Last Saturday, a deceased 30-foot minke whale was deposited on Saltaire’s beach – a couple of times, in fact, as it washed up, out and back again before being tastefully hauled away by resident problem-solver, Vern Henriksen. Prior to that resolution, various village, county, state and federal agencies had been consulted about the best way to handle the mammal. With the invaluable assist of our lifeguards, it was given a befitting send-off.I’m leaving it to the reader to keep abreast of upcoming events, about which the Village (its mysteriously suspended website notwithstanding), Club, SCA and others so diligently email in greater detail than space permits us, so I can devote a few words to some cherished community citizens.We learned only a couple of weeks ago about the death last Dec. 16 of Alfred Lapp, one of the 11 Lapp offspring so long residents on Bay Prom. In recent years Alfie hadn’t come to Saltaire too often but he always held the place close to his heart, as those of us who knew and loved him held Al. Then, just last Friday, news struck of the passing of two of our most cherished residents. Ron Metzler passed away after a year-long struggle against COVID-19. Ron’s tenacity in this fight matched that in everything he did in life, from his teaching career to his enthusiasm on the softball field. Ron was a great, funny, caring man deeply committed to his wife Jill, their family, his friends and community. Quite a guy.That same day we also lost Herb Schlosser, about whose life and career I commend last Saturday’s The New York Times article for a splendid account of Herb’s dazzling story. But we here in Saltaire knew Herb as a kind, generous, invariably gentlemanly soul, a man without the airs that some lesser individuals might affect had they equaled Herb’s successes. “Courtly” is a characteristic I invariably associate with Herb, a natural aristocrat, and genuinely beloved. Herb was born the same day as Queen Elizabeth II, and while we have no royalty in this country, Herb Schlosser was truly the noblest of men. Deepest sympathies to Judy and the family.
