So there we were, (as all Sea Stories begin, as all Sea Stories are true) on our drunken way to Massimo’s from the Gravino’s garden party, August 2007, Basel, Switzerland.  Massi on his Swiss Army bike, Phil on Regine’s, Daniel bringing up the rear, circling back to the walking stumblers to make sure our bike gang didn’t lose them.

I turned my fourteenth shaky U-turn away from the walkers and back to Massi and Phil, just in time to see Phil doing his best Superman imitation over the handlebars, heading (literally) for the sidewalk.

In a breathless moment, he landed, skidded, rolled, recovered.  Momentary panic on my part, then, back on his feet!  A perfect ten!  If it hadn’t been for Phil and his quick thinking, some 95 year old house frau and her seven schnauzers might have become some sort of flattened international incident.  But no.  Not with Phil at the wheel.  He swerves, he misses, he gives it up to save her.  And yet, no one witnessed it but Massi and I.

Back in the States, at our Annual Mariner Awards Party, we relived Phil’s heroic late night ride with the gift of this fine conveyance, shown with our model, Rogi, to give you an idea of scale.

Here’s to Mr Phil Ritchie, International Hero!

Mid-November and 58 degrees (14.5C) on the New London waterfront this morning results in dew point issues and this photo from The Day, by Tim Cook.

The Ship is the US Coast Guard Barque ‘Eagle,’ the training ship for all future Coast Guard Officers.

Just thought I’d share.

From The Day, Nov 12, 2008, by Kira Goldenberg

Stonington - When state voters had the chance to decide Nov. 4 to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they turned 18 by the general election, Corey Prachniak was especially thrilled.

”When I got my absentee ballot in the mail and I saw it, I was really excited. It’s all about getting people involved, and I think this will enable schools to teach students better about primaries,” Prachniak said of the ballot question, which voters approved by a wide margin.

The Georgetown University senior, who is majoring in government, was part of a group of Stonington High School students who first floated the idea before state lawmakers in 2005.

Social studies teacher Richard Walter said his government students that year were discussing the history of voting rights when students asked whether voting could be opened to younger people. Research revealed that the U.S. Constitution’s 26th Amendment forbade denying people over 18 the right to vote but did not prohibit voting at a younger age - and that many other states already allowed 17-year-olds to vote in primaries.

”We were all kind of political science geeks, so we would spend a lot of time talking about this kind of stuff in private,” Prachniak said.

Walter abetted their wonkiness by reaching out to local lawmakers, and four students addressed the Government Administration and Elections Committee that year, including Prachniak.

”[Y]ou don’t really have full voting rights at 18 if you can’t select who you’re going to be voting for at 18,” he said before the committee in 2005.

Lawmakers, especially State Rep. James Spallone, D-Essex, expressed optimism about the idea. But Walter said he learned that what his students proposed as a bill would have to be a state constitutional amendment, and the idea grew dormant. Spallone contacted him in Winter 2007 to help reintroduce the idea, Walter said, and students again participated, this time by discussing the issue with Spallone and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who supported the amendment.

It passed on Election Day, and the state joins nearly 20 others in permitting younger voters a say in primaries.

”I was very happy,” Walter said. “It was kind of strange because there was so little attention given to it. Even now, I’m still out there, trying to bring it to people’s attention that this was a student-driven initiative.”

Here’s Citizen Dick, not in teaching garb, another fine example of Mariners making a somewhat different contribution to our Communities.  Good Man Richard!