Andrew George "Andy" Joachim (1939 - 2013)

In Memory of My Dear Friend

by Cliff Lamere    July to November 2013, February to July & November 2015

2004

Photograph by Clifford Lamere

There are many chronological events below which are not mentioned in the Table of Contents.

Introduction

I met Andy in 1968.  We were teaching companions for 22 years, but close friends for 45 years.  As retired science teachers, we discussed new scientific discoveries as they happened.  Now, as the discoveries are made, his absence has reduced their excitement, and I realize how important Andy was in my life.  This webpage is dedicated to our friendship.  I hope he would have approved.

Note:  All emails quoted on this webpage were sent to me by Andy unless otherwise noted.

Short Biography of Andrew George "Andy" Joachim

Andrew George "Andy" Joachim was born January 8, 1939 in La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (Guatemala City) in Guatemala, the son of Heinrich and Ilonka (Breitenbach) Joachim.  He described himself as "100% German (75% Arian and 25 % Hebrew)."  His paternal grandfather was Jewish.

Andy's parents left Germany after Hitler's rise to power.  Heinrich probably met Salvador Ley, a Guatemalan pianist, in Berlin in the early 1930s when the pianist was concertizing there.  In 1934, Heinrich left his native land and "joined the National Conservatory for the Government of the Republic of Guatemala as an instructor and later became director." Mr. Ley also was the director of the same organization at one time.  In 1962, Heinrich and Salvador both lived in Westchester Co., NY.  [Source: article & photo]  They performed duets in 1965-1966 in Westchester Co. and 1966 in New York City.

Andy attended kindergarten through fourth grade in Guatemala at a school owned and operated by German-speaking siblings, Hans and Erika Lehnsen.  Hans was the best friend of Andy's father.  By the time Andy was in first grade, his parents had divorced.  

Andrew Joachim came to the United States in 1948, at the age of nine.  He lived in White Plains, Westchester Co., NY with his father and stepmother, Renata.  "My stepmother and I had little to do with each other."  There, Andy attended Rochambeau Elementary School for grades four through six (he repeated fourth grade).  He then went on to Post Road Junior High School for grades seven and eight, finishing there in June 1953.  From September 1954 - June 1957, he attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City.  He took music courses and specialized in the cello like his father.  He also ran on the track and cross country teams.  Andy graduated in the class of 1957, having been the principal cellist in the Senior Orchestra in his final year at the school.  At the same time, his father was playing cello with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. 

While attending the High School of Music and Art, Andy boarded in New York City with a German couple who spoke German at home.  That allowed him to refresh his use of the German language.  During the summers of 1954-1956 (and possibly 1957) Andy lived and worked on farms in Montgomery and Columbia Counties, NY "only earning about 40 cents an hour."   

From 1957-1959, Andy attended two years at  the Agricultural College at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  During that time, Andy met Sallie Ann Sook, his future wife, who was enrolled in a four-year program at Cornell.  "Then I went into the Army, completed my education and became a 'professional' person."  Andy was proud of his three years of service from 1961 to 1964 in the Army of his adopted country.  He worked in the motor pool servicing military vehicles and was stationed part of his time in Mannheim, Germany.  Following that, he returned to the Agricultural College at Cornell University from which he graduated in June 1966.  In order to graduate, 40 weeks of work on a farm was required.  Andy may have fulfilled the entire requirement during the summers before entering the Agricultural College the first time.

[The source of most of the information in the next six paragraphs is an email on 11/2/2013 from Sallie Joachim.]

Sallie said that Andy "had read many of Gerald Durrell’s books on wild animals in Africa and wished for a career where he could do research and learn more about exotic mammals. However, his formal training at Cornell was in Animal Husbandry, mainly dairy cows."   "Andy sent letters to many zoos across the United States."  "When he was offered  the position of Curator of Mammals at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, he was thrilled.  Andy started work at the end of June and found us an apartment in Fort Worth." 

Sallie, who was living in Delmar, "resigned her position as Second Grade Teacher at the Delmar Elementary School, which she loved, to join Andy as he chased his “dream”."  Then, on August 27, 1966, Andrew George Joachim and Sallie Ann Sook were married at the Loudonville Community Church in Loudonville, Albany County, NY.  They "left immediately for Texas.  Our honeymoon was the cross country trip to our new home."  After a short stay in the apartment, the newlyweds were able to buy a house at 3978 Valentine Street, Fort Worth with the help of a G.I. loan.

Andy and Sallie purchased their first house, in Guilderland Center, that year (1968). 

I arrived at Bethlehem Central Junior High School September 1967 to teach ninth grade science with an emphasis on Earth Science.  Andy arrived there in September 1968.  He was assigned five classes of Physical Science (two levels of it).  We started a friendship that year, one that would last for the rest of our lives.  The year after Andy's arrival, the ninth grade was moved to the High School (September 1969).  Andy began teaching Physical Science, but one of the Biology teachers left during the school year, so Andy was able to take that subject and teach it for the rest of his years at BCHS.

In August 1972, Andy received a Master of Science for Teachers degree at Union College in Schenectady, NY.  He retired in 1994 after 26 years of public school teaching, almost all of it teaching Biology at Bethlehem Central High School.  Andy and Sallie moved to Lake Placid, Franklin Co., NY in 2000, after the completion of their house in the Adirondacks.  Andy summarized his teaching career this way, "I taught a total of 28 and one half years, one in industrial arts at Lake Worth, one in physical science at the Junior High School, 25 in biology with an occasional course in another science subject at the High School, and one and a half in environmental science at North Country Community College in Saranac Lake."

Andy did a great deal of biological research.  His favorite topic was wolves and other members of the family Canidae.  He was the most dedicated, amazing, scientific researcher that I have met.  He would pick a day of the week and a place to visit, then he would observe events in nature on that day, time and place every week for years.  As a teacher, Andy also involved interested biology students in his research outside of school.

Andy departed this life on July 16, 2013 in Saranac Lake, NY.

Footnote: "The High School of Music & Art, informally known as 'Music & Art', was a public alternative high school at 443-465 West 135th Street, New York, New York, that existed from 1936 through 1984." "The school was made up of three departments: Art, Instrumental Music, and Vocal Music." [Source]    

On April 19, 2013, Andy wrote an email to Ari Goldman, a former cello student of his father Heinrich.  Sent to me by his wife Sallie, here it is in its entirety.  It helps us to understand some of the early events of Andy's life.

View a 1964 article about Heinrich Joachim.

Some Chronological Events 

in the life of Andrew Joachim

Dick was a lifelong friend of Andy.

Auto Accident (1959)

The Cornell Daily Sun, April 6, 1959

Two Injured In Car Crash

   Two University students were injured and a 5½-month-old boy killed in an automobile accident on Route 11 near Binghamton March 27.  Two other people were also hurt.

   A car driven by Mrs. Mary Mattison of Salfordville, Pa., skidded into one being driven by Frank H. Gibbs '59.  Three other students on their way home for spring vacation were in Gibbs' car.  One of them, George E. Sandin '59, is still in Binghamton Hospital.

   Several muscles in Sandin's neck were torn but X-rays revealed no fracture.  Dean of Men Frank C. Baldwin said he expects Sandin to be released later this week.

   The child, Walter Weller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Weller of Salfordville, was in Mrs. Mattison's automobile.

   Another student, Forest A. Orr, was slightly injured and has been released from the hospital.  Neither the driver nor Andrew G. Joachim '59, the fourth student in the car, was hurt.

Andy's step-mother, Renata Joachim, died in 1962.  He was stationed in Germany at the time, but was able to fly home for a few days.

Military Service in U.S. Army (Oct 1961 - Oct 1964)

(Email from Andrew Joachim, 533rd Ord Co, 1962-63; 77th Ord Co, 1964) [Source]

As a soldier in the U.S. Army from 3 Oct. 1961 to 2 Oct. 1964, I trained at Ft. Dix, NJ and arrived at Coleman Barracks in Jan. of 1962. I was assigned to the Automotive Disassembly Platoon of the 533rd Ord Co (C&C) until it was disbanded in late 1963 or early 1964. I was then reassigned to the Engine and Power Train Platoon of the 77th Ord Co (GAS) (General Automotive Support) until I was separated from active duty overseas to spend time with my family in Berlin, Germany. I returned stateside to complete my college education in early 1965.

While reading the account of the 533rd, I was very happy to see Eddie Oleski's name. He, Ron Souza, Manfred Renauer and Gary Rancour are four of the fellows I have seen since we were discharged. Eddie and Gary are two with whom I still exchange Christmas Cards.

I still remember most of the guys with affection, especially my first conversation with Harold Hathaway when I had just arrived in the barracks, which were, indeed, well-built. I was getting my gear and area squared away when the door to the room (we had two to eight guys in a room, depending on its size) opened and Harold walked in. Our conversation went something like this:

"Hey 'cruit, Ahm Harold Hathaway. Where y'all from?

"I'm Andy Joachim, I said, as we pumped each other's hands enthusiastically, and I'm from White Plains, New York."

"Whaat Plains, New Yawk? What part o' Texas that in?"

I don't think I have to explain that Harold was a Texan. He was from Amarillo.

When I arrived, Lt. Col. Konopka was Battalion Commander, Capt. John Perkins was Company Commander and 1st Lt. Richard (?) Shea was leader of my platoon (Automotive Disassembly Platoon). (I believe that Capt. Dunham, known to most of us as "Captain Bad" because he was notorious for throwing people off Guard mount, might have been Company Commander before Capt. Perkins, but by the time I was there had become a staff officer at Bn. HQ.) The First Sgt. was M/Sgt John Cameron, and the "Field First" was SFC Mac Cutcheon. My Platoon Sergeant was a M/Sgt. whose name I don't recall.

Our Platoon Sgt. did not stay long and SFC Eitel took his place. In our platoon, we had two squads of mechanics (of which I was one) and one squad that was the Tire Section (to which Harold was assigned) and a squad that made up the Armament Section, whose leader was SSgt. Foster. Though I was briefly assigned to Armament, I requested to go back to the "junk yard" which we called "the back lot," and was granted my request.

Eventually, Lt. Richard Leinbach replaced Lt. Shea, and SFC Charles Scollon replaced Sgt. Eitel. SFC Scollon was one of the finest soldiers and gentlemen I was to have the pleasure with whom to serve. He often invited our youngest guys to his home during evenings to keep them from becoming drunk and disorderly. The guys affectionately called him "Pop Scollon."

Though I also don't recall if the distinguished service citation we wore on the lower sleeve of our winter Class A's was a 533rd (the 77th wore it, too) or a battalion honor, I do remember it was worn on the right sleeve. Right is, after all, the place of honor.

As mentioned, when the 533rd was disbanded I was assigned to the 77th, right next door. The other companies were the 517th (on the other side of the 533rd) and their mission was GS (General Support), and another (I think it had an 81 in its number) and was at Spinelli Barracks in Mannheim-Kaeferthal.

As the old saying goes, the right way, the wrong way and the Army way. This company at Spinelli was formed from all of the recruits and cycling senior personnel that were to go to the other companies in the battalion. Consequently, all of the other companies were understaffed and not combat ready. Why not just change the mission of the 533rd instead of weakening all of the other companies before disbanding it?

The Commander of the 77th was Captain Coons. My Platoon Sgt. was SFC Edward Haikio, with whom I took some college courses during evenings. Sgt. Haikio kindly drove to the classes.

I remember quite a few more things, so if you would like more information, such as list of the fellows or whatever, please feel free to contact me.

   Andrew Joachim

Engagement (1966)

Marriage (1966)

Curator of Mammals, Fort Worth, Texas (1966-1967)

At the time of their marriage, Andy was the curator of mammals at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas.  He held this job from 1967-1968.  (See the Short Biography above for details.)

First Teaching Job (Substitute) (1967-1968)

Andy began substitute teaching mechanical drawing, wood shop and metal shop in Fort Worth High School.  He held this job from 1967-1968.  (See the Short Biography above for details.)

Second Teaching Job - Bethlehem Central (1968-1994) 

[Source: Andy's unpublished autobiography]

Andy began teaching ninth grade physical science at Bethlehem Central Junior High School in September 1968.  He was assigned two "Level 2" and three "Level 4" classes. 

"Sallie began house-hunting.  We needed a permanent residence soon, as it was now early September, and our daughter, Janet, would be born in January, a day after my birthday.  Within a week we had settled on a well-built, functional, two-bedroom bungalow in the Hamlet of Guilderland Center, about a 20 minute ride from Delmar.  Though I suppose the correct term for the setting of our new home was suburban, I liked to call it sub rural. The surroundings of the family home in White Plains were truly suburban, but the customs and practices of Guilderland Center were more like those I had experienced while working on farms.  No village water or sewage, no home mail delivery, and even a telephone party line, making it imperative that one was very selective about what one talked about over the phone, as many of the neighbors "secretly" listened in.  When calling my father, I always spoke German." 

Andy joined the Volunteer Fire Department and he and Sallie became members of one of the two churches within the community. 

"Having finally found an occupation that eventually dealt with science, and perhaps in the future, biology, at the same time that it was something I was good at and fit the more altruistic aspects of my personality, I was at first at least, very happy in my newly found profession.  I even said that the kids were so great that I would stay in teaching until I became so old that the administrators would throw me out. 

For the time being, I was to teach physical science (chemistry, light, sound, simple machines, and electricity) to ninth graders, and work toward certification in Earth science, which I was to teach from then on.  Luckily, after I had only taken a few courses in that subject, a biology teacher left, and a year later, I would be teaching biology and not Earth science at the High School, which is where I wanted to be and where I wanted to do it.

I taught a total of 28 and one half years, one in industrial arts at Lake Worth, one in physical science at the Junior High School, 25 in biology with an occasional course in another science subject at the High School, and one and a half in environmental science at North Country Community College in Saranac Lake."

House Purchased in Guilderland Center (1968)

In the January 3, 1969 edition of the Altamont Enterprise it was announced in the Guilderland Center section that: 

"Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Joachim of Albany have purchased the York home at 262 Main St.  We welcome them to the village."

They lived there until 1972.

Daughter Born (1969)

Anti-War Protest (1969)

Volunteer Fireman 

Andy joined the Guilderland Center Volunteer Fire Department on August 3, 1969.  He became a volunteer fireman as a result of the encouragement of Bruce Wadsworth, another ninth grade science teacher.  The next news article mentions his 1973 installation as department financial secretary.

Institute in Biology and Earth Science (1970-1972)

House Purchased in Delmar (1972)

In 1972, Andy and Sallie bought their second house in Albany County, NY.  It was at 83 Adams Place, Delmar, NY within sight of the Bethlehem Central School District Business Office (which, however, is presently located within the High School buildings).

Albany County Audubon Society (1973-1976)

Formed as a local, private organization, the Albany County Audubon Society became affiliated with the National Audubon Society.

Capital Chamber Players (1975)

In 1975, Andrew Joachim created a professional music group called the Capital Chamber Players.  The concerts usually had a different combination of performers each time, but either Andy or his father, Heinrich Joachim, performed at each.  I recall what may have been an early, perhaps first, get-together in his living room.  My recollection is that it was not a rehearsal; it was just musicians playing classical music for their own enjoyment, sight-reading from musical scores.  However, many concerts at various venues followed after that.  The fliers for the concerts were mailed out using Andy's home address.

Capital Chamber Players

83 Adams Place

Delmar, New York 12054

View programs and flyers of four concerts of the Capital Chamber Players (one autographed):

     February 27&28, 1976 - Delmar Reformed Church & Rensselaer County Council for the Arts     Flyer

          Dorothy Elisha, Michael Emery, Deborah McKneally, Andrew Joachim, Nathaniel Fossner, Anya Lawrence

     March 26&27, 1977 - First United Methodist Church (Delmar) & Rensselaer County Council for the Arts     Program     Flyer

          Heinrich Joachim, Janice Nimetz

               Autograph:  "Cliff, watch out for the cliff called "Music"! and "musician".  Best wishes, Heinrich"

               Autograph:  "With very best wishes, Janice Nimetz"

     January 28&29, 1978 - Delmar Reformed Church & Doane Stuart School.     Program    Flyer

          Kathryn Karassic, Nathaniel Fossner, Shu Mei Chien, Andrew Joachim

     February 17&18, 1979 - Delmar Reformed Church & Doane Stuart School.     Program

          Heinrich Joachim, John Cuk

The joy of a son.  The pride of a father.

Andrew Joachim and his father Heinrich Joachim  

(year unknown, but probably part of the Capital Chamber Players series)

"The picture of Andy and his father was taken after a concert where they played a selection, either a duet or trio, 

which featured the two cellos.  Andy played the first cello part and Heinrich the second. Andy was very proud 

when his father suggested they play the work this way. The picture captures that moment."  -- Sallie Joachim 8/7/2013

"Andy and his father only performed once together as a duo, as far as I can remember, 

which makes the picture ... so memorable."  -- Sallie Joachim 8/9/2013

Photograph by Norman Shartzer

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BCTA Scholarship Fund Benefit (1975)

Some of the performers in the Capital Chamber Players were teachers or music instructors at Bethlehem Central in Delmar, NY.  The group started in 1975, and that same year they gave their first annual BCTA Scholarship Fund Benefit Concert.  (BCTA = Bethlehem Central Teachers' Association)

View a program from an early BCTA Benefit Concert.     Cover     Program

     Alfredo Cavalieri, Alice Finks, Eloise Scherzer, Santa Ganey, Andrew Joachim, Nathaniel Fossner, Edward Rice

          Concert at the Delmar Reformed Church.

I surprised Andy by asking him for his autograph at the end of this concert.  He wrote, "Andrew Joachim - The greatest and most famous!"

View the program to read it for yourself.  See the link to the program above.

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Great Horned Owl Specimen (1977)

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Concert - December 10, 1978

Altamont Enterprise (NY), Friday, December 8, 1978

WARMING UP FOR RECORDER CONCERT -- Mrs. Barbara Dodge, harpsichord; Rev. Joseph

A. Loux, English flute; and Andrew Joachim, cello, rehearse for the candlelight concert to be held

this Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Helderberg Reformed Church in Guilderland Center.  The concert is

sponsored by the Capital District and Northeastern chapters of the American Recorder Society and

will feature the Adirondack Baroque Consort.  A free will offering will be taken.

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Assistant Cubmaster in Delmar, 1979

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Altamont Enterprise (NY), Friday, May 18, 1979

State's Newest DAR Chapter Installs Officers Last Week

   Old Hellebergh Chapter, DAR, is now a reality.  With Mrs. Phillip Parks, state organizing secretary, presiding and Mrs. Robert H. Tapp, state regent, as installing officer, the newest DAR chapter in the state came into being last Thursday.

   The evening's festivities began with a reception at the Frederick House in Guilderland Center. ...

   From the May basket on the front door to the candles and spring bouquets on the antique furnishings, the historic house radiated with hospitality and the 18th century music made the scene complete.  The harpsichord was played by Gerald Hansen, the cello by Andrew Joachim, and the recorders by Rev. Joseph A. Loux, Jr.

   Following the reception, the 80 guests proceeded next door to the Helderberg Reformed Church where a candlelight dinner was served by the Dutch Arms Club of the church.  The menu was typical of Revolutionary times.

   The guests included representatives of 14 area DAR chapters...

   This was the first time in New York State DAR history that the officers of a new chapter were installed by the state regent. ...

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Cover of BCHS Yearbook (1981)

People on the 1981 Bethlehem Central High School Yearbook front cover (L-R):

basketball player?

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Andrew Joachim (cello)

Robert Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo

Henry Winkler, "The Fonz" (Happy Days - TV)

Leonard Nimoy as Spock (Star Trek - TV)

John Belushi (toga)

Burt Reynolds (cowboy hat)

Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers - movie)

John Banner as Sgt. Schultz (Hogan's Heroes - TV)

Immediately to Andy's left, but on the back cover, was a dog accompanying him on a violin.  Andy's great interest in wolves and dogs was well known.

Rear Cover of 1981 BCHS Yearbook

Top row: Miss Piggy, ?Debbie Harry (musical group "Blondie")?, Jesse Jackson, cartoon

Middle row:  Thomas Watthews (Biology, with Kermit the Frog), Pink Panther,

Peter Sellers, ?Orson Welles? (large hat), Albert Einstein

Bottom row:  James Tedisco (Special Education), Clifford Lamere (Earth Science, singing),

May Blackmore (Guidance), Glenn Snider (Chemistry, striped shirt),

dog playing violin (accompanist to Andrew Joachim playing cello on front cover)

This was the only yearbook cover from 1929-1998 which had caricatures of people on it. 

I'm very pleased that Andy and I were both chosen to be there. 

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PhD Candidate (1980s)

Andy began work on his PhD at Union College in Schenectady, NY in the 1980s.  He began studying the contents of fox guts, but over the years he could not get access to enough specimens to complete the work.  He recorded his information on 3 x 5 cards.  These have been preserved.

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House Purchased (1984)

Andy and Sallie had a house built for them at 37 Summit Rd., Delmar quite near the High School.  They moved there in 1984.

Slide Talk about Wolves (1984)

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Curriculum Award (1985)

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Research with Students (1991 & many other years)

A GATHERING OF GEESE AND GULLS

   STUDENTS TRACK MOVEMENTS OF WATERFOWL WHILE THE DAYS FLY BY

Times Union, Albany, NY.  Tuesday, March 5, 1991 (excerpt; click here to read the complete fascinating story)

...  To help complete this picture of the daily wintertime habits of Capital District waterfowl, Andrew Joachim and his biology students at Bethlehem Central High School have been observing the migratory and eating habits of geese and ducks that overnight at Vly Creek (also known as Bethlehem District 1 Reservoir), Alcove, and Basic reservoirs. Joachim said about 800 to 1,000 Canada geese and 500 or so mallards have been wintering at the Vly Creek Reservoir.

     "The birds choose (to overnight) at reservoirs because there are few homes around them and little water activity that would disturb them," he said. "Then, in the morning, they get up and take off (to forage for food)."

     Both George and Joachim have a fairly good idea now how their birds spend their winter days.

     The gulls and ducks that spend the daylight hours on the lower Mohawk are likely to overnight either at Tomhannock Reservoir, or above the Federal Dam on the Hudson River (near Green Island), or further south on the Hudson. Every morning, these waterfowl head west, the gulls feeding at such spots as the Colonie landfill above Cohoes Falls.

     As the afternoon grows late, these birds begin to move back toward home, congregating in great numbers at various staging areas along the river: The wide bend east of the Route 9 bridge (George counted 2,700 gulls there last Tuesday), the rocks and pool below Crescent Dam, and the broad flats between Waterford and Van Schaick Island. Then comes the eastward flight around sunset, the gulls and ducks heading back to their overnight safe havens on the Tomhannock Reservoir or Hudson River. ...

     Joachim, who has visited Vly Creek Reservoir at every hour of the day from 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in recent weeks, has observed slightly different daily migratory patterns for the waterfowl who overnight there.
     The geese, starting as early as 9 a.m., fly off to nearby cornfields for a day of foraging, the birds moving in groups that sometimes number in the hundreds. And do they make noise.
     "When they take off, they are constantly honking," Joachim marvelled. "And when they return, those that are already there greet them with a lot of honking."
     Mallards wintering at the Vly Creek Reservoir don't fly far, Joachim said. Throughout the day, they may take off in small groups of six or eight on short excursions, perhaps simply to stretch their wings or to scout area ponds for open water. But, during deepest winter, all of the smaller ponds in the area will be completely frozen over, the ducks quickly returning to the open water in Vly Creek Reservoir, where they can dive for food or perhaps skim the surface for algae. ...

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Retires from Teaching  (1994)

After one year of substitute teaching in Fort Worth, Texas (1967-1968) and 26 years of teaching science at Bethlehem Central School District (1968-1994), Andy retired.

House Purchased (2000)

In 1999, Andy and Sallie purchased a property in Lake Placid.  A house was built on it and was completed by March 2000.  They moved into it immediately.

Retirement in Lake Placid, NY

Lake Placid News (NY), May 19, 2000

New Buildings

...

   "Andrew Joachim was issued a permit to build a house on Jon Ridge Road in the subdivision off Whiteface Inn Road."

     (email from Sallie Joachim:  5/13/2015)

"The house has always been the same, but we have had three addresses.  27 Jon Ridge Road, 34 Jon Ridge Road, to 66 Moongate Lane.  This was all part some "master plan."  I like Moongate Lane.  It was changed because Jon Ridge sounded too much like Fawn Ridge, another address near here.  We moved in March 2000."

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[ADK means Adirondack Mountain Club.]

North Country Community College (2002-2003)

Andrew Joachim was an adjunct instructor at the North Country Community College for three semesters (1½ years):

   Spring 2002:  Environmental Science Lab
   Fall 2002:  Environmental Science (lecture) & Environmental Science Lab
   Spring 2003:  Environmental Science (lecture) & Environmental Science Lab

A laboratory that complements but is independent of the Environmental Science lectures. Labs study a core of material on water pollution, air pollution, human population, and additional topics representing local concerns. (Prerequisite: Prior or concurrent enrollment in BIO 104 or permission of instructor). 

     (February 8, 2002 e-edition of the Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY)

Lake Placid

ADK Lecture - Join wildlife expert and naturalist Andy Joachim for a slide show titled "Adirondack Mammals, Habitats, and Tracks," depicting Adirondack mammals in their natural habitats at 8 p.m. Saturday at Adirondack Mountain Club's High Peaks Information Center at the end of Adirondack Loj Road.

The discussion will focus on classifying and measuring tracks to facilitate identification. All ADK lectures are free and open to the public.

     (lecture on February 9, 2002)

Andy published his book in 2002.  He used the pseudonym George H. Breitenbach.  George was his middle name.  Breitenbach was his mother's maiden name.  H. may represent the first letter of his father's given name (Heinrich).

     (Sallie Joachim wrote the following in an email dated 8/3/2013.)  

...he did publish only one book, the book on education. I am surprised you found it under the title It's Not My Fault. That is the first title Andy used...  I do not think any book was published with that title.  I would be surprised if you found one.  His second publisher, Nadine McClaughlin, and I thought a title that described the contents was better.  We persuaded him.  Andy did quite a few revisions before Nadine published it.

     (February 22, 2003)

"The Beaver: Pros and Cons of New York's State Mammal" slide lecture, with Andy Joachim, 8 p.m., Adirondack Mountain Club High Peaks Information Center, Adirondack Loj Road, Lake Placid.

   PostStar.com

     (email, 3/2/2005)

I have a "producer" who publishes my books under my own company name, Sugar Maple Press.  She is a good friend, good editor, and does a fine job.  Though she might be more expensive than on-line publishers, she has my interests in mind, and, as a better business person than I am, helps me along the way.

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2004 Fourth of July Parade, Lake Placid, NY.

Andrew Joachim was an Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troup 10.

     (email: 10/19/2004)

In case you are not aware of it and looking for something to do this Saturday, I might suggest the Wildlife Pathology Unit's (WPU) Fall Festival on Game Farm Road in Delmar (across the pond from 5 Rivers.).  Using the garages, the awning and the building itself, the WPU is hosting a display of exhibits dealing with wildlife pathology, Native American, and other environmental subjects.  I will be presenting three exhibits, one on the American Society of Mammalogist's (ASM) Public Education Committee with some handouts and "low tech" interactive displays, one on the Maya Indians of Guatemala past and present, and a poster on wolf behavior that I presented at an annual meeting of ASM. The festival begins at 1:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

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Rotary Club of Lake Placid - Events   [Source]

www.rotarylakeplacid.org, 1 Nov 2004

     Andrew Joachim from the Lake Placid American Legion post 326 was the speaker.  He was born in Guatemala, went to two years of Agricultural College at Cornell University and joined the Army after he completed the two years.  While in the Army he served in Germany from 1961 to 1964 during the Vietnam era.  His only taste of combat was when an American ship fired across the bow of a Russian ship bound for Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  The Russian ship turned around.  Andy learned a great deal in the Army and straightened out.  He then went on to become a biology teacher.  Andy had experiences with Rotary when teaching two Italian students Rotary exchange students who did not speak English.  When Andy tried to speak to them in Italian using his Spanish speaking background they did not understand him.  Fortunately Andy and one of the girls spoke German so thats how they communicated.

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     (email 11/8/2004, a response to being notified of the passing of a Bethlehem staff member)

"As for me, my life-style is healthier than it has been in a long time, so I hope my name will not be added to the list any time soon.  Frankly, I never felt totally comfortable at Bethlehem, and still don't.  In Lake Placid, I sense a real feeling of community with a fantastic group of people who accept me for who I am, and not as some inferior who is "only" a school teacher.  My buddies in Boy Scouts, The American Legion, the Town Tree Board, and other organizations make me feel right at home here."

______________________________________

     (email: 12/22/2004.  I sometimes sent Andy links to information about wolves, coyotes, foxes, and dogs)

"Wow! With you looking out for me, I might never have to do another literature search.  I was able to print out the article on mammalian locomotion in snow.  I also get the Journal of Mammalogy (I am a life member), and believe that I have seen the article on ovulation in carnivores.  Norm also sent me something on tracks and tracking.  You have my curiosity going on the technical article.  Coyote movements in the snow would interest me greatly.  Maybe sometime after Christmas you can mail it to me.
Again, many thanks!

Andy"

______________________________________

February 14, 2005

The Honorable George W. Bush 

President of the United States 

The White House 

Washington, DC 20500 

Dear Mr. President: As scientists and natural resource managers from the United States and Canada with many years of experience in ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, and resource management, we encourage you to reconsider plans for exploring and developing the potential oil and gas reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain. 

Please understand that we are not philosophically opposed to oil and gas development in Alaska. Indeed, we all clearly recognize the need for balanced resource management. However, we also recognize the importance of maintaining the biological diversity and ecosystem integrity of our nation's Arctic. The coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is particularly valuable for protecting that biological diversity.

...

Andrew Joachim, M.S.T. Mammal Ecologist Lake Placid, NY

______________________________________

     (Email from Andrew Joachim, 533rd Ord Co, 1962-63; 77th Ord Co)   [posted October 25, 2005]

______________________________________

Member and Commander of American Legion Post 326, Lake Placid

Andy became a member of the American Legion Post 326 in Nov 2001 and remained a member until his death in July 2013.  For the years 2006 and 2007, he was the post Commander.  He received high praise from three members with whom I spoke.  The meetings that he conducted were sometimes begun with discussions of environmental concerns in the Adirondacks and how they impact the animals that live there.

Flag Retirement on Flag Day, June 14, 2007.  Andrew Joachim, Commander of the American Legion

Post 326 of Lake Placid, is 3rd from the left.  At the time, he was also an assistant scoutmaster

of Boy Scout Troop 10.  On this day, flags were being passed out to the Boy Scouts.

Each year, the Boy Scouts put flags on the graves of U.S. veterans at three local cemeteries for

Memorial Day in May, then remove them just after Veterans Day in November.  The flags are

stored until Flag Day (June 14) of the following year, at which time they are burned. 

Flag Retirement on Flag Day, June 14, 2007.  Andrew Joachim, Commander of the American Legion

Post 326 of Lake Placid supervises Boy Scout Troop 10 as old flags are burned in a pit.

______________________________________

(email, 2/6/2006)

     Though I am 100% German (75% Arian and 25 % Hebrew), I am very pro Black and pro Native American. At this point, I am particularly interested in Native American culture, especially as it relates to wolves because I am in the middle of writing a chapter about the superior attitude of Native Americans that allows them to live in greater harmony with nature, especially with predators like wolves. I am impressed by the way these people learn from, rather than attempt to dominate nature. Also, I am looking for real Native Americans who would be willing to review my chapter, and to see if they agree with the philosophy I have extracted from my readings.
     As I am interested in discouraging the reintroduction of wolves in the Adirondacks, my point centers around the fact that changes have occurred since the time that Caucasians took over from Native Americans and brought about such devastating ecological and sociological changes that it is no longer feasible to reintroduce wolves here. Thus, I hope to view myself as a friend of wolves and of the Haudenosaunee.

_____________________________

(email, 3/17/2006)

   You are right, I do read the TU [Times Union, Albany NY] every weekday, as well as The New York Times.  Since Sallie and I only subscribe to the local newspaper, The Lake Placid News, which is a weekly and only deals with local issues, I read the other two papers on the Internet every weekday morning and print out any articles I find worth keeping. ... On Sunday mornings, if we are home and not going to church with friends, we get the New York Times.

   Though I use computers every day, I am not fascinated by them and only have very rudimentary skills. ...

   As for "guest workers," my family and I came to this country legally, and could either speak English or learned to do so very quickly once here. Obviously too, I am not in favor of America becoming a biligual country. Therefore, I am not in favor of granting amnesty to those people who came here illegally and are still here. I also feel that American jobs should be for Americans first, but that we need a minimum wage that is sufficiently high to allow people to afford food, clothing, transportation to and from work and a decent place to live. The salaries we pay business executives, athletes and entertainers are way out of line and reducing them could go a long way toward increasing the wages of many workers. Also I feel we should have free and dependable child care, so that people can go to work while children are being properly cared for. I think that the excuse that many Americans don't want to do the work that guest workers do is a disgrace.
   All Americans who are out of school should work until they are 55. If they don't like the job they are in, they should go to "night school" to improve their qualifications and move up. After all, I was a farm worker for some time too, only earning about 40 cents an hour. Then I went into the Army, completed my education and became a "professional" person. Finally, anybody who works regularly and honestly deserves dignity and respect, along with a chance to earn a living. That's why you and I got along with the janitors, and why we are still friends today.
Andy

______________________________________

______________________________________

   (email, 10/6/2006)

   Generally, animal trainers captitalize on and gradually modify natural behaviors of animals. For example, it is natural for whales and dolphins to breech (jump out of the water). Trainers then coax dolphins to stick their noses out of the water to take a fish. Then they gradually raise the height at which they hold the fish until the dolphin has its head out of the water. Later, they change the fish for a ball or other object, blowing a whistle and rewarding with a fish after the dolphin hits the ball. Now the animal learns that the whistle is a signal for a reward. Gradually, the trainer raises the ball until the dolphin jumps way out of the water for it.

   The question is complicated with dogs, however, not only because the animals are so intelligent, but also because, as descendants of wolves, they are pack animals, adopting human families as their packs. The importance of this is that with their instinct to support the survival of the pack, they are obedient and willing to please those who are higher in the dominance order (humans, usually adults) than they are. Also, dogs and people train each other inadvertently simply because they establish routines for each other when living together. Your amazing and beautiful dog, Princess, trained so well for you because she wanted to please you, and because you probably were consistent and regular in your training sessions so that she learned to clearly understand what you wanted from her.

   As a lover of huskies, I know these dogs are very difficult to train. They pull hard, even when just going for a walk on a leash because it has been bred into them. However, while pulling a sled, it is more difficult to teach them commands like "gee" (left), "haw" (right), or "whoah" (stop). It is even more difficult to teach them to sit, lie, or do other "tricks." My husky, "Tundra," often verbally objects if I want him to sit. Obviously, personality enters into it as well.

   I suspect that Skidboot has a very loving, and, therefore, trainable personality. He is obviously a very intelligent and observant individual. Though I still stand by the idea that "lower" animals (invertebrates, fish and some amphibians) can learn because they have a nervous system, I feel that the higher mammals, especially, can reason to an extent. What that extent is, depends on species, individuals, and other characteristics.

   (email, 10/12/2006)

As I was born in Guatemala, where there has been a lot of political unrest and violence, I know what you are saying relative to personal safety in Latin America. In fact, when I was very little, I had very blond hair and ringlet curls. My father was interested in exploring some areas of the mountains, driving on some dirt roads. Luckily, the chief of police in a small village saw me, and told my father to get out of there immediately, as I would be considered a particularly valuable specimen for the Indians to sacrifice to the gods! 

   (email, 4/16/2007)

Hi All,

     On Thursday, 19 April from about 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Ward Stone and his students at The College of Saint Rose will be putting on an Earth Day Celebration. Weather permitting, it will be outdoors in the courtyard behind the Student Union. Otherwise, it will be under tents, on porches, or in the Library. In the past, exhibits and talks presented by the Wildlife Pathology Unit (WPU), included: A representative of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), a "hybrid vehicle," College Programs and one of my exhibits on mammals for the American Society of Mammaologists Public Education Committee. Food and music were also on the scene.
     This year, I will have two exhibits and might give a short talk on the effects of pollution on New York State Mammals. My exhibits will be on mammals and the Maya Indians of Guatemala. The mammals exhibits will include eight panels: 1. The American Society of Mammalogists and its Public Education Committee with hands-on classroom/lab. activities on mammals. 2. Coyotes, red and gray foxes. 3. Aging deer. 4. Estimating deer populations. 5 Careers in Mammalogy. 6. A mammal Quiz Board. 7. Identifying mammal skulls. 8. Flight Distances of wolves. My Maya Indian exhibit is less interactive, but will display dolls in native costumes, weavings, music of indigenous Guatemalans and Maya history.
     If it is convenient for you and you can make it, I would love to see all of you there. 
Best Regards,
Andy
__________________

Timber

"As most of you know, our beloved Siberian Husky, Tundra, died last June. 

We now have a new dog, Timber, who is mostly Siberian but with a little Chow thrown in."

     (email: 8/9/2007)

______________________________________

The Adirondack Mountain Club Presents: Andrew Joachim: Adirondack Mammals

   LAKE PLACID   

Ever wonder how mammals make it through the harsh Adirondack winters?  Well now you can learn about the physical and behavioral adaptations that allow them to survive yet another year.  Come join Andrew Joachim, as he presents his Adirondack mammal adaptations program.  This special ADK presentation will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. at Adirondack Mountain Clubs (ADKs) High Peaks Information Center, located at Heart Lake in Lake Placid.  This presentation is free and open to the public.  Joachim's presentation is part of ADKs Saturday Evening Lecture Series, funded with support from Stewarts Shops.  The Saturday Evening Lecture Series offers presentations on natural history, backcountry recreation, Adirondack history, art, and music.  Andrew Joachim lives in Lake Placid. He is the author and co-author of several environmental and educational publications, and has worked as a high school biology teacher, as well as a North Country Community College adjunct instructor of environmental science. 

     [posted January 19, 2008]   [Link (but only title shows in Feb 2015)]

______________________________________

   (email, 9/3/2008)

Cliff,
   Many thanks. I missed the article but now have a hard copy of it. It is just the kind of information I need, because the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks has assigned me to write a report on how the fragmenting of habitat by the proposed huge Adirondack Club and Resort near Tupper Lake would fragment and otherwise destroy wildlife habitat.
   When I first moved to Guilderland Center in 1968, I saw many hognose snakes. I particularly remember one in my back yard and one at Thatcher Park.

____________________

172 Scientists Protest Alaska's Aerial Wolf Hunting

(subtitle) Alaska Programs Related to Predator Control
September 25, 2007  [Source]

   Andrew Joachim, M.S.T., Mammal Ecologist, Retired

[M.S.T. = Master of Science for Teachers]

__________________________

   (email, 9/30/2008)

I watch absolutely no TV.

   (email sent to Carl George, Roland Kays, Cliff Lamere and Ward Stone on 3/12/2009)

"Hi all,

As I think you are all aware, I did a weekly wildlife survey with some of my interested students during the final years of my teaching at Bethlehem. Though the survey was originally patterned after one of Carl's waterfowl studies, as a mammalogist I quickly began gathering data on mammals in roadside habitats as well. The amount of accumulated data is enormous, and in need of finding venues in which to be shared. At the same time, I have been extremely busy with a project of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks (AfPA), attempting to put together a list of as many animals as possible in the Tupper Lake area and placing them into an overall food web. If any of you have any information on fish, insects or other invertebrates of the Tupper Lake region, AfPA and I would be very grateful for it.

With the exception of one in Massachusetts, which I attended, the last few annual meetings (conferences) of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), of which Roland is also a member, have been out west, and I haven't had the financial resources to travel out there so often. This year, however, it is in Fairbanks, Alaska, which is too difficult to resist. Consequently, when going out there in June, I would like to present a poster, using some of the data from my wildlife survey.

Owing to my attention to the AfPA project, as well as wading through all of the data collected on my survey, I just completed the Abstract below, which I would like to submit tomorrow afternoon, as Sunday is the deadline. Since it is only a paragraph long, I wonder if I could ask you to quickly read it and, if you care to, send me any criticisms or comments you have by 3:00 (1500) tomorrow. I would greatly appreciate your opinions.

Regards,
Andy"

[An abstract was below this message.  I read it and made seven suggestions, all of which he accepted.  I never saw the final abstract, but have altered what he sent me to include the changes.]  

An Incidence of Elevation-Caused Home Range Overlap in White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

     Based on data collected in Southern Albany County, New York, from 1991 to 1994, this study consists of documenting observations of deer in roadside habitats, noting their numbers and elevation.  As it was quite extensive, the original observation route included too many stops at higher elevations, thus creating a bias, and was reduced to include 11 stops, each in the approximate center of 100 ft. intervals of grouped data.  Elevation range was from 150 ft. at the point of origin, in Delmar, New York, to the highest elevation, 1250 ft. at the Bear Swamp Source Pond, a Nature Conservancy preserve in the twp. of Westerlo.  The route passed through sections of the Helderberg Mountains that included suburban, rural, and succeeding agricultural areas, all of which provided suitable habitat for white-tails.  Data indicated that Helderberg deer followed predictable patterns of moving to higher elevations in summer and intermediate elevations during spring and autumn.  Still, elevation means were highest in winter, suggesting an overlap with deer from the higher and nearby Catskill Mountains, as these traveled to lower wintering areas overlapping with the home range of the Helderberg animals.  This study included volunteer high school students as observers, thus stimulating their interest in subjects dealing with mammalogy.

   Email: 5/8/2009 (concerning my trip to visit Andy and Sallie, arriving there on Monday, May 11.  We all attended the rehearsal.)

"I have been asked to play in a concert at the Lake Placid High School. They have a nice choral group, but there is a rehearsal at 9:50 on Tuesday morning. I know you like choral music, so you can either come, or do your genealogy stuff with Sallie. The rehearsal is one 45 min. class period long."

   Email: 3/1/2010

"Wednesday Evenings I play chamber music and I have ... an American Legion meeting on Thursday evening."

   Email: 3/1/2010

I wrote to Andy to let him know that I was writing a webpage for singers about how to pronounce German.  I asked if he would have time to help me with parts about which I was unsure.  He responded the same day, "For you, I always have time!"

   Email: 5/15/2010

"The negative comments I made are something of which the administrators, bureaurats (purposely misspelled), and politicians are already well aware."  

Email: 11/11/2010 (sent to Cliff Lamere, Roger Bernardi, Rob Plested and Dominick Cordelli)

Subject: On Veteran's Day, thanks for your service

"Hi Guys,
We had a great Veteran's Day here in Lake Placid. A beautiful day for our American Legion parade, flags raised and lowered in memory of our deceased comrades, and a wonderful lunch to meet members of our community. It is not only the memory of friends who have passed on that is so special, but for those of us still living also knowing what we all share as former members of our armed forces. To borrow an idea from a John Wayne movie in which he proposed a toast: " To our country, to our armed forces (the Navy in the case of this movie - " In Harm's Way") and all that makes them great. " Some of us might have hated every minute of the time we served, but are still happy and proud that we did it. Thanks my friends!
Andy"

Response from Cliff Lamere (the same day):

"Andy,
The service shaped our lives in many ways.  I didn't like basic training, and my first assignment was at Fort Monmouth, NJ.  While there, I could only think about getting home the next weekend.  I hitch hiked on the NYS Thruway to Niagara Falls.  It was ten hours of travel each way; a thousand miles round trip in about 54 hours.  Almost every weekend.  I had met Sue just two weeks before going in the service.  After Monmouth, I spent 6 months in Hawaii, then field radio repair school at Monmouth (more hitch hiking), and a year in Germany.  I visited 11 countries in Europe during that year.  I bought a Volkswagen there and travelled most weekends.  I saw a lot of churches, museums, art galleries, plus the Vatican, Lourdes, Trier's ancient gate to the city, etc.  I had a fair amount of interaction with the German people which helped me learn the language fairly well.  That was one of the best years of my life, so I am grateful to the Army for a great education while doing top secret work.  Oh, and I learned to drink beer there as well. 
About four years ago, I was singing in a church choir with Jean.  The pastor asked for all Veterans to stand up.  Only I and the fellow next to me stood.  Veterans are more uncommon than I had thought.  I, too, am proud that I served my country. 
Cliff "

Response from Andy Joachim (the following day):

"No wonder you're such a dear friend!"

______________________________________

     (email:  1/6/2011)

"I am currently preparing for a presentation on Food Chains, Food Webs, and Biodiversity that I am scheduled to give at the High Peaks Information Center on Saturday, 8 January." 

______________________________________

     email:  4/2/2011

"Since my dogs are both rescue dogs, they have been through some rough times, Timber a lot more so than Takita. Among my proudest moments are when the dogs stretch out on the carpet, and, in an obviously relaxed state, while feeling very secure, they fall asleep.

     Takita is very emotional and can go from being extremely excited and rambunctious to licking my feet, though not immediately from one to the other. When petting her, I often allow myself to become very loving, which she probably senses through the gentle pressure I apply as I pet her in her favorite places and draw her close to me. This elicits a response in kind.
     Wolves and dogs, especially Siberian Huskies are pack animals, and I suspect that bond-forming, close relationships are important in concepts like safety in numbers that result in security. It is these kinds of behaviors that endear dogs to people, and could have something to do with my near aversion to cats, which do not seem to exhibit them."

______________________________________

     email:  early April 2011

I will be staying with Carl George on the evenings of April 6 and 7, as I will be attending, and presenting a poster, at the Northeast Natural History Conference at the Egg in Albany.

______________________________________

     (email:  4/21/2011)

"Hi Cliff,
You are right. All animal training that I am aware of begins with some type of natural behavior, even dolphins jumping far out of the water to touch a ball. At first, the animal is trained to touch a hand (or a ball) that is under the water, and is gradually raised until it is a high as the trainer wants it. Every time that the animal performs the desired modification of the behavior, it is given a signal, usually a blast on a whistle, followed by a treat, in the case of dolphins, a fish. Thus, where it is almost impossible to teach an animal an unnatural behavior, the natural ones can be gradually modified until a desired "trick" is accomplished. Consequently, the bark of the dog in the video was gradually modified, which is relatively easy to do with such intelligent animals.

The poster presentation went O.K., but its main problem was that so much research today is done with all kinds of expensive technology that simple stuff like what I do is no longer exciting. Thanks for asking.
Regards,
Andy"

______________________________________

American Society of Mammalogists

Annual Reports of the Trustees, Standing Committees, Affiliates, and Ombudspersons

June 2011

Conservation Committee:

"The following members rotated off the committee in the past year, and we thank them for their service:

Andy Joachim."  [11 retiring members were named]

Public Education Committee:

Committee Members

A. Joachim  [12 members were named]

"State Lists of Mammals: One of the PEC’s long-term projects is to provide State Lists of Mammals for all 50 states. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed; MSW) was published in 2005, and the state mammal lists are aligned to this taxonomic system."

[Andy provided the state lists of mammals for Vermont and Maine, both of which were online in 2015, but not in 2022.]

______________________________________

Visit to Lake Placid, NY

My wife Jean and I visited Andy and Sallie Joachim Sep 29-Oct 1, 2011 at which time I took the following photos.

Andy Joachim at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington, NY

September 30, 2011   Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Andy Joachim at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington, NY

September 30, 2011   Photograph by Clifford Lamere

In his memory, in 2015 this enclosure now has Andy's name on it. [Source:  Sallie Joachim]

Wolf at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington, NY

September 30, 2011   Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Wolf at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehabilitation Center, Wilmington, NY

September 30, 2011   Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Andy and Sallie Joachim at their Lake Placid home with Takita (foreground) and Timber.

Andy liked this family photo very much.

October 1, 2011    Photograph by Clifford Lamere

______________________________________

Wildlife Rehab Center Offers Educational Experience

SHAUN KITTLE   [read entire article]

Press-Republican, October 29, 2011 

WILMINGTON — [NY]

...

Local mammal ecologist Andrew Joachim visits the center once a month to study the behavior of wolves that are accustomed to human interaction. He will use the data he gathers to illustrate the differences between domesticated and wild wolves.

"The wolves here are tame wolves," Joachim explained. "I compare their behavior to the wolves at the Watertown Zoo, my own dogs at home and wild wolves."

Joachim said the Rehabilitation Center has been an invaluable resource for conducting his research.

"The three most important aspects of this institution are conservation, research and education," he said.

______________________________________

     (email: 7/30/2012, subject: Times Union editorial)

"Cliff,
No, nobody is all bad and nobody is all good either. However, when judging a person's character, it is the overall balance that must be examined and considered. Without getting into specific individuals because I am absolutely sick and tired of politics, let me just say that at this point, I neither wish to change my mind, nor to hear more about people about whom I have heard enough. Because of my anger problem, I have put myself on a political news blackout. In the New York Times, I read about education, music, science, the environment, health, look up the baseball standings to see where the Yankees are, and read opinions dealing mainly with neutral subjects.
Andy"

______________________________________

     (email: 10/25/2012)

"Bad news: I have a thickened left ventricle in my heart. Thickening takes up space, reduces volume, so I run out of breath more easily. What can I expect after so many years of high blood pressure? Otherwise OK. Takita sends her love.
Andy"

     (email from me to Andy: Oct 27, 2012)  My response ended with: 

"For Christmas, expect a package.  I have an old shoe Takita might enjoy chewing on.  I wouldn't want her to forget me."

     (email: 10/27/2012)

"Many thanks, Cliff.
   I appreciate your concern, and the taking of your time to look it up.  Yes, I can, and do take walks, and I am still able to do some heavy work.  A recent nuclear and chemical stress test indicated that I have no blocked coronary arteries.  I see a cardiologist on election day, and will discuss a change in blood pressure medications and a possible aortic valve replacement in the future.  Actually, I feel pretty well, particularly when active.  I think part of my problem is just that not only my heart, but other parts of my body are atrophied for lack of exercise.  Too much sitting at the computer!...
   I won't mention your offer of a Christmas gift for Takita. - I'll let it be a surprise. She still believes in Santa Claus!
Andy"

[Later the same day]

"Cliff, 
Good to hear about your weight loss. In the spring of 2011 I was at my maximum weight ever, 267 lbs. Today, I was about 217. I will not stop until I get around 185. I am finding it relatively easy, especially as I got below 230. I also stopped eating salty foods and salting my eggs, etc. I do, however, still eat prepared foods such as soups that have salt. When possible, however, I choose the low sodium kinds. Additionally, I have stopped eating butter, and carefully watch my fat intake as well. I also have stopped eating potatoes, and reduced pasta. I usually eat two vegetables at dinner, one "normal" one, and one more starchy one like peas, beans, or chick peas. Fortunately, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I don't eat desserts, except for maybe a piece of fruit. I have also reduced my whiskey consumption to 2-3 oz. per day and about 3 cans of beer a week. My doctor and I have talked about all of this, and have received his endorsement.
Andy"

     (email: 11/1/2012)

"I don't think I will be going to Germany anymore. My sister died of cancer last May, and Janet and her family are now permanently back in the US."

Veterans honored at Wadhams cemetery

Thursday, November 15, 2012   [link to complete article - link broken]

   ... The ceremony also paid tribute to Phillip McKinney, of Lake Placid, a World War II and Korean War veteran who died in April.

   “He was not only a career soldier but he was a soldier’s soldier,” said Andy Joachim, of the Lake Placid American Legion.  “He was a shining example of what it means to be a real man.  He was prepared to help any group or person who requested his assistance.”

   Joachim said that McKinney served in several key conflicts during World War II and Korea, earning 20 commendation awards including the Combat Infantry Badge, three Silver Stars and four Purple Hearts.

   To date, 34 veterans have been buried at the Essex County Veterans cemetery, which was opened in May of 2006. This was the seventh annual ceremony to honor veterans living and dead.

     (email:  12/28/2012)

"As you are painfully aware by now, I despise the corporate world and the politicians who support it.  The experience you just had... is among the reasons for my sentiments.  My aversion to big business is particularly directed toward financial institutions, e.g. credit card companies, banks, insurance companies, etc." 

Andy was a passionate person who had strong opinions.  Not long ago, he told me that I was his only conservative friend.  Yet, we were special friends.  Until recently, I would not discuss politics with him.  In our conversations for over 30 years, he repeatedly criticized every Republican president, and failed to complain when they were Democrats.  Nevertheless, he thought of himself as an independent. 

_______________________________

Andy's Research Routine While Living in Lake Placid

"I do a Phenology Study on Fridays, but, since I do it as I walk the dogs...  

Wednesdays. The first Wed. of the month I stay home and do a literature search. The second I go to the Watertown Zoo to study four captive wolves. The third I visit a Rehab. Center in nearby Wilmington to study two tame wolves, and the fourth I study our two dogs. If there is a fifth Wed. in the month, I look to see what the data is telling me."  (email, 9/27/2011)

These comments by Andy were in response to something I wrote.  It is not necessarily a complete schedule of his research.

_________________________________

Andy had as much energy as the wolves that he loved.

Comments about Andy

One time, Bruce Wadsworth and Andy Joachim went ice fishing at Rensselaer Reservoir, a little west of Albany on Route 20.  I arrived later with a friend.  When we got there, by way of introduction I told my friend that "the tall one is Bruce, and the ugly one is Andy".  That got a good laugh from everyone.  This happened at a time when Andy and I were interrupting each other's classrooms occasionally with remarks to be funny and to show students a different side of us.  After the fishing trip, Andy started coming into my classroom and bowing to me, while calling me "Your Supreme Ugliness", a take-off on "Your Highness".  A student of mine who witnessed this, and who took biology from Andy the following year, gave me a summer fishing hat with the words, "Your Ugliness" around it just above the brim.  --- Cliff Lamere

"Andy Joachim died on July 15th [actually the 16th], and the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge lost a true friend and supporter. Andy, shown here with Zeebie in the background, visited the Refuge every month for years, while conducting a study on wolves. On busy days,... he helped out by sharing his wealth of knowledge about wolves, and nature generally, with visitors to the Refuge. Andy was a Renaissance man, an accomplished biologist, teacher and cellist, and a guy I learned quite a lot from over the years."  --- Steve Hall, Adirondack Wildlife Refuge (July 18, 2013) [Source]

"Anytime I saw or visited Andy whether in school, or at his home with Sallie, I enjoyed the conversation, and upon departure, I always came away knowing more about this world than I had prior to the visit!  We lost him much too soon."  --- Norm Shartzer 

______________________________________

POSTERS

Andy enjoyed attending scientific conferences and displaying posters on various subjects.  The presenter gets to meet many people as they examine the poster and then ask questions about the personal research project depicted on the poster.

Publications of Andrew G. Joachim

Published Articles

1)  Title:  Long-buried Lead Shot: Stability, Possible Transport by Waterfowl and Reexposure by Hydraulic Dredging, Collins Lake, Schenectady County, New York

George, Carl Joseph and Andrew Joachim  (1993)

Technical report (New York (State), Division of Fish and Wildlife

Publisher:  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Length:  34 pages

2)  Title:  An Observation Of The Influence Of Posture Of Humans On The Flight Distance of Captive Wolves, Canis lupus. 

Author:  Joachim, A. G.  (2000).  

Proceedings of the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, University of New Hampshire, Durham.

3)  Title:  Demonstrating Flight & Critical Distances as Survival Strategies in Living Crayfish.
Authors:  Joachim, Andrew
Science Instruction; Secondary Education
Source:  American Biology Teacher, v65 n7 p523-28  (Sep 2003)
Abstract:  Explains the fight or flight reaction and presents a hands-on activity for high school students. Uses crayfish behavior as an example.

[When Andy thought of doing this demonstration, he needed a source of crayfish.  Since I was an active fisherman, he asked where he could get them.  I knew bait stores where they could be purchased, but that could change from year to year and season to season.  As a last resort, I knew a location where they could sometimes be netted.]

4)  Title:  Flow And Ebb At Bear Swamp Through History: A Case For Managing Preserves

Andrew Joachim

   Mammal Ecologist and one time Volunteer Preserve Steward with The Eastern New York Chapter, TNC

[Andy sent me the Bear Swamp article to critically read on 10/1/2011.  He sent me the wrong version of the article, however.  After I spent many hours evaluating it and offering suggestions, he decided not to send me the more recent (correct) version and have me start the work over again.  I don't know for sure that the article got published, but I would assume that it did.]

Book

Andy published only one book; it was on the subject of education.  It had two publishers and three titles, however.  For the first two titles (both shared the same ISBN number), no copies were actually printed, although they were registered in 2000 by Press-Tige Publishing Company.  The company was investigated by the FBI in 2001.  Nearly 300 victims of this scam operation were identified.  Martha Ivery, who used many aliases and many company names, in 2006 was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison.  

1)  Title 1: Changes and Problems in American Education: A Former Teacher Remembers
Author Andrew Joachim
Publisher Press-Tige Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2000

Publication date: May 28, 2000
ISBN 1575322242, 9781575322247
Length 360 pages

   Advertised by Barnes & Noble [Link]

Copies with this title were not ever created.

2)  Title 2: It's Not My Fault! 

(paperback)   [Link]
By (author) Andrew Joachim

Publisher: Press-Tige Publishing Company
Published: November 1, 2000
ISBN 13: 9781575322247 ISBN 10: 1575322242

Copies with this title were not ever created.

3)  Title 3:  The TROUBLE with Education Today; A Teacher's Perspective

by George H. Breitenbach   [pseudonym for Andrew George Joachim; his mother's maiden name was Breitenbach]

2002, Sugar Maple Press.  335 pages

ISBN-10: 0971696004 ISBN-13: 978-0971696006 

Book Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

     (email: 10/3/2011)

"I am in the middle of re-reading my book which I will be presenting at a book signing at the local bookstore this weekend. "

[The book to which he referred was The TROUBLE With Education Today, published under a pseudonym.]

Internet Publications

1)  Mammals of Vermont

   Compiled by Andrew Joachim

Published on the website of the American Society of Mammalogists

   References used in preparing this list: 

Burt, W. H. and R.P. Grossenheider, A Field Guide to the Mammals, (1976) (Peterson's Field Guide Series) 

Novak, Ronald M. and Ernest P. Walker - Walker's Mammals of the World, (1991) 

D. Andrew Saunders - Adirondack Mammals (1989)

2)  Mammals of Maine 

   Compiled by Andy Joachim  

Published on the website of the American Society of Mammalogists

As of Oct 27, 2014, Andy was no longer given credit for his work on the mammals of Vermont and Maine.  It was then copyrighted in 2014 by The American Society of Mammalogists.  I wrote to the American Society of Mammalogists to find out why.  I got the following email response on the same day.  [Note: As of July 16, 2015, Andy's two compilations are no longer online, and ASM's mammal database mentioned below is not yet there.]

Greetings Cliff,

It was a great loss to our society when Andy died. He was not only a valued member of the Public Education Committee (PEC), but also my friend. I regret that I was not able to attend the ASM meeting the month before Andy died. 

The list to which you refer to is part of a huge project to convert the old system of state mammal lists from individual excel sheets to a single database. The idea was originally Andy's, and he was the major worker on developing a single mammal list to incorporate all the information for the database. What has been posted on the website is not the final product. We are currently in the process of asking membership to screen the lists so that they are as accurate as possible. We hope to have the final project (an online, searchable database of USA mammals - eventually expanding to all of the Americas) completed by the end of this year.

When the new mammal species database is incorporated onto the ASM website, the last piece is to put the names of those ASM members who made this possible. I planned to have Andy's name first. I do want to honor him for his work. I will need to go through the society to have that part completed, but my focus has been to get the work done.

For Andy's biography, Steve Scheffield would be a really good source for describing Andy's work with ASM over the years. Steve knew Andy longer than I did. I first met Andy about 12 years ago, when I was working on my Ph.D. Steve and Andy's relationship predates that. Another person would be Tom Tomasi. Tom was the chair of the Public Education Committee for many year, before I took on these duties. I know that Tom and Andy also had a long and rewarding relationship. Let me know if you would like me to introduce you.

Respectfully,
Barb

Barbara J. Shaw, Ph.D.

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Obituary, Funeral, Interment (2013)

OBITUARY

Joachim, Andrew George  --  [Published 7/18/2013 in Adirondack Daily Enterprise]

    Andrew George Joachim, 74, of Lake Placid, passed away Tuesday, July 15, 2013 [July 16], at the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.

    Andy was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to Heinrich Joachim and Ilonka Breitenbach Joachim. He moved to White Plains as a boy. He served three years in the U.S. Army in Mannheim, Germany and graduated from Cornell University in 1966. Andy worked as a biology teacher at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar until his retirement, at which time he moved to Lake Placid.

    Andy was a passionate man who described himself as a wildlife bio-cellist. He enjoyed doing research and presentations for the American Society of Mammalogists right up until his passing. Andy was often found playing cello in the pit orchestra for various Lake Placid community productions, and also enjoyed playing cello for the Keene Valley Congregational Church in Keene Valley.

    Andy is survived by his wife, Sallie Sook Joachim of Lake Placid and by his children, Janet Joachim Self of Catonsville, Md. and Eric Bentley Joachim of Schenectady and grandchildren Margaret and Anna Self.

    The family would like to thank the ICU team at the Adirondack Medical Center for their compassion during Andy's final days.

    The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 19 with an American Legion Prayer Service at 7:45 p.m. at the M. B. Clark Funeral Home in Lake Placid. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 20 at the Keene Valley Congregational Church.

    Memorial donations may be made in Andy's name to the Keene Valley Congregational Church or the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge, Wilmington.

    Relatives and friends are invited to "light a candle" and share a memory or leave online condolences at www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com.

Keene Valley Congregational Church, site of the funeral service

for Andrew Joachim (July 20, 2013)

Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Hearse in front of the church

Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Inside the church.  

About 25 choir members were seated in the front right, facing the casket draped with the flag of our nation.

Science teachers in the photograph:  On the left side are Norm Shartzer (light gray jacket), Charles Reed (to his right), 

and Bruce Wadsworth (black shirt, near aisle).  On the right side is Tom Cunningham (light blue shirt)

Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Inside the church

Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Andy had been Commander of the American Legion Post 326 in Lake Placid, NY.  About 10 members attended his 2013 burial.  One of them played a very moving taps before Andy received a salute by the attending members in uniform.

Andy's final resting place, North Elba Cemetery, Lake Placid, NY (July 20, 2013).

The hearse was parked just to the right.  I was honored to be one of the six pall bearers.

Just as we lifted the casket to carry it to the grave site, a sudden, but gentle rain began.

And as soon as we got beneath the canopy, it decreased and very soon stopped.

Was it just a coincidence?  I wonder what Andy would have thought. 

Photograph by Clifford Lamere

Andy would have enjoyed the thought

of a wolf guarding him while he rests.

Flag Raised in Memory of Andy

On July 4, 2015, the American Legion raised a flag in his honor at Peacock Park in Lake Placid.  It will fly until Veteran's Day, November 11, 2015.  "Andy would have been very pleased."  [Source: Sallie Joachim, June 4 & 7, 2015] 

Visitors since July 16, 2015  

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