Category: All Posts

Reed Page, R.I.P.

Worcester / Acton – Bryant “Reed” Page, Jr., 61, of Worcester, formerly of Acton, died suddenly Nov. 14, 2012. He was the beloved son of Bryant and the late Thelma Page of Acton. Reed is also survived by his three sisters, Tenley, Belinda, and Madi. He leaves behind four nieces, Briana, Kelsey, Ruth, and Taryn; three brothers-in-law, Peter, Donnie, and Joe, his lovely ex-wife, Shawn, several cousins, and many beloved friends.

A former ABRHS (Acton-Boxborough Regional High School) student, Reed obtained degrees from Leslie College and Harvard University. Reed worked for over a decade at Harvard after obtaining his Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering and Biology. He was a lifetime student of the struggles and the beauty that life brings. Reed dedicated much of his adult life to counseling, mentoring, supporting, and teaching hundreds of individuals battling addictions. Reed was very respected and loved by his community of brothers and sisters.

Reed was born with an intellect and genius that was enviable. His interests were varied, very passionate, and he was happiest when engaging in such loves as music, nature, and the company of good friends. He was in a band with several lifelong friends and was gifted with an amazing voice. He was awed by nature’s majesty and magnificence – sunsets, the stars, trips to Africa with members of his family, camping in Maine, the ocean, and everything about Hawaii.

Reed had a phenomenal wit and a sharp sense of humor with a huge grin and a belly laugh to match. No one could hug like Reed. He was devoted to his friends, his brothers, and sisters, and his family and he has left an indelible mark on every life and heart he touched.

Relatives and friends are invited to visiting hours on Mon., Nov. 19th from 4-7 p.m. at the Acton Funeral Home, 470 Massachusetts Avenue, (Rte 111) Acton, MA 01720. Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 20th at 1 p.m. at the Acton Congregational Church, 12 Concord Road, Acton, MA 01720.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Perkins School for the Blind (in honor of his niece, Briana). To donate online: www.perkins.org ; by mail: Perkins Trust Office, 175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472. Guest book www.actonfuneralhome.com

Published in Worcester Telegram & Gazette from November 17 to November 18, 2012

Underwater on land, and seaside – the Bain connection

A few weeks ago I pointed out a real estate auction that’s coming up for a Cape Cod estate called Idlewild, valued at over ten million dollars. I said “I’d love to know what the story is behind this property. I assume that a fantastically rich person had a phenomenal fall,” but reportedly “This is not a distressed sale.” The story is at this link.

“This is not a distressed sale,” said Mark Troen, Sheldon’s chief operating officer. “There’s no mortgage on the property. An auction is another and very good way of selling real estate when the conventional means is unsuccessful… This is a lifestyle choice at this stage in their lives,” he said. “The couple is purchasing a home in Charleston, South Carolina”… The home will be sold furnished.

So who is selling this fabulous piece of real estate? James Feldt, the former president of marketing at Toys R Us. (They had more than one President in the company?)

James Feldt purchased the land for the estate in 2004 by for $1.55 million. Feldt, the former executive vice president of marketing at Toys R Us, and his wife, Rosanne, spent $9.5 million to build the four-bedroom, seven-bath home and another $1 million on landscaping, Troen said. “This is a lifestyle choice at this stage in their lives,” he said. “The couple is purchasing a home in Charleston, South Carolina.”

The Feldts spent over $10 million on the property and yet it has no mortgage. I can’t find any information on why or when Feldt left Toys R Us, but maybe it had something to do with the takeover of the company in 2005 by Bain Capital — yes, Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital. Here’s Feldt’s resume prior to his departure from Toys R Us.

James E. Feldt
President – Merchandising and Marketing, Toys”R”Us, U.S
James E. Feldt was named Executive Vice President and President of Merchandising and Marketing for Toys”R”Us, U.S. in March 2000. He is responsible for procurement, pricing, merchandising, promoting and presentation techniques to sell product at Toys”R”Us stores across the country. Mr. Feldt serves as a member of the Executive Committee for Toys”R”Us, Inc.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Feldt served as Executive Vice President of Merchandising since 1999.

Mr. Feldt brings more than 20 years of retail experience to his post at Toys”R”Us U.S. Prior to joining the company, he was Executive Vice President, Merchandise and Marketing at Value City Department Stores in Columbus, OH. Prior to that, Mr. Feldt was Executive Vice President, Merchandising, Marketing, Allocation and Merchandise Distribution with Hills Department Stores in Canton, MA.

He also has extensive experience in merchandising toys, electronics, candy, sporting goods, wheel goods, seasonal and other hard line areas. In addition, he has considerable experience in apparel and the off-price industry.

Mr. Feldt graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Business Administration.

What could Feldt have done that made him so valuable to Toys R Us, especially considering that when Bain took it over they were losing the merchandising and marketing war to Wal*Mart? It must have cost the Feldts another small fortune to furnish and decorate Idlewild, and yet it’s being sold furnished, so presumably the buyer will be getting a very big freebie thrown into the deal. The Feldts are merely making a “lifestyle choice?” It seems to me that they’ve vacated the premises and my guess is they need to get their money out of the place in order to buy or build their new home.

Ziggy and Alfalfa in Paris

This is Sunday’s Ziggy from a week ago.

My father got a kick out of this, because Paris, Illinois is his hometown. Paris is a small town and he knew a kid his age named Carl Switzer, who was more commonly called Alfalfa. Carl was a real hell-raiser when he was older. My father said when they were hanging out as teenagers every other word out of Carl’s mouth was f–k, but he always had girls around him, so he was worth having as a friend. Later, my dad went in the Navy and he was sent to Japan as part of the occupation forces. Carl kept trying for parts in movies, and he had a notable bit in It’s a Wonderful Life. My dad says Carl’s death in 1959 was stupid and tragic, but not necessarily a surprise to anybody who knew him.

A President vs. an automaton

For a supposedly religious man, Mitt Romney sure does lie an awful lot. He’s taken every position on every issue there is, depending on the audience of the moment, and he denies that he’s ever changed his mind. The second half of his one term as governor here in Massachusetts, he was already off running for President, badmouthing the state in the process. And now, in all three debates, he’s been saying how wonderful we are and taking credit for it! Despite that, Mitt says he wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act, which was patterned after legislation that he signed. What’s wrong with this guy?

Watch The Choice 2012 on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

I haven’t watched Frontline’s The Choice 2012 documentary yet, but I will. The New Yorker is the only print magazine subscription we have, and its endorsement of Obama is well worth reading.

There is, come to think of it, one reason to vote for Romney. If he wins, Jon Hamm can play him in a TV movie bio-pic.