anne Harvey Woodman
All are invited
The 1970 Swim Team photoZOOM
Tuesday, May 18 2021, 7pm eastern
Captained by Jim Everett
All are invited
Summer Solstice ZOOM Open House
Monday, June 21 2021, 7pm eastern
Come toast the long-awaited Summer season
All are invited
Class of 70 READs
Last month I proposed we try creating a Book Club. Below is our premier April Bookshelf with five books, nominated by Linda Simpson Platt, with links to reviews:
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/03/918868242/its-not-quite-dark-enough-in-the-midnight-library
Washington Black by Eli Edugyan
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/24/washington-black-reveals-the-bonds-of-both-cruelty-and-compassion
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/a-gentleman-in-moscow-is-a-charming-reminder-of-what-it-means-to-be-classy/2016/09/19/f77d92a2-7b4c-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html
Anxious People by Fredrick Backman
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Anxious-People/Fredrik-Backman/9781501160837
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/03/books/review/night-watchman-louise-erdrich.html
If you see a title that interests you, let me know in a reply to this email. I’ll put you in touch with others who want to read and discuss that book. Please note: by joining a group you are giving me permission to share your email address with others in that group.
Each group will self-organize; pick a leader, choose how to meet and how often. I think zooms would be best (remember, you don’t have to turn on the camera!). In the interest of good conversations, groups might consider limiting the group to 12 people, but that is up to each group.
When the book is completed, the group disbands, but we request that each group write a review of the book to share with the class.
If you had fun, pick another book from the shelf and do it again. It’s worth noting that nothing prevents you from reading two books at the same time.
In the May Update I’ll report on the interest in each book, and add other nominated books to the bookshelf.
Class Notes
Tom Greene, Randy Groombridge and Russ Parry have been found.
Susan Whitall has been inducted into the 2021 class of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Congratulations!
Linda Simpson Platt is celebrating nine years cancer-free! Congratulations!
Another year every month. This month: 1961
Eisenhower warns of “military industrial complex”, Peace Corps, Bay of Pigs, Berlin Wall, Freedom Riders, Alan Shephard in space, West Side Story (movie), Where the Boys Are (song), Moon River (song), Bullwinkle J. Moose (tv), Walt Disney’’s Wonderful World of Color (tv), Fourth Grade 1961-1962.
https://www.babyboomers.com/1961
Newsreel Headlines 1961:
https://youtu.be/4b5cWnmnxbQ
Listen to Top Pop Songs of 1961 here:
https://youtu.be/Trzx5Xrs2F4
https://youtu.be/4EMd4hXSaE4
Watch Bullwinkle here:
https://youtu.be/Tz2d3ToDqgY
Post your pictures from 1961 on our facebook group page:
Seaholm Class of 1970
Mini-Reunions
There has been some interest in reaching out to classmates, and wanting to know who might be nearby. As I’ve only needed email addresses, I don’t have street addresses and can’t really help out with planning regional or local mini-reunions.
If you want to be accessible to other classmates in your area, the best idea is to post your BIO in The 2020 PIPER on our website. There you will see that some people have only posted their address and email, forgoing the biography and photos, and that’s fine. You can always add pictures, revise or update your BIO at another time.
Additionally, we have an Email Directory page where, upon your direction, I will post your email address so that others may contact you.
If you’d like to create a mini-reunion, I’d be happy to post your email in a monthly update so classmates in your area can contact you.
CHEERS! A Virtual Celebration 2.0
Please remember that an updated version of our virtual celebration of graduation will be sent out on June 11, 2021. If you want to add your photo or submit a new photo please remember to do so.
Spring!
It seems to be here a month early and it’s been unusually dry. The other day we got a good rain and everything suddenly popped! Overnight the maples were covered in that bright yellow green that precedes their leaves. Today the redbuds are subtly glowing pink. They will bloom, fade, and leaf out by the May Update, so I’m sending this photo of Shain Park from last year. Savor the season.
Wood
Please join THE 2020 PIPER biographies and email directory:
Website: seaholmclassof1970.com
Case-sensitive password: SHS70@50
Please post your 1960 photos, BFFs, Postcards, Pastcards and chat:
Facebook: Seaholm Class of 1970
Ask to join.
Please plan mini-reunions with your best friends from Birmingham with our help:
Class of 70 ZOOMS: slepchuk@comcast.net