Greenport: GHS Class of 1961 plans its 50th reunion

Mairi Creedon, a Greenport High School sophomore, is going to have a spectacular year. On Aug. 6, she left for a year as a Rotary exchange student in Helmstadt, Germany. A student from Germany will arrive later this month to spend her school year at Greenport. Mairi is the daughter of Dan Creedon and Melanie Moreau.

Listen up, Porter athletes. Here’s the fall practice schedule for both varsity and junior varsity. Football starts Thursday, Aug. 18, 7-10 a.m. and 6-8 p.m. Other sports begin Monday, Aug. 29, as follows: boys’ soccer, 5-8 p.m.; field hockey, 7-10 a.m.; volleyball, 7-10 a.m. and 6-8 p.m.; and golf, 3-5 p.m. Girls’ tennis and girls’ soccer, played at Southold, begin at 7 a.m. All junior high sports except football begin Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 3 p.m. Junior high football begins Thursday, Sept. 8, at 3 p.m.

A new requirement this year is that players must have a concussion baseline test prior to play or practice. The exam takes 30 minutes and is provided by the district. It will be given in the third-floor computer lab on Thursday, Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact athletic director Todd Gulluscio, 477-1950, ext. 227, with questions.

More than all holidays combined, I look forward each year to the second Sunday in August, when the Heaney clan (to which I belong) gather to celebrate family. This year’s 55th annual gathering was hosted by Kathy and Bobby Wallace and attended by about 80 people. As is the custom, honors went to the oldest in attendance, patriarch Bernie Heaney, and the youngest, Deryk Bondarchuk, great-grandson of Julia Heaney Bondarchuk.

Speaking of the Bondarchuks, 60 of them held their annual family reunion Aug. 13 at Orient Beach State Park. Folks traveled from North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Vermont and parts of New York to attend. The oldest on the scene was John Bondarchuk; the youngest was Ilana Alyce Shedrick. Everyone had a wonderful time reminiscing and catching up. A special note to Staff Sgt. Douglas Webb, who recently returned from one tour of duty in Iraq and two in Afghanistan: Welcome home and a big thank you from the entire family.

The Greenport School Slow Food Garden will have a table with some of their goodies on display/for sale at the Greenport Farmers Market this Saturday, Aug. 20. The market, at the corner of First and Adams streets, runs from 8 a.m. to noon. Be sure to stop by!

The GHS Class of 1961 is planning a 50th reunion the weekend of Oct. 7. If you’re a class member who hasn’t received a notice about it, contact the committee at Class of 1961, P.O. Box 665, Greenport, NY 11944

Reminder: First Baptist Church of Greenport will hold its family vacation Bible school Aug. 22-26. Dinner will be provided each evening at 5 p.m. and lessons run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Call 477-0047.

Happy birthday wishes this week go to Cheryl Rock, Lynsay Kohler and Simone Droege on Aug. 18; Kenny Skurnick, Rick Gibbs, Joan Jacobs and Christopher Manwaring on the 19th; Danielle Walker, Karen Bondarchuk and Patty DeJesus on the 20th; Delia Kiski, my cousin Jack Cutts and Erick Monique on the 21st; Daniel Hughes, another cousin, Billy Bondarchuk, Mike Pekunka and George Hubbard Jr. on the 22nd; Jackson Marienfeld and Danielle Harrison Meraz on the 23rd; and Jessica Klipp, Eileen Verity, Ralph Mims, Dot Moore and Gordon Haas on the 24th.

Celebrating anniversaries this week are Amy and Frank Wippert, married 18 years on Aug. 20; my aunt and uncle Helen and Jack Heaney, who toast their 58th year of wedded bliss on the 22nd; my cousin and her husband, Theresa and Jeff Bubb, marking anniversary No. 22, also on Aug. 22; and Pat and Tom Crowley, who celebrate 42 years together on Aug. 24.