|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Little Magazine by and for the Residents of Southport
Number 2, July 2010
|
|
|
|
| Live and learn... |
 The inaugural issue of Southport Village Voices (May 2010) was way too big. Some Internet service providers balked at opening up the entire magazine without requiring extra steps to see the whole thing. It's too hard to read that much content on a computer screen. And forget printing it out; that would exhaust your printer's colored ink cartridges.
So, when I began to plan the summer issue, I intended to produce a shorter version of SVV. But it didn't turn out that way. An editor's worst nightmare is too little content. My enviable situation is just the opposite: many good stories waiting to be told; many enthusiastic and capable writers to tell those stories; and a wealth of other interesting content. I want to use it all, and I'm looking for more.
I mentioned in the May issue that SVV is a work in progress. The SVV team started out thinking that the magazine would appear four times a year--roughly coinciding with the seasons. But clearly it can appear more frequently than that.
As I write this, I have too much content for a single issue, so you will find just half of it in this edtion; the second half will be sent to you by August 1. I hope that your Internet service provider will open this up without a problem, and that you will not go blind trying to read too much text on a computer screen. It will still cost you a lot in colored ink if you decide to print it.
Your comments on SVV and your suggestions for future issues are invaluable to me and the writers involved in this project. Let us know what you want to see in SVV and we'll do our best to provide it.
David Kapp, Editor
|
|
 |
|
|
Southport Staff Profile: Russ Miller
by Joy Evans
| |
Russ Miller and Scruffy, his 12-year-old Australian sheep dog, are a familiar sight at Southport, as they cruise the grounds to make sure that the landscape and golf course are maintained in tip-top condition.  |
Almost everyone at Southport knows Russ Miller. His official title is Golf Course Superintendent, but his responsibilities go far beyond the maintenance of the golf course. He is also in charge of all common areas, including planting, landscape maintenance, snow removal, and keeping residents happy in regard to these matters.
The path that led Russ to Southport is lined with fascinating twists and turns. He spent the first four years of his life on his grandfather's farm in a small rural community in the far northern part of Minnesota. When he was five, his family moved to upstate New York where he spent his formative years. He attended Union College in Albany but left before graduating to join the Peace Corps.
In 1974, he and 12 other volunteers traveled to Mali, West Africa to dig water wells by hand. They lived in mud brick huts in a rough-and-tumble rural area and learned to do without running water and electricity. Interestingly, Russ says he didn't miss these conveniences; he recalls feeling free to be more in tune with the land and the people, without the complexities he had left behind. These 13 volunteers comprised the second Peace Corps group ever to arrive in Mali. They found the rural Maliens to be extremely honest, open and generous, willing to share what little they had. Russ had learned a local dialect called Bambara and also spoke French. So even though the people among whom they lived spoke a different dialect, communication was reasonably easy.
After a year of hard physical labor the project ended, and Russ returned to the states. But his heart remained in Africa. The arts and crafts and cultures of the people of Mali and the surrounding West African countries of Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone had made a deep impression on him, and he wanted to share his knowledge and the African artifacts he admired with an American audience. And so a business was born.
Aspen, Colorado was the setting Russ chose for his gallery of African art. A resort area that attracts tourists, particularly during ski season, it seemed an ideal spot for the business. Over the next eight years, Russ split his time between Africa and Colorado, spending six months traveling throughout 19 West African countries collecting artwork, and the rest of the year at the Aspen gallery. But during this time, yet another idea was forming, and Russ took off in a different direction on a totally new adventure.
Russ's experience in the Peace Corps and his years of traveling in West Africa had convinced him that the drilling of water wells was essential for the physical and economic health of the Africans. This idea had been proposed during his Peace Corps days but had been discouraged because the methods used were considered incompatible with the Peace Corps's concept of "appropriate technology." Russ convinced the Mali government to give him the nongovernmental organization status that was necessary for a private company or charity to operate in the country. He put together funding and equipment and, for the next six years, his team drilled 50 wells in Mali at no cost to the villages or the government.
As an operation with the characteristics of both a company and a charity, Russ never derived a great deal of income from this venture, but he gained a wealth of satisfaction at being able to bring fresh, clean water to people he had grown to love. Before moving on, Russ trained members of the Dogon tribe to repair and maintain the pumps and wells so that they could be in control, without outside help.
Russ managed to do one more thing before leaving Africa. He found himself in the middle of a huge gold mining area and spent three months dredging for gold on the Niger River. The dredge required for that operation was basically a powerful underwater vacuum cleaner that sucked up gold nuggets. He had one disassembled in the United States, packed into 15 separate boxes, and sent to Mali, where he got the shipment through customs successfully and then reassembled the dredge. Establishing a base camp on an island near the Mali/Guinea frontier, Russ spent his days diving to retrieve nuggets from the seabed, and he found a couple pounds of gold. The venture was not extremely profitable but it was the experience of a lifetime.
They keep Southport looking good.
Back row (l. to r.): Shelly, Warren, Wayne, Kraig, Greg, Dave, Russ
Front row (l. to r.): Jim, Raphael, Brian, Scott, Scruffy  | Making the decision to return to the states was not easy, but in 1990 Russ headed back to upstate New York to finish his education. With new degrees in civil engineering and turf management from the State University of New York, and now as a single parent, he accepted a job as assistant superintendent of the Blue Rock golf course in South Yarmouth, remaining there for five years.
When Southport began to build its golf course in 2000, Russ would stop by about twice a week to check on progress--and to convince the developer of the need for an on-site manager to oversee construction of the course. He prevailed; Ron Bonvie hired him to supervise the 'grow-in' of the golf course. In the face of strong pressure to open the course as soon as possible when it was being grown in, Russ's first major accomplishment was to delay the opening for a season so that the turf could mature a bit.
Now, with responsibility for maintenance of the golf course and all common areas, Russ appreciates the free hand he has to make management decisions. He oversees a crew of four for the golf course and an additional ten to 12 staff for landscaping. One additional member of Russ's crew deserves special mention--that would be Scruffy, our goose dog, a 12-year-old Australian sheep dog who travels with Russ around the grounds, keeping the course free of Canada geese. A little less energetic these days--he used to run around all nine holes of the course but now only manages a few--Scruffy still can chase those pesky geese away from our pond.
Far from the primitive desert conditions of West Africa, Southport is the latest chapter in Russ Miller's diverse life. Let's hope he chooses to stick around for a good long time.
 Joy Evans and her husband Bob moved to Southport from Sandwich six years ago. They have three daughters and two grandchildren. Joy retired from her position as a college administrator in 1995 on the same day that Bob retired as director of promotion services for the Gillette Company. They divide their time between Southport and Southwest Florida, where Joy writes for a monthly newsletter. You can contact her at joybobe@aol.com. |
EXPLORATIONS
The Shining Sea Bikeway
by B. Roy Roberts & Diane Goeldner
| |
We enjoy biking on many of the Cape's bike trails but we find the Shining Sea Bikeway to be the safest, easiest (i.e., flatest), and most beautiful way to enjoy a day of biking, walking, jogging, skateboarding, or inline skating on the Cape.
The original 3.3 miles of the bikeway opened in 1975 as one of the first 500 rail trails in America. An extension of the trail to North Falmouth was completed last year, bringing its current length to 10.7 miles. A proposed, but not yet funded, addition to the trail will extend another 7.3 miles to the Cape Cod Canal area in Bourne.
The trail is accessible from five parking areas: Woods Hole Ferry Terminal parking lot, Depot
You don't always need a bike to enjoy the Shining Sea Bikeway. Sometimes a good pair of walking shoes will do just fine.  |
Avenue in Falmouth Village, Locust Road in Falmouth, Old Dock Road in West Falmouth (near West Falmouth Harbor), and just west of the intersection of Routes 51 and 28A in North Falmouth.
Route 151 becomes County Road after crossing the railroad tracks, and the parking area is on the right side of the road bordering the tracks. We usually begin our ride there. If you need to rent a bike, you can do so at Bike Zone, just beyond the intersection of 28A and 151. We understand that the daily rental rate is $20 for a regular bike and $35 for a tandem.
The trail begins across the street from the parking area, next to the railroad tracks. These tracks are still used by trains that transport trash from Otis Military Reservation to a waste-to-energy plant in Rochester, Massachusetts, via the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge near Buzzard's Bay. This vertical lift railroad bridge was built in 1935 and is the second longest such bridge in the United States.
Riding along the trail you will notice mile markers in the pavement; these make it easy to locate some of the most interesting and scenic places along the path. Not far from the northern end of the trail is a tribute to dogs that "also served" in the military. Over Memorial Day weekend this area was festooned with patriotic decorations--very sweet. There is usually a bowl of water here for dogs.
At the 8.8 mile marker, you pass by a privately owned cranberry bog that has been in use for over 100 years. A little ways on, at the 8.5 marker, is Bourne Farm. If you turn onto the dirt path to the right of the bikeway here and follow the signs a short way, you will see an old cattle tunnel that runs under the bikeway. This is definitely worth a stop. The area is owned by Salt Pond Bird Sanctuaries, Inc., as are many other areas along the path.
A visit to pictuesque West Falmouth Harbor requires just a short detour from the Shining Sea Bikeway.  |
Time for a little diversion? At the Old Dock Road parking area in West Falmouth, mile 7.4, a short jaunt off the path along Old Dock Road will bring you to scenic West Falmouth Harbor. If you continue along this road and turn right onto Chapoquoit Road you will be delighted with beautiful views of Buzzards Bay (named after a misidentified Osprey).
Once back on the trail at Old Dock Road, about 100' south on the left, you will see a unique arbor, constructed from branches. This is on private property, but many people walk into this yard to admire the benches and outdoor structures made from natural materials. At mile 6.7 you can rest on a deck overlooking Oyster Pond. Then, at 6.4 miles, on to Great Sippewissett Marsh, which, as the site of much research by Woods Hole scientists, has the distinction of being one of the most studied salt marshes in the world. Little Sippewissett Marsh is a bit farther south. Watch for the white teepees in the woods on the left of the path. This is Sippewissett Family Campground; for $65 you can spend a night in a teepee big enough for five. Sorry, no amenities. Mile markers become less numerous from this point on, so we can't specify the exact location of the following areas. At the Palmer Avenue overpass, stop to enjoy a beautiful new mosaic mural by the Cape Cod Mosaic Workshop. It depicts the bikeway, Falmouth Village Green, a great blue heron in Sippewissett Marsh, and the Nobska Lighthouse. We recently noticed, on the opposite wall of the overpass, a grid sketching for another mural. Just beyond this overpass is a new gazebo, which is owned by a private party who may use it as a concession stand serving people on the bikepath. Salt Pond is up next followed by Oyster Pond, and then the trail opens up to breathtaking views of Vineyard Sound at Quissett Beach--probably the most beautiful part of the bikeway. Take time to
The Shining Sea Bikeway more than lives up to its name at Quissett Beach on Vineyard Sound. | look at the monument dedicated to Katharine Lee Bates tucked in along the path. The Shining Sea Bikeway honors Bates, who was born in Falmouth in 1859. She wrote America the Beautiful, including the line "And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." Ahead is Trunk River. The waters of Oyster Pond flow into Vineyard Sound here, and herring run through this area in season. Woods Hole--the southern terminus of the bike path is only about a mile and a half from this point. If you have not had a chance to enjoy the Shining Sea Bikeway, take a little time and enjoy a ride, take a walk, or get the grandkids and enjoy the day on this beautiful and interesting trail.
 Roy Roberts is a native of Woonsocket, RI. Following a brief Navy hitch he joined Olivetti Corporation and held positions in technical support, marketing and sales. Leaving Olivetti after 20 years, he joined Sharp Electronic as director of copier marketing in the U.S. At Sharp, he also developed their national commercial sales distribution markets for fax and copier products. Diane Goeldner grew up in East Williston, NY and is a graduate of Suffolk Community College in Brentwood, NY. She worked as an office manager for many years and later held positions in retail management. Roy's wife of 42 years passed away eight years ago, and Diane's husband of 35 years died seven years ago. They met three years ago via Match.com and, in November 2009, moved to Southport from Long Island, NY. Between them, they have six children and six grandchildren. They like to hike, cycle, kayak, travel and dine. Contact Diane at dgoeldner@comcast.net and Roy at royrob12@comcast.net. Photos in this article were taken by Diane or Roy. |
|
Southport Scholarships Awarded to
Mashpee High School Seniors
| |
Four Mashpee High School students have been selected to receive the 2010 scholarship awards from the Southport Residents' Scholarship Fund. They are (l. to r.): Fallon Greer, Graham Greenland, Adam Parks, and Jackie Kane. Pat Farrell, school counselor at MHS, provided the photograph and the following information about them.
Fallon Greer is interested in art and is herself a "wonderful artist." She studied post traumatic stress, especially as it affects military personnel, for her senior research project. She will attend Emmanuel College in Boston and plans to major in psychology. She is considering a career as an art therapist. Fallon was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society, and served as captain of the cross-country team.
Graham Greenland
arrived at MHS in January 2009, having spent the previous year in Mozambique, where his parents were missionaries. Graham is interested in pursuing a career as a teacher, counselor or social worker. He appeared in the MHS productions of Seussical and Pajama Game. According to Farrell, Graham will lend his enthusiastic support to any good cause. He will attend UMASS at Amherst.
Adam Parks
will enroll at Leslie College in Boston, in a program for students with special needs. He has "significant learning disabilities," but that didn't stop him from being invited into the National Honor Society, or from being the torchbearer at the Special Olympics. Farrell said that Adam has been a "role model and an inspiration" to other students while at MHS.
Jackie Kane
is described as "mature, intelligent, resilient, independent and business oriented, a student who always maintained a healthy balance among her academic, athletic, and other activities." She organized a walk at Mashpee Commons for Conquering Cancer on the Cape in honor of her grandmother, who died in 2009; volunteered her time at Falmouth Hospital; and helped rebuild homes for Katrina victims in New Orleans. She will pursue a business major at Bryant University.
|
Thoughts from Life's Adventures to Nowhere by Joe Marino | |
Have you ever thought what you would like as an epitaph on your demise? Have you ever sat with pen in hand and scribbled one that you might use when the occasion rolled around? Have you ever thought that no one could write your epitaph as well as you, and why not pat yourself on the back as you enter the next world? After all, who is more knowledgeable about you than you?
Of course, there is a more than a slight chance that writing one's own epitaph could lead to a number of problems for those loved ones who were left behind to handle the engraving of that epitaph on the stone that one would have placed at the gravesite. I know that I would want to carry out any and all "last requests" made by someone who had just left us, because I do happen to believe in the hereafter. I do not want to be awakened in the middle of the night by a ghost that wants to get even with me for not following his or her final wishes.
Now, I told you all that to tell you this. A cousin and I recently visited one of our departed relatives in the cemetery. The place had really expanded in just a year, and when I made that observation, my cousin, of course, said, "Yep, people are dying to get in here." His old joke--not mine!
We made note of the beauty that encompassed us on that hillside overlooking the ocean. We had to walk a pathway to get to the grave we wanted to visit, and in doing so we started to read some of the stones, both old and new. The following are a couple of the better ones that we saw: "Buried here is my late husband. He's dead!" That was one of the older ones. Another old one said, "This is the second wife."
The newer stones were bigger and more polished. We found one that had family pictures engraved on it. Try as we might, we couldn't pick out the deceased from the pictures, and the scripting didn't give us a clue either. There were several names on the back of the stone, and we tried to match them with the dates next to their pictures. We were pretty sure that some of the people in the pictures are probably still among the living.
As we made our way up the hill, we came upon a large memorial stone with two ornate smaller stones attached to it. I thought that we might have discovered the tablets with the Ten Commandments. No, but this is where the idea of a self-written epitaph occurred to me. There, listed on this huge stone was every accomplishment that this person was ever affiliated with. It was like reading his biography. The two little stones, one on either side of the big one, listed some other relatives' birth and death dates, but apparently they didn't do anything that could be printed.
There were other gravestones that had good-by messages written in good taste, and these reminded me of a departed friend whose son had placed a beautiful marble race car in front of his dad's gravestone. They used to race midgets together. His dad swore a lot, so none of his famous sayings could be quoted on the big stone. But those of us who knew him, well, let's just say that when the wind blows just right, many of those expletives seem to echo across the cemetery grounds.
I know what epitaph I would like written on my stone, but not for a long time.
For now, be well, and may your God bless you.
---Joe Marino Joe Marino. Born in Boston, raised in Milton--the adopted son of Joseph and Rose (Grasso) Marino. Had my first business at 22. Hell of a mechanic;lousy business man.Ten years working for others, but always felt that I should try again. Second time met with success. Married for 47 years to Carmela-lias Carmen, or to her family MA! Proud father of four sons--a foster son and foster daughter, two girls, 11 and ten, who stayed with us a lot after their dad died. There were other kids that had bumps in their lives that stayed with us on occasion, one even graduated high school while with us. Have always loved sports-horses--the ocean--fishing. You name it I've tried it. Retirement is not one of my stronger adjustments-wish I had taken my wife's advice about seeking out adoption records sooner. Have been fortunate to find family members and add them to my life. Love my involvement in Kiwanis--allows me to do things for and with youth--the secret to staying young in spirit if not in body. Contact Joe at bowlin2@verizon.net.
|
Beep! Beep!
 |
The Bionics Club =
Medical Equipment for Loan
by Dick Fellenberg | |
At the recent Health and Wellness Fair, a woman passing our Bionics Club table stopped to tell me that our name doesn't explain what our program is all about. It's not the first time we've heard that comment. So our name change--Bionics Club/Medical Equipment--is intended to make sure people know that our mission is to make medical equipment temporarily available to Southporters recuperating at home.
The Bionics effort began more than six years ago when it became clear to me, after hip replacements, that the right medical equipment was essential for a quick and trouble free recovery from hip or knee replacement operations. At an initial organizational meeting to jump-start an equipment donation drive, those in attendance rejected the idea of Gimpsters or Spare Parts as a name. But they enthusiastically endorsed Bionics as a moniker. We quickly gathered the canes, walkers, shower seats, and portable toilets needed for post-operative care at home.
Flash forward a few years. Our equipment is currently being used for a wide range of medical problems. The inventory of available equipment has expanded to include canes, canes with four prongs for balance, crutches, walkers, walkers with two wheels, walkers with four wheels and a seat, portable commodes, commodes to fit over a toilet, shower seats, bathtub seats, wheelchairs, bed rails, "pop ups" to help getting up from a chair, sock aids, grabbers, long-handled shoe horns, and ice making machines.
If your doctor or physical therapist recommends medical equipment to help in your recovery at home, you may save yourself time and money by contacting me at 539-1833 before you buy anything. If I don't answer and/or get back to you the same day, call Gladys or Lloyd Allen at 539-8653; they cover for me if I'm away for more than a day. A significant part of my basement is filled with medical equipment donated by Southporters for the use of other residents. Almost 50 people have contributed to this inventory, and more have borrowed items from it.
 Dick Fellenberg moved to Southport in 2003. He organized and runs the Bionics program, coordinates the Helpers program, and is a volunteer broadcaster for the Audible Local Ledger, a radio station for blind/visually impaired people. He has two daughters, four grandchildren and two great grand children. Contact him at fmashpee@aol.com. |
|
A Southport Yankee in
Queen Elizabeth II's Kingdom
by Ann Wells
| |
My husband, Joe Wells, and I have been living in London, England for about a year while he works for the U.S. Office of Naval Research Global. Our lives here are 180 degrees from our Southport lives. We love them both.
We arrived in London after midnight on July 1, 2009, exhausted but elated that our journey had started. Seven pieces of luggage held everything we would need for about eight weeks until our container shipment of household goods would arrive and be delivered to our new home. Colin, a local driver, met us and took us to a Heathrow hotel for the rest of the short night and next morning took us to our temporary housing in the Canary Wharf area--an up-and-coming section of London and now the premier financial district in the UK and EU. There, we had a reservation at a Marriott Suites for a couple weeks while Joe found his office and we got oriented and started our search for a more permanent home.
First impressions: daylight until almost 10:30 p.m., startling numbers of younger people socializing
The English pub scene extends to the sidewalks at the end of a work day.  |
outside of pubs at the close of business each day, the number of smokers, more drinking of "adult beverages" than eating, the amazing complexity of the transportation systems, the animal friendly environment where dogs travel on public transportation and are welcome in pubs, the heat and abundant sunshine in a city reputed to have rain every day, the traffic that only seems to lessen on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and the extraordinarily careful street crossing messages painted on every crosswalk directing which way to look for oncoming vehicles before crossing.
Shortly after our arrival, we met with Joe's assigned "sponsor" and his wife for dinner and a dialogue about their experience as expatriates. They advised us on where to go, what to do, how much to pay for what, who to talk to about what, and how to go about some of the simple tasks that we take for granted as Americans from the land of plenty.
They gave us information about neighborhoods to consider for our home, an "estate agency" that helped them find a flat, and how to get to the office most expeditiously, as there are several approaches by public transportation: trains, "tube," "overground rail," etc.
They helped us set up a bank account and transfer start-up money into it for our living expenses. But we learned that we had virtually no credit history in the UK and therefore were unable to get a UK credit card until we had been residents for six months. The type of bank account we were entitled to was also limited because of our lack of credit history here. Although we both had UK visas, Joe had a credible job, and we had established credit over many years in the US, we found it necessary to prove ourselves to everyone with whom we needed to conduct business.
We started to hear a new English language with unfamiliar words and phrases: "bespoke" (tailor-made), "nicked" (arrested),"pinched" (pickpocketed), "peckish" (hungry). Restaurant menus and grocery stores presented a world of new and different products, with offerings such as "bangers and
More than one visitor to London has met a sorry end by failing to notice the direction of oncoming traffic.  |
mash" and "mushy peas." New phrases on new and different packaging described the products contained inside: "biologic and non-biologic" laundry detergent and "washing-up liquid." French fries were chips, cookies were biscuits, chips were crisps, bacon was pork, and ham was gammon. At times we felt the services of an interpreter would be necessary. How were we ever to get what we wanted?
Joe and I were welcomed to his office and London with a "hail and farewell" get together where I was unexpectedly put on the spot about what I planned to do during our time here. I quickly mentioned my volunteer activities at the Animal Rescue League of Boston in Brewster and as a volunteer bone marrow courier for the National Marrow Donor Program and said that I hoped to continue doing these kinds of activities here. I learned about an animal shelter where I now volunteer weekly as a Pets as Therapy assistant, taking a pet to a retirement home to socialize with the residents.
Joe's office staff have a very helpful "military family" approach to newcomers, as most are expatriates and have been through the overwhelming changes that we were now experiencing. I refer to this as my "deer in the headlights" phase. A year in, it's our turn to help new employees and their families get settled and acclimated to life in London.
We started our search for a flat, narrowed our wish list down to a neighborhood and style of apartment, and presented it to an estate agent who would help us find a home. We spent a hectic day viewing seven or eight flats and by the end of the day had chosen a two-and-a-half bedroom, two bathroom, air-conditioned and furnished contemporary flat in the Paddington area.
The process of renting a flat here is more of a negotiation than in the U.S. You make an offer with provisions for items wanted or not wanted and await a decision from the landlord through a referring estate agent. Most agencies have multi-lines of businesses, offering properties as investments for
The London Eye soars 443' high over the Thames River for the best view in the City of London. |
buyers, then furnishing and equipping the properties, then renting them, and then managing the rentals. We found this system to be a little bureaucracy-intensive but, in the end, we had our first flat and could begin to get settled and learn more about London and surrounding areas.
Paddington is a cosmopolitan and multicultural area, offering restaurants in every ethnicity conceivable. (Have you ever been to a Swedish restaurant? We have!) It has enough pubs to keep us hydrated, grocery, post office, hairdresser, barber, dry cleaner and laundromat nearby. Our flat is a short walk to Marylebone Station where Joe catches his train for the 20-minute ride to his office. It's also a short walk to Hyde Park, West End theatres, and Oxford Street shops. As we would not have a car, everything has to be done on foot or by public transportation. We quickly learned not to leave the flat without a tote bag or a "trolley" to carry home all the items purchased on our travels.
We now began our residence here and were ready to explore all the seasons, parks, historical sights, museums (most of which are free), tourist attractions, churches, festivals, concerts, and the English countryside. We expect to be in London for four years; future articles will report on our experiences in England and our travels throughout Europe. Stay tuned!
 Ann Wells, originally from Randolph, but educated at St. Gregory's in Dorchester, is a retired registered nurse. Her husband, Joe, originally from Dedham and Tewksbury, is a material science engineer, retired from the Army Research Laboratory in Aberdeen, MD in 2002. They will be married for 20 years on July 14, 2010, and have lived in Southport since 2002. Ann can be contacted at annwells212@gmail.com. Photos in this article were supplied by Ann. |
|
Summer Time...
and the Livin' Is Easy at Southport
|  (l. to r.) Don Post, Jim Roddy, Bob LaRocca and Jim Keefe take a short break from their game on a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.  Some of Southport's most beautiful flower boxes are displayed on Jacque Jean's deck overlooking Leisure Green Drive. 
Paul Butters captured this picture of a bald eagle resting in a tree on the sixth fairway of the golf course off Chippers Lane. The bird appeared twice in the same tree--first, on the morning of May 15 and again on May 18, just before fog and rain showers moved over the Cape.
Attending one of this summer's
Meet Your Neighbors parties were
(l. to r.) Bernadette and Ken Patrick, Elizabeth and Jack Donovan,
and Diane Ogasian.
Getting up early for a little round robin tennis (l. to r.): Roberta Schneiderman, Robin Burke, Gloria Adams, Marlene Freeman, and Lynn Barry. You can never have too many daylilies. (l. to r.) Ed Pirozzi, Jim Roddy, and Harry Ogasian get acquainted at the June 17 Meet Your Neighbors party. |
|
A Vacation to Remember
A Short Story by Rick Farren
|
I peer at the bundle of money inside the valise. It could allow me to follow my dreams. Even though I'm in my early twenties, I'm as thrilled with my find as a child would be. I race home to tell my family of my good fortune. Smiling proudly I carefully stack the money on the kitchen table for all to see. My family is delighted for me and they encourage me to seek an adventure in greener pastures. "Consider a vacation!" my mother squeals. "Get a new job!" my father urges. "Do something that makes you happy," my sister suggests. That night I went to bed with magical visions of what my newfound wealth could mean for my future. At breakfast the next morning Mom dished out pancakes and sausages and then sat down opposite me. She had my undivided attention. "So tell me," she gushed excitedly, looking me straight in the eye, her fingers steepled under her doughy chin, "Where do you propose to go, and how do you intend to spend the money you found? Are you going to take my advice and go on an adventure? There are so many enchanting islands in the Caribbean. Whichever one you select for a vacation would be an excellent choice. As a matter of fact," she exclaimed, slapping her hand on the table, "I have a wonderful idea and I'll even make the necessary arrangements for you." "Caribbean?" I ask incredibly, while appearing totally confused. Nothing seemed to be sinking in. Am I hearing her right? Is what Mom said truly her wish for me? Or for her? What about my adventure? Later, in bed, I thought, what's the old adage...'Mother knows best.' Maybe she does? Maybe I should follow her direction? It seems like an unlikely escapade, but perhaps it's the right thing to do after all. The sun is strong--really strong--and the breeze is gentle, drifting lazily through the palm trees and across the white sandy beaches. This truly is a paradise--a magical experience--and one I would've never considered were it not for Mom. But in many ways it's different than I expected. I checked into the unusual hotel that Mom had suggested and paid for it with my newfound wealth. The structure struck me as odd, with high walls very much like a Spanish mission.  An older gentleman wearing a brown hooded robe and sandals met me at the door. "Welcome son," he whispered as he ushered me inside the confines of the walls. "Welcome to the brothers' monastery. I was totally stunned and stood there gaping at him. "But...I thought..." I couldn't even finish my thought. "Your mother contacted us and made all the arrangements," he said with a gap toothed grin, and folded his sausage size pudgy fingers across his expansive belly. "We're so pleased that you chose us, and even more delighted with the generous contribution your mother made to the monastic order. "But...Mom said," I mumbled, searching for just the right words. My head was reeling as I tried to comprehend what was happening. "She said she'd made all the arrangements for my vacation." The chubby monk chuckled, shaking his head and obviously disbelieving my naïveté. "I think you may have misunderstood your mother's intentions. After all she has your best interests at heart." "What're you're telling me," I stammered. "Is this not a vacation?" "No, son, it isn't. You weren't listening to your mother, I mean really listening. She believed it was heavenly intervention that a soul as kind and compassionate as you should find that valise full of money. Without any means of identifying its owner she felt you should offer it up in a very special way." He smiled and led me dumbfounded through a massive oak doorway into a medieval candlelit sacristy with heavy tiled floors to a pew near the altar. Sensing my apprehension, he nervously cleared his throat and said, "This is what I mean by that fact that you weren't listening to your mother. She said it would be a vocation--not a vacation."  Rick Farren was born in Boston but spent most of his childhood on his family's farm in Westchester County, NY. His parents helped shape his love of writing and adventure. His father, a sportswriter and newspaper reporter, encouraged him to learn one new word each day. At the end of the week he had to write a story using each of the new words he had learned. His mother was a stunt pilot who taught her children never to be afraid to try something new and exciting. Rick's lifelong love of reading was influenced by A Child's Garden of Verses, westerns by Zane Gray, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Longfellow's poems, and stories of pirates on the high seas. Rick served in the US Air Force and retired from a career in the banking and financial services industry. He and his wife Ann, a former nurse, raised four children in Brockton. They moved to West Falmouth in 1996 and to Southport in 2009. Rick is an active member of the Monument Beach Sportsmen's Club, the Cape Cod Writer's Center, and the Falmouth Theater Guild. He enjoys writing stories for his and Ann's grandchildren, golfing, mystery writing and community theater. Contact him at rickann817@comcast.net. |
| Coming in the August Issue of SVV... |
Julianne Davignon | Dick Fellenberg interviews Julianne Davignon, Southport's Health and Wellness Coordinator.
Jon Leavitt explains what to look for when buying a new computer.
Bob Neumann reports on his recent trip to Alaska.
Forrest Pirovano tells stories about his career as a duckboat driver.
The Southport Phantom reviews a restaurant or two.
Can You IdentifyThis Pond?
 |
Bob Brooks identifies three of his favorite local fishing ponds. And his friend, Red Quill, describes a day of fishing on Deep Pond in Falmouth.
|
|
|
David Kapp and his wife, Billie, moved from Connecticut to Southport in the fall of 2009. David retired from a career as a university library administrator, after working in the libraries at Brandeis, Harvard and the University of Connecticut. He was a building consultant for the planning of a number of major university libraries and was, for 24 years, the editor of Connecticut Libraries, the monthly publication of the Connecticut Library Association. Billie enjoyed a career as an educator and social sciences consultant. Their son and daughter live in Hawaii, and they have one grandson. Contact David at davidkapp@comcast.net.
|
|
|
|
|
|
