Community Columns

Greenport News: Busy month for birthdays and anniversaries

August, you’re moving much too fast. Please slow down. In just 12 days my summer vacation will be over and another school year will begin. I’m not sure I’m ready for either quite yet.

You can count on two events the second weekend of August: the Bondarchuk family reunion on Saturday and the Heaney family reunion on Sunday. The former took place at Orient Beach State Park with over 50 family members present. Katherine Bondarchuk was the eldest to attend and 5-month-old Bentley Bondarchuk, son of Deborah and Warren, was the youngest.

Ninety Heaneys gathered at Linda and Greg Wallace’s for their 58th annual reunion. Weston Heaney, great-grandson of family patriarch Bernie Heaney, was the youngest to attend; Vickie Heaney was the eldest.

There’s been so much sadness in Greenport lately as we said goodbye to three natives. My sincerest sympathies go out to the families of Karen Dean Heaney, Lynda Hubbard Dickson and Lisa Leden Anderson.

Football practice is already is full swing at Greenport High School. JV and varsity players in all other fall sports are reminded that practices begin Monday, Aug. 25. If you haven’t already turned in your completed sports contract, be sure to bring it along because you absolutely cannot participate without it. Also, for those entering grades nine and 11, there is another mandatory computerized concussion test. Mr. Caliendo will be in the third-floor computer lab from 8 a.m. to noon on the 25th.

The editors at the paper have asked me to share the following: “The editorial staff has been taking a lot of heat for ‘ignoring’ the all-class Greenport reunion a few weeks back. However, it was never meant to be skipped. We had plans to cover the event, but a system glitch delayed the email assigning it to our photographer. We regret this. Despite our limited weekend resources, we had every intention of covering the reunion and running a short story and photos in the paper, and an online slide show, as we had in the past.”

There could be no wishes more special than the ones I’m sending down to Virginia this week. Three years ago, my life changed in ways I never even dreamed of when I became a grandmother. Happy birthday to my grandson, Jamey Decker, who turns 3 on Aug. 31.

Also on the birthday list are Lindsay Grathwohl, Alison Groski, Delia Kiski, my cousin Jack Cutts, Clarisse Armstrong and Erick Monique on the 21st; Daniel Hughes, cousin Bill Bondarchuk, Mike Pekunka and George Hubbard on the 22nd; Jackson Marienfeld, Danielle Harrison Meraz and Aimee Horsburgh on the 23rd; Jessica Dlhopolsky, Eileen Verity, Ralph Mims, Dot Moore and Gordon Haas on the 24th; Cindy Cusati, Ronnie Grilli and Shyanna Jimenez on the 25th; Shirley Sieverman, my cousin Patty Stewart and Keysha Terry on the 26th; Cherise Hofsiss and Eileen Dillon on the 27th; Katie Hukill, Kevin Hunt, Pudge Dzenkowski and Shannon Hofsiss on the 28th; Jack Grilli and Mike Volinski Jr. on the 29th; Wade Carline and Grace Dinizio on the 30th; Lauren Sanwald and Andrea Tabor on the 31st; Brian Grilli, Laurette Rackett Rahmes and Ashley Payne on Sept. 1; Gary Blasko, Cate Creedon, Laura Hagen and Pamela Reed on the 2nd; Caitlin Kapell, Phyllis Montgomery and Chris Fitting on the 3rd; and Danielle Golden, Jamie Campbell Imre and Carolyn Byrnes Macchirole on the 4th.

It’s a busy time for anniversaries, too. My aunt and uncle Helen and Jack Heaney celebrate 61 years of marriage Aug. 22 — the same day their daughter and son-in-law, Theresa and Jeff Bubb, celebrate No. 25. Pat and Tom Crowley’s 45th anniversary is Aug. 24; Eileen and Paul Skurnick’s 36th is the 26th and Amanda and Arnold Golz celebrate on the 28th.

I have an early deadline for my next column because of the Labor Day holiday. Any news for the Sept. 4 issue must reach me no later than Thursday evening, Aug. 28. Thanks!

R031209_Dinizio_R.jpgContact Greenport columnist Joan Dinizio at [email protected] or 477-9411.