LETTERS FROM THE ISLAND: Saving these dates in 2013

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January 5, 2013

LETTERS FROM THE ISLAND: Saving these dates in 2013

By Doug and Polly Smith Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Sat Jan 05, 2013, 02:39 AM EST

Niagara Gazette — Dear Mainland Promise-Keepers — We, being of sound mind, body and spirit (well, one out of three ain’t bad), do hereby solemnly resolve to follow this monthly regimen of activities in our Island paradise:

JANUARY – President Millard Fillmore (our 13th, three before Lincoln) did not have the sense to be either born or buried here, so we’ll have to visit the Mainland’s Forest Lawn Monday for his annual memorial service, the 213th anniversary of his birth just up the road from where our daughter now lives. Hot cider and reminiscence to follow ...

FEBRUARY – To join in at least one night of the New Orleans Carnival-style reveling that is the year-round style of Dick & Jenny’s at Baseline and Love. Well, maybe breakfast ...

MARCH – Grab some corned beef at the VFW’s annual St. Patrick’s Day feast, as good as it gets on Island or off ...

APRIL – Dust off Doug’s yarmulke in the spirit of “Fiddler on the Roof,” a combined youth and adult production by St. Stephen’s Parish Players ...

MAY – To make at least one pilgrimage, and not necessarily on Memorial Day, to the grave of Charles DeGlopper, Stonypoint Road just south of Whitehaven, and think back on his ultimate sacrifice during World War II which brought him, posthumously, the Congressional Medal of Honor ...

JUNE – Get there early for opening day of the Niagara Power baseball season, Islanders Cal and Sherrie Kern’s joyous blend of faith and baseball ...

JULY – Sign up to help the Lions Club in its annual good-neighbor project welcoming thousands of Mainland youngsters to a day of fun and frolic at the Launch Club ...

AUGUST – Take in a game, and maybe even volunteer to help out, at our Miracle Field, where everybody, regardless of mobility, gets a turn at bat and, if we’ve got enough strength left, observe our 54th anniversary ...

SEPTEMBER – Enjoy one of those cheerleader-grilled hot dogs at Opening Day of Viking football except that this year, if all goes well, it’ll be Opening Night ...

OCTOBER – Undertake a two-week fast which will allow us to fully participate in the Second Annual Taste of Grand Island and, furthermore, see if they’ll accept any of last year’s unused tickets ...

NOVEMBER – Pray fervently that the Little Old Pie Ladies of Island Presbyterian Church find the personnel and wherewithal to fire up their ovens again, and, finally ...

DECEMBER – Make sure to sign up with the Salvation Army to again ring the bells in the Tops lobby, full well realizing that we will be totally upstaged by the wonderful kids of the Interact Club ...

And any time… come visit. If there’s nothing going on, we’ll invent it.

Polly and DougE-mail pollyndoug@hotmail.com

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