Community Columns

Southold News: Stop by library during National Poetry Month

OK, I think it’s safe to come out and play. No more snow shovels! It may be a first for me, but I’m done with the snow. I live in my childhood home and we are marveling at all the bulbs my parents planted decades ago. What’s your favorite part of spring?

I have only one, so I’d better make it good. Happy 12th birthday to our youngest, Caroline, on April 21. 

Two anniversaries: Vinnie and Louise Tirelli celebrate April 11 and Bev and Barry Lehr celebrate 60 years on April 15! May you all celebrate many more.

Wonderful news from the Bertani home. John and Linda’s son, Christopher, and his wife, Erin, welcomed their first child, Lily Elizabeth, on Feb. 10 at Norfolk General Hospital. The family resides in Chesapeake, Va. Lily is John and Linda’s second granddaughter. Congratulations to all!

Animal shelter manager Gabby Stroup says they are in “desperate need” of dry cat food. Kudos, too, to Gabby and the staff for their creative approach to getting five-year resident Chester his forever home. Remember to stop by the shelter if you’re looking to adopt. The animals there are well-loved and will be a wonderful addition to your home and heart.

A CAST supermarket food drive will take place Saturday, April 11, at local supermarkets. Volunteers will gather donations at the Southold IGA from 9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Collection bins will also be available inside local stores or you can drop off non-perishables and gift cards on weekdays at the CAST office. Please consider helping in any way you can.

The Southold Historical Society’s April Showers Dinner is set for Thursday, April 16, at the Sound View from noon to 8 p.m. Dinner offers a choice of roast chicken, fish or a vegetarian entrée, and an exciting cash raffle will take place. Dinner tickets are $25 (includes tip) and can be purchased at the historical society or at the door. Takeout will also be available. For more information, call 765-5500.

Poetry is in the air and on the walls at Southold Free Library. Take time during April, National Poetry Month, to stop in and read poems written by local residents. The Poetry Gallery layout and design were created by poet Vivian Eyre and the public is invited to a reading and reception Saturday, April 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. There’s also sign-in book where you can record your name and comments.

Chick’s Southold Agway has generously donated a lovely library raffle basket for our feathered friends. It includes a birdhouse, bird feeder and an assortment of birdseed and suet. Chances are $1 each. The drawing is April 15.

Artwork by Southold junior and senior high school students is on display at the library throughout April. You’ll be awed by the creative mixed media pieces students have produced under the guidance of instructor Dan Gosnell.

The Southold PTA is accepting scholarship applications from graduating seniors at Southold High School. Applications forms are available in the guidance office and must be submitted by April 30. Questions? Contact me, Tina Koslosky, at 765-2774 or [email protected].

Mark your calendar now for the PTA’s couponing class on Saturday, June 13, from noon to 2 p.m. I know this is a long way off, but the class sounds so great! Speaker Gia Pendergast will teach us how to save money with coupons and deals found online, on your smartphone and in the paper. Cost is $15 in advance, $20 on the day of the event. To register, contact Jil Deerkoski, [email protected] or 631-276-2898. Or you can send a payment marked for the Southold PTA Coupon Class. You’ll receive a receipt and have a guaranteed preregistered seat.

To honor what would have been our son Jimmy’s 18th birthday on April 11, our family is sponsoring the Jimmy Koslosky Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 for a Southold High School graduating senior. Jimmy passed away in 2000 after battling leukemia; he would have been a part of the Class of 2015. Applications may be picked up from the guidance office and must be returned no later than May 15. For more information, contact me at 765-2774 or [email protected].

Please take time to smell the flowers, marvel at Mother Nature and say “I love you” or “I appreciate you” to the people who matter to you. Life is all too short and fleeting. My next deadline is April 19, no later than noon.

Contact Southold columnist Tina Koslosky at [email protected] or 631-765-2774.