Another Opinion, Editorial

The Morse Code: The Man Behind the Face

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EDEN – As a basketball referee for the past 20 years, I have been to the Hazen Union gym many times. There was a face, first in the bleachers and then on the wall, that I always noticed. Little did I know that this man wasn’t only a fan but had become a mentor and friend to many of the athletes and citizens of this community.

Brendan Buckley’s book, “The Morse Code” introduces you to the story of this man and Mr. Morse’s connection to history of Vermont sports. Plus, you learn about how this private figure becomes a public figure known by all in the community of Hardwick.

Buckley and I played soccer together in the early 2000s. I hadn’t seen him for years until we bumped into each other on the dance floor during my first visit to the Hardwick American Legion last winter. We caught up with each other and he told me about the book he just finished.

That same evening, I met Paul Fixx the son of author and runner Jim Fixx. I first read his books when in college in the 1980s and because of meeting these two men that night, I read this book and am writing a piece for the Hardwick Gazette for the first time.

Not until I bought the book a few months later at the Galaxy Bookstore did I know who Dave Morse was. I read the book over a weekend of no power and read much of it by candlelight, because the story captivated me.

Dave Morse was a very private man in many ways, but he has a very public unforgettable face and presence. The book first connects you to legendary Vermont Sports figures like Ken Squire and stories that Dave wrote about Vermont sports dating back to the 1960s through the 1980s. As a lifelong Vermonter, it brought back memories of my childhood of reading the sports pages of the Burlington Free Press and watching sportscaster Tony Adams on Channel 3.

Morse wasn’t your typical journalist, and I believe the book is written in his style, by a doctor turned novelist. You learn about the private struggles of this man and how he found his community/family in the Hardwick area. The book allows you to feel the relationship that grew between this man and the town of Hardwick, while at the same time learning about the history of this Northeast Kingdom community.

If you have read “Fridays with Red” by Bod Edwards, you will love this book. While eating breakfast I was tuned into Bob Edwards and Red Barber on Friday mornings on NPR. I remember the day that Bob Edwards announced he was leaving NPR to write his book. I felt a true loss knowing I would never again feel the true connection and relationship that Bob Edwards and Red Barber shared with the nation each Friday morning. I am sure that is the loss the Hardwick community feels when it thinks about Dave Morse.

The Morse Code is a quick read that will leave you connected to the history of Vermont sports and the greater Hardwick community. Since finishing the book, I talked with a co-worker that told me stories about his connection to Dave through cross country at Hazen Union and I have driven by Swenson Quarry Road in Woodbury. I now feel more connected to the area and wish I’d sat at a booth in the Hardwick Diner and talked Vermont sports and heard stories about local athletes with Mr. Morse

Old-time sports journalist don’t want to just talk about the statistics of the game, they help you share and live the stories and experiences behind the athlete. Though I have never read any of his articles, I believe Dave Morse shares a kinship with Red Barber.

Matthew Mitchell

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EDITOR
Paul Fixx

CIRCULATION
Dawn Gustafson

PRODUCTION
Sandy Atkins, Dawn Gustafson

SPORTS WRITERS
Ken Brown
Eric Hanson

PHOTOGRAPHER
Vanessa Fournier

CARTOONIST
Julie Atwood

CONTRIBUTORS
Trish Alley, Sandy Atkins, Brendan Buckley, Elizabeth Dow, Hal Gray, Henry Homeyer, Pat Hussey,Willem Lange, Cheryl Luther Michaels, Tyler Molleur, Liz Steel. John Walters

INTERNS
Megan Cane, Raymonda Parchment, Olivia Saras