Community

Oysterponds

The Oysterponds Community Forum has been rescheduled for next Monday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Childcare will be provided if you call the school to reserve. The forum’s purpose is to present ideas for the future education of Oysterponds School students — not to discuss the Greenport contract.

It’s the time of year that thoughts turn to composting your gardens. Tasha Bondarchuk has a win-win proposition. She has lots of manure that is available just for the asking. This way she won’t have to throw it away. Just bring your own bags. This free fertilizer is on a first come, first served basis. Contact Tasha at 384-7454.

Calling all prospective Eagle Scouts: Poquatuck Hall is in desperate need of a new handicap ramp. It would be a super project. Call me.

When you see Betty Rowe on Saturday, please wish her a happy new decade. I won’t say which one since you won’t believe me anyway. Happy day, friend!

The Congregational church youth group will hold a car wash on Saturday at the church from 9 a.m. to noon. I would give it five stars based on my previous experiences with their work.

There’s a lot of sad news in Orient this week. Lifelong Orienteer Peg Strachan gave up her battle with numerous ailments on Thursday. Peg was one of the last three surviving children (along with Ritchie Latham and Ann Bliss) of OHS benefactor George Latham. Anyone who knew her would agree that she’ll be remembered for her kind and sweet nature. I’ll remember her for the ever-present twinkle in her eye. She was one of the original “Sip and Sewers.” (Will someone please check in and report who’s still with us from that group?) Oysterponds extends sympathy to her children, Ken, Stuart and Leslie. There will be a memorial service Sunday, Sept. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Congregational Church.

In July 2007, Ivonne and Jose Hernandez brought their 7-month-old twin sons to the Congregational Church to be baptized. At the time, the community promised to embrace and support the boys. That promise will be more important than ever now since Ivonne lost her battle with cardiovascular illness on Saturday. Ivonne had given so much of her heart to help Jose realize the joy of fatherhood, there wasn’t enough left to keep beating. Once again, Oysterponds shares in the sadness and sends comforting thoughts to Jose, Luke and Zack on their loss.

OK, so are you ready for a six degrees of separation small world? Emily Halligan recently attended church in Greenport with a woman she’d first met more than six decades ago. Emily and her sister, Peg Nelson, lived in Dix Hills at the time but attended Sunday school in Deer Park. Christa Wanamaker, now of Riverhead, says she remembers them as the two new girls in the class. Emily and Christa had reunited just a while back when Emily’s son Dan Stahl relocated from East Marion to Northport in the house across the street from Christa and her husband, Carl, who’d just sold their home in anticipation of their move East. Small world got kicked up one more notch when they realized that Carl Wanamaker graduated from Huntington High School with Emily’s late husband. Confused? Me too, but still fun.