Oysterponds Column: Meet the candidates at Poquatuck Hall

The East Marion Community Association and the Orient Association invite you to a Town Hall meeting with the candidates for supervisor and Town Board this Saturday, Oct. 22, at Poquatuck Hall. After refreshments and socializing at 9:30 a.m., the program begins promptly at 10 a.m.. Email questions or issues you’d like the candidates to address to [email protected] or mail them to EMCA, P.O. Box 625, East Marion, NY 11939.

After the meeting you can drive to Greenport to catch the Clippers alumni field hockey game starting at 1 p.m. They’re looking for former players of all ages. All you have to do is show up; protective gear, sticks and referees will be provided. Players will be asked for a $25 donation to the Clippers field hockey program, which has been in decline the last few years, and will receive a T-shirt and a mouth guard. At 4 p.m. the Clippers varsity team will “Play for the Cure.” There will also be a 50/50 raffle. Check the Clippers field hockey alumni game page on Facebook for more info and updates.

That last entry brings two “visuals” to mind. Daughter Sarah is flying into New York Friday night to visit college friends and will head out to Greenport Saturday. My visuals are: 1. What do you do with a field hockey stick on an airplane? and 2. Walking around Manhattan with a hockey stick also might raise eyebrows. Sarah hasn’t been on the North Fork in close to four months so if you happen to talk with her don’t mention that I’m saving all the laundry for her to do. She just loves to do wash. I want it to be a surprise.

Speaking of Greenport alumni, I heard through the grapevine that Ali Lauber got her knickers in a twist when I failed to mention how thrilled she was about the birth of her nephew, Benjamin David Criss (first child of sister Kate). Ali, that goes without saying. Congrats to you, too.

There’s hopefully lots of stuff going on at Poquatuck — and Oysterponds residents will determine what can be done. Watch your mail for the annual membership drive and a request for donations. Most of you have seen the beautiful floors, etc., but now there is a need to replace the furnace, which is over 50 years old. Wow! The plan is to replace it with a more efficient model and also insulate the hall. That will possibly cost close to $15,000, so since we are all tightening our belts, any little bit will help.

When you see the new community signboard outside the hall please be aware that it is in honor of Mary Van Nostrand and was donated by her family. Mary served on the board of OCA for decades and was always a vital part of the community. She is tucked in near daughter Leslie and is happy that she has retired from committees. Sometimes we all take something like the sign for granted but it was more than three years in the planning and design.

The next time you stop in the Orient post office, give our new acting postmistress Vermona Smith-Brandon a big Orient welcome. Vermona hails from Riverhead and will be here while our Daniela is rotating through a temporary assignment in Laurel. Hurry back, Daniela, we miss you. However, Vermona is winning everyone’s hearts also.

OK, who is the man all dressed in black, with a helmet, scooting around on a shiny red scooter. Folks keep asking me. I don’t know. Do you?