| Number 69 | June 1, 2010 |
Jim Beck is being praised for a lifetime of achievement in his chosen field of mechanical engineering. The International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer lauds his work in a glowing article marking his 80th birthday. Jim (1.4.6.6.1.) was 80 on May 18, 2010. “For 50 years,” it said, “Professor Beck has made outstanding contributions as a scholar and a teacher ... especially in the areas of parameter estimation, solutions to inverse problems and conduction heat transfer.”
It added that he continues to publish regularly and teaches seminar courses on parameter estimation and inverse problems.
After reviewing his academic background and early work career, it said he joined Michigan State University (MSU) as an instructor in 1962, becoming a professor in 1971. The article added that as a pioneer in the field of inverse problems in heat transfer, Professor Beck has exerted leadership to foster an international community in this field. The Inverse Problems in Engineering Seminars were initiated at MSU in 1988 through his impetus. These informal meetings continue to attract international scholars to universities around the USA.
A collaboration with Jean-Pierre Bardon of France started in 1982 and has continued ever since. In 1993, they organized a meeting at the University of Nantes, which resulted in the creation of the International Conference on Inverse Problems in Engineering and in the creation of a French group to carry on the work.
In 1990, Jim led a delegation to the First International Conference on Inverse Problems in Suzdal, USSR.
In 1992, he organized the visit of a large delegation of Russian scientists to the USA as participants of his IPE Seminar and the five-day 1st American–Russian workshop on Inverse Problems. In 1994, Jim jointly organized the second conference in this series in St. Petersburg with O.M. Alifanov of the Moscow Aviation Institute.
The article said the workshops fostered collaborations between specialists in the field of inverse phenomena from many countries. These efforts have led to a large number of publications, presentations, and successful students scattered across the globe. The Sixth International Conference on Inverse Problems in Samara, Russia (May 2–7, 2010) was to be dedicated to Jim's 80th birthday, but was postponed.
The article ended with the wish that Professor Beck and his family enjoy many happy years of continued prosperity and great health! It was signed by 15 of the prominent international scholars Jim has worked with over the years.
The meeting in Russia is now scheduled for October. On Jim's birthday he received best wishes from his Russian friends along with an invitation to attend the meeting. They said if he could arrange his plane fare to Moscow, they would cover all other expenses for the trip. Jim is considering the offer.
The Americans fought hard in the playoffs, showing outstanding poise for a first-year team. In fact, the Americans became the first expansion team to clinch a spot in the finals since the merger of the Central Hockey League with the Western Professional Hockey League in May of 2001.
Justin Bowers (1.4.6.5,10,1,2.) was a big part of the Americans effort. During the regular season he was the team's second highest point scorer despite missing 15 games. Justin suffered an injury during a callup with the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL and was on the disabled list for the last couple of weeks of the regular season. Despite that, he added 12 goals and had 18 assists for 30 points in the playoffs, finishing number one in post-season scoring in the CHL.The Americans won two playoff series against Laredo and Odessa and earned the 2010 Southern Conference Champions title. They narrowly lost out to the Northern Conference Champions Rapid City Rush in the 2010 Ray Miron President's Cup competition.
After a year like he's just had, Justin feels he's ready for the American Hockey League. He says he'll give it one more year to make it to the AHL, otherwise he'll head for Europe.
He told Bill Hunt of the Daily Gleaner in Fredericton, N.B., that he still has a dream to play in the NHL. "Once you're in the American Hockey League, you're a step away from the NHL." If that doesn't work out then he'll be looking across the Atlantic. "In Europe, the money's a little better for a guy of my calibre. If I'm not in the American Hockey League," Justin said, "I think I'd have to head over there."
Mike (1.4.6.7,7,1.) received his MD from the University of Western Ontario in 1985 and completed a neurology residency there in 1990. He then won a scholarship to the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University, where he received his PhD in 1994. His research in Oxford was on the cellular immunology and antigen-specific immunotherapy of myasthenia gravis.Mike is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at the University of Western Ontario. He is also the Neuromuscular Group leader, director of the Myasthenia Gravis Clinic and also the director of the EMG Laboratory at the London Health Science Centre.
He was the founder and current president of the Canadian Neuromuscular Group, an affiliate society of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation and is the medical advisor for the Myasthenia Gravis Coalition of Canada.
Although involved in the management of patients with neuromuscular diseases in general, his specific interest is in myasthenia gravis (MG) and other disorders of neuromuscular transmission including congenital myasthenic syndromes and the Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome. MG is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease marked by fluctuating muscle weakness and fatigue.
Despite his involvement in so many areas in his field, Mike has also found the time to publish 27 papers in various medical journals.
Their devotion to fitness recently earned them a spot on a local TV news program. They were interviewed on April 28 on the Live at Five segment of the ATV evening news to point up how seniors are keeping fit. It showed video of them doing their daily walk through the streets of Halifax followed by a discussion of the benefits of such regular activity.
In a follow up email interview, Beth said she and Deanna were from the same neighbourhood but they only got to know each other and started walking together while attending a Christian Women's Conference in Boston in 1984. “We have been committed walkers and have continued over the years, rain or shine. We see so much in nature that one would not notice if they were just driving in a car. I even think we help to cheer people in the morning, because we speak to everybody, and some appear to be carrying the world on their shoulders, and as we say "Good morning" they look up and smile so nicely.”
Beth said when they started out they walked an hour a day for five days, and she usually walked the other two days alone. More recently they've cut back to about 30 to 35 minutes a day, but maintain the same brisk pace. They like variety and vary their route. “We've walked through parks, along busy streets, and down different trails,” she said.
Beth spends her summers on Prince Edward Island, where she walks every day by herself.
She is convinced that many benefits flow from daily exercise. “Yes, I can certainly say it has been beneficial in many ways. It gives one more energy, it helps lower cholesterol, it strengthens the heart, and probably every organ in the body benefits in some way,” Beth said.
In case you think that her daily walk uses up all her energy, Beth also skates in the winter, and plays tennis all year round.
HUME: Wallace (Wally) Sterling Hume (1.7.2,1,3,2.1.) died while fishing on the dam in Murray River on April 20, 2010. He was a resident of Beach Point, and was 55 years old. It's believed that he drowned.Wally was the son of Sterling and Myrna (MacKay) Hume. Besides his parents, he is survived by siblings Mark (Lori), Wade (Jackie), Lois (Mark) Davidson, and Harvey.
The service was held at Ferguson's Montague Funeral Home on Saturday, April 24, at 1:30 p.m. with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
MacKenzie: Barbara Jean (Penny) MacKenzie (1.5,4.3.2.2,) died at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.She was 75 and a resident of Lower Montague.
She is survived by her husband, Roddy MacKenzie, and four children: Kenneth (Susan), Karen, Ralph, and Gail (Doug) Birt.
Other survivors include 9 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, and a brother, Ronald (Maretta) Penny.
The funeral service was held at the Church of Christ in Montague on Friday, April 16, with interment in the Lower Montague Cemetery.
MacNEILL: Henry Gerald “Bub” MacNeill of Beach Point (1.4.9,2,4.) died at the Dr. John M. Gillis Memorial Lodge in Eldon on Saturday, April 24, 2010. He was 87 and the husband of the late Edna (Glover) MacNeill.He is survived by five children: Ralph (Betty), Ruth (Bill) Chandler, Danny (Valerie), Geraldine (Eldon) MacKay, and Joan (Dwight) MacKay.
He was the grandfather of Cathy (John) Stewart, Jeffrey Chandler, Stephen MacKay, Scott (Sarah) MacNeill, Gerald (Sandra) MacNeill, Gordon (Krystal) MacKay, Bradley (Melissa) MacKay, Danielle MacNeill, Christine MacKay, Melissa (Anthony) Guindon and great grandfather of Tyler & Evan Stewart, Carter & Mallorie MacNeill, Kadence & Owen MacKay, Sadie MacNeill and Cole Guindon.
He was predeceased by his parents, Annie (Jordan) and Harry MacNeill, a daughter Mary, and siblings John, George, Wilbert, Lester, Sylvia and Lyma.
The funeral service was held in Ferguson's Montague Funeral Home Chapel on Tuesday, April 27, at 2 p.m with interment in the Beach Point Cemetery.
Nicholson: James Derby "Turk" Nicholson of Kilmuir (1.3,2.2.1,2.) died at the Riverview Manor in Montague on May 14, 2010. He was 76. He is survived by three sons: Scott (Lori Murphy), Robert (Polly Rayner) and Eddie, as well as a grandson, Kyle, and a great grandson, Austen.
Other survivors include brothers Raymond (Mary), Floyd (Gerry) and a sister, Belle.
He was pre-deceased his parents Fred and Elizabeth (Derby) Nicholson, and an infant sister.
The service was held from Ferguson's Montague Funeral Home Chapel on Monday, May 17, 2010, at 11:00 a.m.
Interment followed in the Valleyfield Cemetery.
For more than 60 years Hughie Jackson (1.4.1,10,2,1.) of Beach Point, PEI, has made his living as a fisherman. He started helping his father, Clifford, when he was only ten and learned the trade from him. By the age of 20 Hughie had his own boat and is now marking his 54th season as skipper, a record that few, if any, active fishermen can match. The Eastern Graphic ran a feature story on Hughie in the May 5 edition.The Jacksons have fished since they first settled in Beach Point in 1840. Hughie's grandfather, Hugh Sr., was a fisherman, and so was his father, Clifford. Hughie's daughter, Tammy, fishes with her husband, Hal Clements, and Hughie's grandson, Nigel, is fishing with him this year. His wife, Sarah, is part of his crew and has been for many years.
However, much of this may be coming to an end. Hughie says he expects this to be his last fishing season. He doesn't know if a family member will take over his fleet but says if anyone is interested in buying his boat and license, he'll sell.
When Hughie started fishing in the mid-1950s, it was a mixed fishery. Lobster topped the list but cod, haddock, hake, mackerel and other species were also landed. But when the cod fishery was closed in the 1990s, fishermen had to rely entirely on lobster.
Over the years, Hughie has also been a boatbuilder. He's built 28 fishing boats and one sail boat.
"I call it my winter hobby," he told reporter David MacDonald. "A lot of the boats I fish in myself for a year or two and then sell them." This includes his current fishing boat, the Colton 1, that he built three years ago.
Two of his other boats are fishing out of Beach Point, and others can be found in Island fishing ports, as well as in harbours throughout the Maritimes and as far away as the Northwest Territories. Most are still in good condition but one was lost in a fire off Bathurst, N.B.
Hughie has seen a lot of changes during his years of fishing. He recalls his first season when lobster prices were 29 cents for canners and 33 cents for markets, and he made a total of $1,090 for the season. He said the current lobster prices are hurting many fishermen who aren’t able to make their payments. But he tries to be optimistic that things will get better.
"Perhaps the lobster will hold on. If they stay good and the prices are good, a fisherman can still make a living, I guess."
A pay hike for Montague council is being challenged by town residents led by George Beck, (1.11.8.3.2.) a former councillor and prominent businessman. George addressed council at its May meeting and told members they are overpaid by PEI standards. He said they make 60 per cent more than other Island towns of a similar size. Montague councillors are paid $4,000 while the norm in other jurisdictions is $2,500 a year. Council voted itself a $500 increase as part of the 2010 budget. George asked them to reconsider, reminding them that councils usually approve pay increases for the next council, not for themselves. He told them that, “I'm here as a friend and neighbour on behalf of friends and neighbours,’’ to act as a spokesman for a group of residents opposed to the increase.
George, who is better known as the owner of Stewart and Beck Ltd., said “the pay increase came as a big shock to all taxpayers.” He said the last council raised taxes for the new Wellness Centre, (or rink complex) and sewer taxes are going up $80 the first of July. He said these increases represent a hardship for many residents, and the salary increase should be postponed.
Council agreed to postpone a vote on the wage increase until June.
Steve Nicolle (1.4.6.7,7,2.) has taken over as chief executive officer of STI, a company that provides marketing and reimbursement solutions to the healthcare industry. STI started in 2002 in the Atlantic Region but went national in 2004. It's head office is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Steve brings his leadership experience, including roles as CEO of Tatara Systems and Sigma Systems, COO at March Networks, and Chairman at Searidge Technologies, to his new position.
Many of you will remember Steve from our last reunion. He helped with the planning of the event and opened his cottage for a well-attended clam bake on Friday night.
The company chairman, Gerald McDole, said STI’s tremendous growth since its inception is a result of the innovative solutions that the company has delivered to the Canadian marketplace. “STI has changed the landscape of the industry in areas such as smart pharmaceutical sampling, innovative co-pay assistance, physician experience programs, and diagnostic device reimbursement."
Doctors have traditionally handed out drug samples to patients in their offices. The STI method means physicians no longer have to be concerned about storing or dispensing drugs. The patient takes a card signed by the doctor to any pharmacy to get a drug sample. STI tracks the process and the drug manufacturers pay the company for the service.
"Having spent the last 10 years of my career in New England, one of the most fertile venture investment regions in the world, I’m looking forward to bringing that experience to bear in my new role here in Nova Scotia," Steve said. "STI is already a Canadian entrepreneurial success story and has tremendous potential to achieve even more."
Prince Edward Island was far removed from the battle fronts of the Second World War, but nevertheless played an important role in the allied war effort. Boyde Beck, curator of history at the PEI Museum, (1.4.3A.3.6.) outlined the contribution made by Islanders in a speech to the Atlantic Military Affairs Symposium in Charlottetown on April 19, 2010. He said that PEI had the highest enlistment rate in the country with at least 7,000 men – more than half of those eligible – active in combat units of the various services. He added that Canada as a whole contributed more to the war effort than any country on the Allied side and by 1945 one-tenth of the Canadian population was in uniform.
Boyde said that with so many in uniform, families waited in dread of that awful telegram bringing news that a family member was either missing, wounded or killed.
“I don’t know the numbers, but probably more than 600 Island families would have gotten telegrams like that during the war.”
Boyde said the flow of Islanders heading overseas was exceeded by the thousands who came to the Island to train under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan which was designed to train air crew for fighter and bomber duty. About 11,000 aircrew were trained on the province on five bases.
One of those training missions went awry during a freezing rain storm one night in 1943 when a plane had to jettison its bomb load before it crash landed. Thinking they were over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the crew dropped their bombs, but they were actually over Charlottetown. There were no injuries, but a garden shed belonging to Preston Beck (1.4.3A.2A.1.) was destroyed when the bomb landed 100 feet from his house. Preston was a volunteer air raid warden and was on duty that night when he got word of the mishap. “He called The Guardian where his cousin, Vere Beck, (1.4.3A.3.1.) was the night editor, but the paper had already gone to press. Vere put the story on the wire and it was early enough to appear in some of the evening editions on the west coast,” Boyde said. The next day the air force was trying to cover up the incident, but because the story had already appeared on the west coast they had to admit that the explosion was probably caused by an airplane that had to jettison its bomb load because it was lost in this freezing rain storm. The seminar was hosted by the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island. Boyde was one of several speakers.