From Keuka College in upstate New York, not far from the little town where we all spent four years together, Doug Richards is preparing to retire next August after 30+ years teaching Shakespeare, Early British Lit, Children's Lit, Environmental Lit. and first-year writing. "I'm ready to hang up my cleats," he says, "and move on to other challenges."
In recent years, Doug has enjoyed engaging in “some of the more rewarding aspects of academic administration, including chairing our division, working on curriculum development, reworking our core curriculum, and leading the college's re-accreditation efforts.”
Now, he says, "the time is right to kick back and enjoy all the pleasures of life in Middlebury, Vermont." He plans to ramble through the woods with his dog, hang out with his four grandkids and step up his volunteer work at the local Unitarian church, the local library and Elderly Services. He’s also determined to take advantage of the resources at Middlebury College – which resonates with me, for two reasons. First, Elise and I are about to start another French class at Colorado State University. Living in a college town is great! Second, since our son Brendan (and his wife) graduated from Middlebury College, we know the town and the college very well. Both are wonderful. (And by the way, with that chapel featured in the photo above, doesn't the scene look familiar? In many ways the campus reminds me of Hamilton.)
Doug also reports on a wonderful vacation that he and Colleen discovered this summer -- the island of Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay, Maine. "We loved it--great kayaking, hiking, biking, and clambering across the rocks along the shore (not to mention some of the best lobster we've ever had). We've been going to Maine for years, but we found Vinalhaven to be a pretty special place. In fact, we were so taken with it that we spent some time looking at property on the island, and are making plans for a return trip in the coming year."