Greenport: Visit ELIH Op Shop’s Christmas Bazaar

This is it, folks! This time next week we’ll all be in the throes of the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the holidays. I think, perhaps, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There’s no worrying about presents to be purchased, gifts to be gotten; it’s just a time to reflect and be thankful for all that we have.
If you’re ready to start sprucing up your home for the holidays, the Op Shop is the place to go. Their Christmas Bazaar started this past Tuesday and will continue until Christmas. I’m told they have merchandise galore for the holidays and you know you can always get a good bargain there, so stop in and see what they have.
Greenport fourth- and fifth-graders recently welcomed Debbie Schmitt of the Long Island Farm Bureau to their classrooms to talk about local agriculture. Ms. Schmitt, of Philip A. Schmitt & Son Farm in Riverhead, talked about how farming ties in with the local economy. She also brought in harvested vegetables and explained their nutritional values. The lesson ended with a delicious salad!
My sincerest sympathies go out to the Foster family — Jerry, John, Kathy Foster Schuhmann and Sally Foster Borodemos — on the passing of their dad, and to Loretta McKnight and her children on the passing of her husband, Phillip McKnight.
Fair Trade comes to St. Agnes on Sunday, Nov. 21, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fair Trade is a company based in Hampton Bays that sells fair trade products from 25 developing countries that guarantee their producers fair wages and enable them to provide for their families, remain in villages and gain medical and educational opportunities. The products include coffee, jewelry, scarves, bags and more. Refreshments, including the coffee that’s for sale, will be provided.
The ‘Save the Legion’ fundraiser last Thursday at Skipper’s Restaurant was a huge success. I don’t think anyone expected such a big turnout, so a great big thank-you to the community for supporting this great cause and to everyone who helped out that evening.
TWIGS, the newest branch of the Eastern Long island Hospital Auxiliary, will host its annual Snow Ball on Friday, Dec. 3, 6:30 to 11 p.m., on Love Lane in Mattituck. Tickets are $125 per person and reservations are required. Call 258-4721.
Belated birthday wishes go out to Taylor Swann, who celebrated her 9th birthday on Nov. 17. I hope it was a happy one, Taylor.
Celebrating during the upcoming week are Grace Anne Williamson and Carol Leden today, Nov. 18; Philip Doucett on the 19th; Ken Tamin and my super-spectacular niece Kaleen O’Connell on the 20th; William Stetler Jr., Marissa Schiavoni and Barbara Kettering on the 21st; Gen Montgomery and Billy Hagen on the 22nd; Charlie Parker and Jillian Vandernoth on the 23rd; and Allan Dinizio and Alexa Klipp on the 24th.
The happiest of anniversaries is wished to June and Doug Peterson, married 19 years on Nov. 23.
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, so the paper will come out on Wednesday next week. That means there’s an early deadline for the community columns. If you have something you’d like to see here next week, please call me today (Thursday); tomorrow will be too late.