Oysterponds: Orient Association meeting Oct. 23

East Marioneers Joe and Sue Cherepowich are delighted to announce the arrival of their sixth grandchild, Alec Joseph Cherepowich, born on Oct. 7 at Women’s and Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I. Parents Joseph and Kate and 3-year-old Anna are thrilled to welcome Alec into their Rehobeth, Mass., home. Congratulations all around.
The Orient Association’s bimonthly meeting will be held this Saturday, Oct. 23, at 9 a.m. in Poquatuck Hall. Discussion will continue about the ongoing topics of water, ferry traffic and growth. Please plan to attend.
For those who don’t know, Sarah is in her second year teaching high school seniors in Fort Pierce, Fla. She needed help with two students and went to their ROTC instructor for guidance. The ROTC adviser said, “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you, since the name Gillooly isn’t a common one, are you by any chance related to …?” The words never even got out of his mouth. Knowing he was retired military, Sarah finished his sentence with, “… Bruce Gillooly?” Sarah’s colleague, Al Nevarez, had gone to ranger school at the same time as Bruce and they served together in the Army two decades ago. Bruce, now a retired colonel, and his family live in Colorado and Sarah got right on the phone to take a trip down memory lane for them both. Small world. BTW, Bruce spent his childhood summers down on the bay on Orient Harbor.
Now for my public service announcements. Two Saturday’s ago Verizon wireless had service issues and there was no service for three hours along a 15-mile swath of the North Fork. It was dicey to try and meet up with friends for dinner, which didn’t happen because we couldn’t contact each other. It made me aware that, just like we tell our kids to have a plan, a plan for communicating without cell phones should be established.
On this next one, I feel like the Paul Revere of the war on deer. I have not traveled anywhere here in the last month without encountering a deer in the middle of the road, threatening to be in the middle of the road or dead on the side of the road. It is an epidemic of potential car accidents. Please be vigilant.
If you’ve been near Poquatuck Hall lately you may have noticed that the announcement board is in a bad shape and needs to be replaced. The OCA board is hoping someone will step forward and volunteer to build it or pay for it. Please call Walter Strohmeyer at 323-2466 at if you might be that angel. They’ll even put your name on it.
If you were born at ELIH and spent your whole six-plus decades on the North Fork, your departure from the area deserves a farewell. Carol Grattan Giovanelli is pulling up stakes today and making a brave move to Spring, Texas, where she’ll be near her family. We all wish her Godspeed and a joyous transition.