Community Columns

Oysterponds News: Tom Murray to receive Theodore Roosevelt Award

Hello again! If I am here, it must be Mother’s Day! I hope that all the mothers out there had a great day! As I write this, Mom is heading north and will arrive by the time the paper hits newsstands! There’s a lot going on in the next couple of days/weeks, so pay attention! 

Southold Historical Society has a big day planned for Saturday. First, it is Mile-Marker Day on the North Fork. This Southold Town 375th anniversary event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Village House. There will be activities for both adults and children. When you have finished enjoying the first event of the day, stick around for the grand opening of the museum’s exhibitions. The welcoming ceremony will be at 2 p.m. and the exhibits are open until 5 p.m.

If you’re up for more historical society fun, there will be a wine and cheese celebration on the patio of the newest exhibit: Hold onto your Hats! (Wearing of your favorite hat is encouraged!) OHS’ own Amy Folk will be signing her latest book, “Oysterponds: East Marion and Orient.”

OHS is also looking for volunteers for its upcoming North Fork Fresh event and the summer benefit.

The Southold Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will host a springtime luncheon Wednesday, May 20, at noon at the Soundview Restaurant. The event will feature a presentation on beekeeping by Chris Kelly of Promised Lands Apian Way. The cost is $35. Contact Sharon Schmidt at 734-7219 to purchase tickets or get more information.

Orienteer Tom Murray will receive a great honor this month as the recipient of the prestigious Theodore Roosevelt Award. Tom has served Eastern Long Island Hospital since 1999 and has been chairman of its Board of Trustees for the last decade. The award will be presented at a dinner Saturday, May 30, at the Peconic Landing Community Center. If you’d like to join in the celebration, call the ELIH administration office at 477-5100 by Wednesday, May 20. Tickets are $70, which includes wine, appetizers, salad and a delicious buffet dinner with marinated steak, chicken and stuffed flounder. Hope many of you will attend. By the way, others in our Orient family who have received this award: Ed Latham in 1972 and John Dorman in 1987.

There’s an early deadline for the next column, which comes out after Memorial Day. Anything you’d like to put in the May 28 column must get to Mom before the morning of Friday, May 22.

This early deadline means Memorial Day Weekend — the unofficial start of summer — is upon us! This weekend is one of the best in Orient, from catching up with the “summer kids” who’ve been gone all winter, to Orient strawberries, to the most quintessential small-town event there is. The Memorial Day parade kicks off at 7:30 a.m. at the Orient Fire Department. There’s nothing better than seeing all the kids in their red, white and blue, Orient abloom, old friends sharing hugs and stories and don’t forget the doughnuts at the fire department after the parade!

I’ll be up in a couple of weeks, so save me some strawberries! Until next year, Oysterponds! See you soon!