Dear Friends.
Please join in remembering Arthur Messier Jun 7, 1948 - September 13, 2007.  
Arthur laughed heartily, loved books, music and words and loved deeply especially this last year.
He died last night at 8 PM surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his wife Kathryn 
and daughter, Alison.
A memorial mass will be held at the blessed Sacrament Church in Northampton, Mass on Tuesday 
September 18 at 10 AM.  A reception will follow in the church.
Arthur will always be indelibly linked with the Atlantis Hotel and the early days of the 
New Division as we crafted our Town Meeting government and our community.  
I remember hanging out in his room, laughing, the music, his intelligent and quick wit 
and how he will always be a part of the New D.  
Arthur, I hope you are smiling - thank you for gracing our lives!
Love to all,
Holly
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The first time I saw Arthur was when I arrived at
the new building in Springvale and marched in asking
for help moving my stuff from a rental car.? Arthur
and Howard K. were standing around that mailbox area
in the center section and obliged.? Arthur and I
started hanging out after that, and spent many happy
hours toking away and listening to excellent music
on terrible systems.? He was pretty tolerant (as
well as ascerbic, oddly) and was the center of
attention when he was around a group. He was also
generous, driving down to Boston regularly for the
latest album (remember the White Album blasting in
the center section, that was Arthur's doing), and
sharing his stash with his friends and others. Years
later when we saw each other socially in 2000, he
seemed much the same, but said that the Nasson days
had been very difficult for him, and that he didn't
see himself that way at all.
The first time I saw Arthur was when I arrived at
the new building in Sandford and marched in asking
for help moving my stuff from a rental car.? Arthur
and Howard K. were standing around that mailbox area
in the center section and obliged.? Arthur and I
started hanging out after that, and spent many happy
hours toking away and listening to excellent music
on terrible systems.? He was pretty tolerant (as
well as ascerbic, oddly) and was the center of
attention when he was around a group. He was also
generous, driving down to Boston regularly for the
latest album (remember the White Album blasting in
the center section, that was Arthur's doing), and
sharing his stash with his friends and others. Years
later when we saw each other socially in 2000, he
seemed much the same, but said that the Nasson days
had been very difficult for him, and that he didn't
see himself that way at all.
Marlena
---------------------------
Strangely I just got to Kennebunk Beach this evening for a vacation.
It was 41 years ago tomorrow I met Artur just down the beach from where I sit right now.
Luckily I walked that beach we walked those years ago, before I read my mail.
It will never be the same again.
Love to all,
Bill
---------------------------
Holly - thanks very much for passing on Art's sad information.  Altho I was only at ND for 
(the last) 1 year a close and friendly involvement with Art came easily and quickly - his 
facile intelligence was huge fun, a great sense of humour and always a great sense of deeper 
meaning.  It was so great to see him last fall - his spirit and sense of humour in top form 
despite what his body was doing to him.  
During town hall I was (typically) at the bar not far from some of the locals who helped 
cater our event and were now hanging about, winding down and enjoying the milieu.  I noticed 
their attention caught and focused as they tuned in to Art's rendering of the minutes and I 
happily confess a selfish sensation of pride in the ND and Art when I caught them guffawing 
and laughing right out loud along with the rest of us at Art's subtle, nuanced and oft-hysterical
delivery - I was grateful for that moment of relief and delivery to times passed and much 
missed -  typical Artie.
Thanks again - fond warm regards - nick murray. 
----------------------------
At reunions one can generally only spend a few minutes with another person as there are 
so many people to renew friendships with. I had a few minutes with Art that I will always 
be grateful for. I mentioned that after my New Division days I had become a believer. He 
said that he too had found a lot of peace through church. Thus, his passing is sad for us 
but not for him. He has a new body and he rests in the arms of the Lord.
Stanwood
----------------------------
i think art would expect us to share some recollections at this
point. i have one.
at some point i must have dragged art into my room to hear some
particularly dissonant and ugly piece of contemporary classical
music. maybe it was penderecki or one of those lugubrious
central european composers. he listened with great intensity,
turned to me and said "you should probably spend some time 
listening to the beach boys." i must have looked skeptical. "no
really, they have some very unusual harmonies." i'm still not 
sure he wasn't being sarcastic. at any rate, he never asked to
borrow the record.
friend, you will be greatly missed.
stevan
----------------------------
Hello All
What tough news about Art...
First guy I ran into at the NewD.  He said he was the moderator of the town
meeting, and that I should follow him, and then we went immediately out into
the woods and had a quick orientation.  
"Oh Yeah! I definitely belong here" I thought.
And that was Art's way, to welcome the new guy.
Condolences to his family, and to all of us.
d-A->e
--------------------------
Art, I will miss you. Learned a lot from you. Glad my son Jed got to meet 
you last fall. Please care for my parents, and my daughter Jessamyn. We all 
will be with you soon enough. Perry
--------------------------
On the day the Beatle's White album arrived at the New D, Art (for
reasons known only to him) walked through the center section passing out
Free Acid. 
There must have been 20 or 30 of us. We all gathered downstairs and that
was the only record we played for the next 6 hours. I remember some
people were having a hard time (vivid image of Nick Murry sitting on the
floor with his arms around two people while a small group collected in
the pool of calmness he created) but mostly we all came out all right.
Art was a strong presence. At dawn we all walked out into the snowy
morning. Kathy Gatov grinning from ear to ear dressed only in a thin
night shirt; Angus McKensey naked from the waist up resplendent in body
paint howling like an Indian, and Art - strutting like some psychedelic
prince. There was a bond created that night between that group of people,
us, that was never broken. It lives on in his memory. He will be missed.
Sabu
----------------------------
I remember it well.  It was the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday, 1968, and quite 
a few folks had already left for the weekend.  
 
Those of us staying on joined Art for the party.  
 
I rememebr Kip and Gerry Maizlich were there too--and I remember the image of Nick. 
 
It was a beautiful dawn.
 
Thanks everybody.  Thanks, Art.
 
Love,
 
Ellie
---------------------------
Art was the first person I saw at the New Division, too, and a major factor
in my decision to go there.  I was a senior in high school, and my mother
dragged me to the guidance counselor, desperate to get me to college.  The
guidance counselor decided that I -- who to my great surprise had been voted
class nonconformist -- would like the New Division, and sent me with a
classmate who was going to Nasson for a college visit.  The campus tour was
led by a First Division student, who said, after showing us the unimpressive
main campus, "Well, that's it, unless anyone wants to see the New Division."
Well, yeah, that's what I came for . . . I remember somehow winding up in
the center section by myself.  The place seemed deserted; it was sometime in
May, so probably most students had left for the summer.  Then a cool-looking
guy in a Guatemalan vest, rimless glasses, and longish wavy hair came up the
stairs.  It was Art.  I summoned my courage and asked him if he liked going
to school there.  I forget exactly what he said -- I think it was a little
snarky (how could he resist?), but not unkind.   Anyway, Art was the
deciding factor; it must be a groovy place, to have such hip dudes in it.
He had that dark, mordant wit, but was basically too kind to be really
cutting.  I remember some heartfelt (albeit substance-enhanced)
conversations, standing out on the back balcony under the Maine stars and
feeling a true connection.   Art was always the one who keep abreast of the
latest events in pop culture, and who made forays to the big city to bring
them back and share with everyone -- the White Album, Tommy by the Who.
Kathryn told me that he was true to that until the end; just a week or so
before he died, he went to the local record store and bought a half-dozen
CDs by artists new to him.
With love to all of us,
Freda
---------------------------
Greetings New Division,
I asked Art's Kathryn if there were any facilities/organizations that 
Art might have wanted supported in his name.
She said that the hospice where Art spent the last hours of this life 
provided incredible care, and even more incredible support to him and to 
his family.
If you are so inclined, you can give a donation in Art's name. They 
accept checks or a contribution can be made on their web site (Google?),
The mailing address: 
Fisher Home Hospice House
1165 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413-549-0115
Of the many people that stride into my spirit from the New Division, Art 
has always, and will always, be in the forefront.
Richard Slacum
---------------------------
I remember going to Arts room and borrowing the first Traffic album. I went with the 
old "ask forgiveness and not permission theory." Art forgave me. It was good to meet up 
again at the last ND reunion.  Wish everyone was there. My condolences to his Family, 
Jerry Maizlish
---------------------------
(Heard often in the center section when yet another group returned from one of Art's
 "orientations)……"Good fribbing Christ, man, we've been reduced to simbaling beembles!" 
Jock
---------------------------
I was not as connected to Art as some of you were, but when I saw Art at the last ND 
reunion I was struck by his indomitable and joyful spirit despite his obvious illness.  
It gave me hope that he would be attending another reunion.  Although his body succumbed 
it is his spirit that I will remember. 
 
Anita
---------------------------
The indicator of a life worth living is having a body of friends who know and love you. 
Art certainly was such a person and a really special one at that.
I think back to how happy he was last September rejoicing and reminiscing with all of us. 
I know he really felt the love and began to understand how much we all cared about him.
Bob Ross
----------------------------
Yes, and that is certainly my fondest memory of the Beatles, and at a minimum any time 
I see the White Album or reference to it, that party comes to mind. Such a fine gift 
among the many he gave. Monty 
----------------------------
I did meet Art the first time I stepped on campus and NewD. I kind of had to find a 
college, quickly, and I wanted to go somewhere that would not be oppressive, and I somehow 
heard about the New D. So I drove over, and walked into the center section. Looking to my 
left, I see a guy who looks rather like a bandit in an old movie about Mexico, except he 
was smoking a cigarette with his toes. Nope, not Arthur (of course), but Fester (of course). 
A reason to come! Then also Art and I talked. More reasons to come. So glad I did!
 
Monty 
---------------------------
Art was a great friend to me we went to see the greatful dead in beantown at the 
Tea Party three nights in a row and a lot of other shows too. I was driving up to 
cambridge where I was living in this crazy house with winky and jon prince and there 
was Arty hitchiking on 95 north I drove him to his home in Rhode Island That was the 
last time I saw him though I thought of him often with a big smile on my face
Doc Miller
----------------------------

I've been struggling with this for a while, and Dick's (excuse me, 
Richard's) email - this one - whipped up the pot even more. I had smiles 
with Art back then, but it was the reunion opportunities which actually 
made a difference. But my feelings were all over the place when I 
received Holly's email, from a distant "oh my god", to a sense of a 
closer connection from the reunions, to a something else. I'm not sure.

As a brief sideline, I have not lied very much in my life. But I lied to 
Dick Slacum twice in a couple years. One time, we made a deal on how we 
were going to "manage" a town meeting situation, and when it came time 
for me to speak (because Slacum chickened out), I said whatever came to 
my totally freaked out brain instead of presenting what we had agreed to 
as a strategy. Clearly I can never be a Republican.

The other time was when I told him I had read Finnegan's Wake (sp). I 
knew then, looking in his eyes, he knew me for the liar I was. Our 
relationship was over.

All the experiences and feelings sent over the last few days, I've been 
confused by them. I envy them.

I love the fact we are still doing this. I remember Art with so many 
mixed memories, some of which I am making up probably, but the stomach 
feeling is, the love in his eyes. (no matter what state they may be in). 
I have not actually cried inside until tonight, very rarely crying 
outside, until I thought of one thing. Which is, he will not see another 
fall or winter storm or green leaves in the spring. He will not feel the 
love of those he loves. I'm thinking, without love out and environment 
in, what is the difference between life and death? Not much. But who 
knows who can talk about it?

Thank you Art for the message in your eyes. Thank you Dick for revealing 
your email address to many people who may want to reach out to you. I 
have not ever met you, but to Art's family, obviously you are lucky. And 
to the rest of you, you better damn well show up in the next reunion if 
you can walk.

Support our troops; replace them with Iraq's,

Skip
---------------------------
My most pronounced Art memory is the total shock I felt when at the 1989
reunion Art told me he was a practicing catholic...now you need to know I
was raised in the catholic faith (gave it up at 14 and never looked back)
and my grandmother (a lapsed catholic herself) brought me up to believe
Jewish men were THE smartest, treated women the best & were the only guys to
marry. 
All through the New D years and after, I was SURE Arthur was jewish...He was
too smart, too cool to be anything else....Well Bob (yup, he IS!) and I
early last week went to Art's memorial mass in his very catholic church. I
hadn't attended catholic mass since my confirmation and it gives me a wicked
tickle inside to know that it took Art Messier to get me to a kneeling
position in a church pew...As sad as it was to be at Art's memorial mass, it
was also strangely comforting. I think I owe Art a thank you for the gift of
acceptance. 

Love,
karen
---------------------------
Thursday, October 04, 2007

Hi Bill, 

     You don't know me from a hole in the wall but I had to send you an e-
mail. I'm Art's brother, Skip, and I just got the link from Kathryn, Art's 
wife and I was moved beyond words. To think that someone that had known him so 
long ago would care enough to take the time to put that page together says a 
lot for the people that were both touched by him and, in turn, touched him.

     I met quite a few people from Nasson at the funeral (if I met you and 
don't remember, please forgive me) and to a person they were all wonderful 
people that said a lot of great things about him.

     It's difficult adjusting to life without him and seeing the memoriam page 
was initially saddening yet the more that I read it, the less sad I became 
until I found myself actually laughing out loud at some of the things that old 
friends had to say.

     Once again I can't thank you enough for such a thoughtful gesture.

Regards,

Skip Messier
---------------------------