Oysterponds

There are a couple of very special events coming up for Oysterponds Lane’s Rackett family. On Wednesday, June 16, Hattie and Ted will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. (Wow!) And the following Friday, June 25, Ted will blow out 94 candles on his birthday cake. How special are both of those occasions. Please seek them out and wish them well.

There was a lengthy, impressive and complimentary story in the New Jersey Record about our own Bill Hands’ major league pitching career 30-plus years ago. In it, it slipped out that he, too, shares in our decade club and added a zero on May 6. Hope it was a memorable day.

Another person adding that same zero — 20 days later and two-plus weeks ago — was former Skippers Lane resident Tony Romano. Sorry I missed you both.

Chris Lauber confirmed the sighting of a bobcat in her Orchard Street yard this week. She fears that someone may try to harm this animal, which is very rare in this area and is very useful in the control of rodents and other uninvited vermin. It was a thrilling discovery for Chris. Has anyone spotted this new neighbor? If so, please check in.

Oysterponds Historical Society is gearing up for some fun and excitement next weekend. On Saturday, June 19, it will host a fine arts auction at Brecknock Hall in Greenport beginning at 11 a.m. Preview hours will be Friday, June 18, noon to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Auction items include antique furniture, glass, silver, quilts, paintings and nautical items as well as works by active local artists.

Later on Saturday you might be able to snag a ticket for the annual North Fork Fresh in Poquatuck Park, where you can taste fine Long Island wines, local seafood and farm-fresh fare. Call OHS at 323-2480 for more details. Another feature of North Fork Fresh will be a drawing for the $10,000 grand prize in the 300-ticket raffle. You can get more info on that also by calling OHS.

In addition, you can attend a world-class percussion concert by Rick Sacks at Poquatuck Hall either Friday or Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The $20 admission will benefit the restoration fund.

The law of the cell phone became very evident to me recently. This weekend I became acutely aware of it when, twice, at the most solemn moments of 1) a church service and 2) a sincere speech, someone’s cell phone not only rang, but blasted and wouldn’t stop. One person said they get only one phone call a week and, of course, that would be the time. It must be the technology devil playing tricks. Does anybody else want to share where a cell phone got a mind of its own?

Please pound on God’s door for Barbara Andrade, who is facing some serious health issues and is working on them at Stony Brook University Hospital. While you’re at it, mention Elyse Romano, who spent the weekend in Cornell Hospital in Manhattan after hitting a couple of medical speed bumps. Get well, ladies.