Community

Greenport

A before-school child care program will begin at Greenport School this year, pending enrollment. The program will offer parents a safe place to leave their elementary schoolchildren before school starts each morning. Children will have breakfast and participate in a variety of age-appropriate activities, including homework support, from 7:15 to 8:40 a.m. The cost will be $10 per day. For further information, call 477-1950, ext. 211.

The Greenport Tree Committee needs help watering the new trees planted around the village. After this severe heat, some of the 100 newly planted trees are showing signs of distress. If you have a small street tree near your home, please help out by watering with several gallons of water or a hose. A few dozen trees have green plastic watering bags attached. These bags have a slit with a pocket under the white label and allow the tree to be fed slowly over several days after the bag is filled.

Congratulations are definitely in order to Oscar Aguilera, son of Yolanda and Jose Miranda. In a ceremony on the grounds of Greenport Schools this past Saturday, Oscar celebrated his 10th anniversary in the Marine Corps and received his new rank of staff sergeant. Oscar also informed those present that he is now a children’s counselor and, as if all that weren’t enough, he will receive his master’s in special education in September, 2011. Congratulations, Oscar; I’m so very proud of you.

The Bondarchuk family held their annual family reunion on Saturday at Orient State Park with 70 people in attendance. The oldest was John Bondarchuk and the youngest was Haley Rose Hascoat. Family came from New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, North Carolina and Nevada. Everyone enjoyed reminiscing and spent a beautiful day catching up on the past year. There was also a surprise visit from a restored 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon originally owned by the late Peter and Julia Bondarchuk.

That same 1959 Ford appeared at the 54th annual Heaney family reunion the following day, which was hosted by Kevin Heaney this year at the family homestead on Fourth Avenue. Close to 100 family members attended, traveling from Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, upstate New York and various locations throughout Long Island. Marion Heaney (former Greenport third-grade teacher) was this year’s matriarch, being the eldest. Katrina Chouinard, followed closely by Kaia Warner, were the two youngest.

Annemarie Heaney Chouinard announced at the reunion that through family donations alone, 110 GHS graduates have benefited from the nearly $93,000 that has been given in scholarships in memory of cousins B. Timothy and Shawn Heaney. There was a somber moment when Mike Heaney made a toast in memory of his brother, Mark, whom we lost earlier this year. You can’t really know what it’s like unless you’re a part of it, and I am so very blessed to be a member of this absolutely wonderful, loving, close-knit family.

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the Greenport Fire Department’s annual chicken barbecue on Saturday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $20 and are available daily at the Third Street firehouse.

I have a couple of belated wishes to send out this week. One goes to Kaylee Hansen, who celebrated her birthday Aug. 3, and the other to Chrissy and Tim McElroy, who celebrated their second wedding anniversary Aug. 1. I hope your respective days were happy for all of you.

Celebrating this week are Joann Tamin and Karen Land Rich on the 13th; Kelly Sage on the 15th; Chris Dinizio on the 16th; Stephanie Jensen, Richard Vogel and Mark Lieb on the 17th; and Cheryl Rock and Lynsay Kohler on the 18th.

We wish the happiest of anniversaries to Betty and George Capon as they celebrate 57 years of marriage on Aug. 16.