Oysterponds News: North Fork Chorale’s spring concert Sunday

John and Jay McKasty took a slight detour on their way back from their winter holiday in Fort Myers, Fla., so they could catch up with two former Orient friends. They visited first with Doris Morgan in New Oxford, Pa., and then caught up with Sheila Bachman, who folded her tent in Montana and now lives with her daughter Barbara in Drumore, Pa. They really enjoyed catching up with these extraordinary ladies. 

Jay reports that both gals are looking good. Sheila celebrated “double 8s” on Feb. 4 and Doris will be “double 9s” on May 8. If you’d like to send Doris a note as she enters her 100th year her address is 610 Harmony Drive, Apt. 111, New Oxford, PA 17350.

If May 8 sounds familiar, it’s because I have been talking about it here for 26 years. (I didn’t write the column for the first five years of Sarah’s life.) So happy birthday, kiddo. Have a great day!

Also having birthdays on the 8th are Dennis Yuen, Dr. Stuart Rachlin (like Sarah, celebrating a milestone plus one) and May Watson, who hits her diamond jubilee year next Friday. Happy day to all.

Congratulations to Orienteer Ben Lyons, who interviewed his new boss, Derek Jeter, last week on The Players’ Tribune XM/Sirius radio show. Ben’s been named the website’s director of content and is also the Voice of the Fan. After that, he grabbed the red-eye back to California to do his regular three-hour stint on ESPN-LA radio. So the big question here is: How does dad Jeffrey Lyons (the world’s most devoted Red Sox fan) feel about his son working for the former Yankee great?

This Saturday, May 9, at 10 a.m. the East Marion Community Association will host master gardener Sherry Thomas at the firehouse with a presentation on “Going Native: How the North Fork Ecosystem Affects Bird, Bees and Butterflies.” Come at 9:30 a.m. for goodies.

Next week, for the fourth year in a row, our Oysterponds students will work to create a theatrical performance under the direction of the Missoula Children’s Theater. The fruit of the their labors will be performed next Saturday, May 9, in the Greenport School auditorium at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for students. For more info, call Lynette Crowley at 323-8008.

The North Fork Chorale will present its spring concert this Sunday, May 3, at 3 p.m. at Orient Congregational Church. Karen Bull Haley is the accompanist and many of your Oysterponds family also sing in the group.

Speaking of OCC and Oysterponds School, the 6:30 p.m. church supper on Wednesday, May 6, will feature a guest speaker, Superintendent Dick Malone, who will talk about all the great things going on at our school. All are welcome. Bring a dish to share.

Former East Marioneer Jim Salminen had an exciting and unique Air Force career flying, as he puts it, “some small fast airplanes,” so he decided to write down some of those experiences for his grandchildren. His first couple of chapters are about East Marion and his early interest in flying. Jim spent 27 years in the Air Force, then pursued a second calling to serve God and has been a Methodist minister for the last 20 years. You can purchase his book for $15 from [email protected].

Orient Congregational Church will hold a Mother’s Day plant sale next weekend, May 9 and 10, all day Saturday and Sunday till noon. Rain or shine. There will be annuals, mixed container gardens, geranium containers, mandevilla and gallon-size pots of blooming perennials. There will also be a bake sale, orchestrated by Diane Johnson and Cheryl Kaiser, to raise funds for a community garden.

Word of the death of Village Lane’s Al Mould arrived seconds before I submitted this column. Al, 97 years young, was an incredible person, a great neighbor and a true patriot. We extend our sympathy to his family and his devoted companion, Mary Jane Lippert. Godspeed, Al; we were lucky to know you.

My next column will be in the May 14 issue and you know the drill: It will be written on Mother’s Day by Sarah, who has been doing this annually since 4th grade. Her email is [email protected]. If you send me something early, I’ll pass it on. Have a great Mother’s Day.

Contact Oysterponds columnist Carol Gillooly at [email protected] or 323-3899.