Community

Oysterponds: Check out the holiday happenings

Oysterponds always rises to the occasion when asked. Corinne Fitting reported that the community and the faculty association collected 87 pair of pajamas for the recent drive.

There’s a huge box in our post office collecting “Toys for Tots,” as in years past. Please help by donating a new, unwrapped toy for this worthwhile national program.

Speaking of good causes, niece and Orienteer Lauren Gillooly has been part of the Teach for America program for two years now and has taken on an incredible goal. She’s hoping to raise enough funds to take the eighth-graders from Marvell (Ark.) Middle School to NYC to introduce them to the arts and culture of Manhattan. Lauren is about halfway there and needs help. Lauren graduated from Boston College in 2009 and plans to make this happen for her class. Every little bit will help. Visiting her website, marvelltonyc.com, will explain the ambitious dream and give you an opportunity to contribute. We all wish Lauren the best in this endeavor.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend in Oysterponds. Please check the calendar for complete details. Saturday, Dec. 11, is the always-wonderful Holiday House Tour. At the same time, the Oysterponds Parents Guild will host a chinese auction at Poquatuck Hall. On Saturday evening at 7 p.m., Jean Redpath, regarded as the world’s foremost interpreter of Scottish traditional song, will perform at Poquatuck.

A community singalong sponsored by OHS, OCA, OA and EMCA takes place Sunday, Dec. 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. — once again in Poquatuck Hall. After that event, the winner of the beautifully renovated dollhouse will be chosen. You can see the dollhouse in the window of the Country Store and buy a chance there.

‘Holiday Artistree’ is a special edition of this weekend’s Beach Plum Shop at the Old Point Schoolhouse. The artists who have donated “ornaments” are Laura Westlake, Taz Smith, Kathy Smith, Ann Sage, Yan Rieger, Fran Liburt, Maureen Cullinane, Dominick DiLorenzo, Sylvia Newman and Alan Bull. Coordinator Sarah Olmstead promises that all will come in with price tags of under $50. For more on this or other weekend events call OHS at 323-2480. If you need to contact Sarah Olmstead you’ll have to send a carrier pigeon, since she doesn’t have a computer or e-mail and has no plans to ever do so. (I told her I was going to tell and she was fine with it.) It’s my opinion that eventually everyone will need computer access. Let’s see how long she holds out.
Next Saturday, Dec. 18, at 8 p.m. there will be a concert by accomplished cellist Andrew Smith in Poquatuck Hall. I will share more details next week.

You’ll note that many events are being held in Poquatuck Hall, which needs a new floor. (I may have mentioned that before?) Please respond to the OCA annual appeal and consider throwing in a little extra floor money.

On Thursday, I started my annual winter pilgrimage to Kennebunkport to attend “Prelude” and get into the holiday spirit. In between book signings, former first lady Laura Bush lit the Christmas tree and made appearances with the former first daughters, who joined in the signings. Gas was $2.79 a gallon, so all in all it was a successful weekend.