If the title of today’s post, “Legacy & Longevity” rings oenological, you’re at once on/off target. Today’s daily dispatch does *not* reflect upon bottles in Rosslyn’s wine cellar. But the enduring impact our property’s many caring and creative custodians might have more in common with the plenitude and durability of fine vintages then initially apparent. Both can initially seem subtle and understated, but soon reveal their nuanced complexity. Both can be compelling on their own, but contribute even more exceptionally when they complement others. Both enhance and enrich, bestowing their gifts long after they are gone.
I’ve come to understand that Rosslyn is a connector of people, a sort of three-dimensional tapestry (like those I witnessed as a boy and later in my twenties at Gobelins). More than a few times I’ve voiced my desire to honor and memorialize the many who’ve contributed to Rosslyn’s story during our almost twenty years. Endeavoring to record the many points of connection, the many kind and creative contributors, I will offer another small installment today with praise for Mike “Dutchy” Ahrent and Stephen Maselli. Their legacy and longevity endure, and I hope that will remain the case for many years to come.
Both came to Rosslyn at the beginning of our historic rehabilitation. Dutchy was a member of Larry Blanchard‘s construction crew that we rolled over after they completed work at the Lapine House. And Steve, our neighbor, friend, and my fellow board number at Historic Essex (aka Essex Community Heritage Organization), was the owner of Old Adirondack, a local manufacturer of rustic furniture. But before highlighting their contributions to Rosslyn’s revitalization, I offer the wisdom and words of a more articulate spokesperson for what it is that I hope to achieve.
I have spent seventy years trying to persuade you,
to manipulate you with the poems I’ve written,
to remember my people as if they’d been yours—
to flesh out in evocative detail my parents,
my grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts—
knowing that one day I’ll be gone, and without me
to remember them, the poems I’ve written
will have to go it alone. I owe my people
so much, and I want them to enjoy—if not
immortality—a few more good years in the light,…— Ted Kooser, “Legacy” (Source: Academy of American Poets)
I’m fascinated with Kooser’s sentiment: “remember my people as if they’d been yours”. Of course he is speaking of his family, so it sounds somewhat humbler than if I were to put those words in my mouth. But let’s imagine instead that I am borrowing those words for Rosslyn. Can you conceive of the benevolent spirit that endows this property with welcoming, nurturing, and ever grateful energy expression g this sentiment? I certainly can.
Dutchy’s laughter and versatility became part of Susan and my life in 2005 when we began restoring another property in the middle of Essex. He was and is a persistent problem solver. He was and is a hard worker and a morale booster. He was and is precisely the sort of person with whom we have measured the character and contribution of so many others. Dutchy, your legacy, and your longevity are forever woven into the fabric of Rosslyn’s tapestry. Thank you.
Steve’s laughter is likewise a defining attribute. With an engineer’s mind and a teenager’s abundant energy, Steve often contributed to the brainstorming and problem-solving that Susan and I eagerly crowdsourced among our friends and neighbors. When it came time to fabricate the fence that would be installed across the front of Rosslyn’s property, he was an enthusiastic partner. He retooled his production line at Old Adirondack to manufacture the many parts for what would become a defining element of Rosslyn’s public facing frontage. There’s more to this chapter, and I will explore it anon. But until then, thank you, Steve for your legacy and longevity that endure as important contributions to Rosslyn’s revitalization.
What do you think?