Greenport

JOHN CORAZZINI COURTESY PHOTO
The Greenport High School Class of 1969 reunion committee – John Corazzini (from left), Jeanine Monsell, Josie Geehreng, Jill Muir and Ken White Jr. – with the picnic table the class donated to the elementary school.

In another five days it will be the official start of the fall season. I’ll miss the sunshine and warm temperatures. I sure hope they don’t stay away too long! My only consolation is that this past Sunday was the beginning of the NFL season and the Giants are 1-0!

Congratulations are most definitely in order for the Greenport Elementary School. Just last week it learned it was one of 304 schools nationwide, one of two on Long Island (with Glen Cove) and the only school in Suffolk County to be named a federal “Blue Ribbon School” for excellence in education. Congratulations to the Board of Education, administration, faculty, staff and students on this distinction.

Mary Charters, bless her heart, will participate in the Soldier Ride for the Wounded Warrior Project this coming Saturday, Sept. 18, in memory of and to honor First Lt. Joe Theinert. Mary’s looking for other riders and/or sponsors for the event. Registration will be at Mitchell Park 7:30-8:30 a.m. and the bike ride kicks off at 9. You can join Mary’s group or become a sponsor by contacting her at 477-9434.

The GHS Class of 1960 presented the high school with a picnic table as its 50th anniversary class gift. It will be placed near the kindergarten play area. To celebrate their reunion, class members attended a Friday night barbecue at the home of Jerri and Ken White, toured GHS with Superintendent Mike Comanda, and held a formal dinner Saturday night at Townsend Manor, where class adviser Herbert Egert and wife, Louise, were honored. Classmates came from as far away as California (Norman Merrill), Utah (Richard Klos) and Texas (Lucille Tuthill). The committee consisted of Josie Geehreng, Harry Geehreng, John Corazzini, Margo Sarris, Jeanine Monsell, Jill Muir and Ken White Jr.

Healing wishes to Ron McEvoy, who evidently needed to extend his summer vacation, but picked the hospital to enjoy it in. I know, though, that you can’t keep a good man down and Ron is one of the best. Here’s hoping he’s back among us very, very soon.

The GHS cheerleaders would like to thank everyone who patronized their car wash last Saturday. The girls were washing cars non-stop for almost the entire three-hour period and the patrons’ generosity was unbelievable.

Good luck to Coach Jack Martilotta and the Porter football team as they hit the road today to take on the Wyandanch Warriors.

Birthday wishes are being sent out this week to Aaron Brown and Barbara Claps today, Sept. 16; my stupendous goddaughter, Alyssa Damiani, as well as Michael Dimon, Andrew Corwin, John Dinizio, Ginny Grattan and Eileen Kiski on the 17th; Carlos DeJesus and “Mr. Butta’Cakes” himself, Marc LaMaina, on the 18th; Candis Leary (who’s celebrating a biggie this year), Sofia Land and Mary Kathryn Baker on the 20th; Brittany Ruroede, her mom, Chris Ruroede, and Shelby Kostal on the 21st; and Bruce Sieverman, Shelley Boyd and Peter Vandernoth on the 22nd.

Happy anniversary to Sarah Gunderson and Mike Mazzaferro, who will celebrate their 12th on Sept. 20.