Riverhead

Brandon Boardman, who is entering his junior year at Riverhead High School in September and is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, has overcome an amazing obstacle to become a concert-caliber pianist. Brandon has Asperger’s syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum. He has been playing the keyboard since he was 3 and has practiced just about every day since, memorizing each song he has learned. If someone sings a note to him he can immediately play it on the piano with his perfect pitch. Brandon did a news segment recently with Ken Grimball from News 12 at RHS on July 9. His mother, Pat Boardman, is truly proud of her son’s accomplishment.

My dear friend Steve Palmer (those in the agricultural community remember him as the parts man at DuBois T. Smith Equipment Corp. in the 1970s) and his friend Grant Kingswell arrived July 9 to visit with my family for the weekend. On Saturday we toured Cornell Cooperative Extension’s garden and farm on Sound Avenue. In between the rain we enjoyed the research gardens, a wagon ride around the farm and a plant sale. Heading east to Mattituck we took part in the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program at Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith’s restored 1840s farmhouse and toured its small ponds, vegetable and herb gardens, the formal knot garden, bog plantings, a grove of banana trees (my favorite) and a tiki hut that contains a collection of exotic plants. Our next stop was to the home of Maurice and Ellen Coster Isaac, an early 1900s country farmhouse with extensive plantings of unusual combinations of bulbs, perennials, trees, shrubs and annuals. Rounding out the day we enjoyed a chicken barbecue at Old Steeple Community Church. On Sunday Joe and I renewed our wedding vows at the gazebo at Reeves Park. Steve, a minister, performed the service, celebrating 35 years of marriage. In attendance were my two children, Kim and Josh, and good friends Paul and Peggy Sparrow. After the ceremony we celebrated at Gasho of Japan.

The Riverhead High School Class of 1950 will be holding its 60th class reunion on Friday, Sept. 10, at the Meeting House Creek Restaurant at 12:30 p.m. Those interested in attending and reminiscing about the good old days may call Dorothy Podlas at 727-3033.

Best wishes to Dave MacKnee of The Farm B and B. He will be selling his business and moving upstate in August. Good luck on your new venture, Dave!

Happy birthday to Debbie Fischer, Matthew and Andrew Van der Creek (who both turn 25), Kyle Warner and Susan Miles on July 23; Sheila Muller, Bernie Hettrick and Gail Yeager (who turns 60) and Robert Hodge (who turns 92 and loves to bike, exercise, and winter in Florida), July 24; Roseanne Berezny and Dave Hartmayer, July 26; Christopher Costantini (who turns 20), July 27; and John Graff, Pat Carey, Jim Grace and Linda Mueller, July 28.

Happy anniversary wishes to Ernie and Joan Heppner on July 24. Hope your day is extra special.

Get well wishes to Philip Kenter Sr. and Nes Kramer.