East Enders

Ciao, Aloha, Yiasas. What do these words have in common? They mean hello and goodbye. We’ll start with hello!

Good news bad news time … the good news is we have a lot of summer to go. The Arts & Crafts Show will be held Sunday, Sept. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Church. The Church fundraiser will be at the Caz on Sept. 22, and the adult Cornhole Tournament is set for Sept. 24. The DPA fall meeting sits between them on Sept. 23 to make it a busy weekend – come for information about the new playground and more, stay for the door prizes. Lots of fun ahead!

Bill and Jan Mauck’s annual Purple, Green and Gold Party celebrated 28 years of marital bliss, and we hear that brother Joe Gee and girlfriend Joyce Milligan came from Florida to provide musical entertainment. Some of the 40 usual suspects included Anne and Matt Martin, Craig and Rachel Charach, Jodie from Vermont, Kathy Fox, Paula Morrongiello, Stephanie Sherman, the Popdans (awaiting both a new grandbaby and looking forward to their son’s wedding, what a summer!), chef Vinny Winn, neighbors Cheryl and Dan and Dennis and Ethel, Mary, Mark and Maura, with cousin Kim, Phil from Donella, Jimmy “Coors” and his lovely wife Kim, Postmistress Linda Firpo, Matt Preston and Gail, and Sarah Genn. Fire Chief Linda Spencer was also on hand. Thank you, Linda, for your service as chief!

The DPFD was called to the Pines for a fire recently – always scary, but it’s what they train for. It was Nolan Grunwald’s first active fire. Hopefully his last too. Thank you all for what you do!

We hear that a stellar sunset soiree helped send Jay Zahn back to University College Dublin. Mom Giselle and dad Jeff, Crista and Natalie, Peter, Paul, Sarah, Joe, Elizabeth, Patti and Charlie, Nolan (and others we beach brained, sorry) toasted our gal. With less fanfare but as many tears, Steve Pinto and Connie Corcoran brought Cole to UGA for his first semester. Says Steve: “Go Dawgs!”

Brother Ara held a crustacean feast of lobsters and Dungeness crabs, imported from his recent Seattle visit with son Ara 3, enjoyed by Nancy Pines, Patti, Anne and Joel, Paul, Joe and “7,000 mosquitoes, who didn’t even bring a hostess gift!” We know who did: Susan Shockett and daughter Kathryn visited Pat and Chic, who according to legend is the oldest Ridger, at Schissel Point (check out the nifty new sign). Auntcy says Kathryn is a born beach baby: “She loves the sand, water, ducks, and ate everything in sight.” Can’t wait to see them next year!

Now the bad news. This column brings our inaugural FI News summer of East Enders to a close. Thank you Craig and Shoshanna for letting us into the fold. Thank you all for reading. Keep sending tips, tidbits and tattles to [email protected]. We’ll be here ‘til it’s time to go. Until then, see you around the walks. Ciao!