Community

Riverhead Column: NJROTC breakfast fundraiser Jan. 21 at Applebee’s

Here’s hoping 2012 will be a great year and fulfill all your expectations.

Everyone celebrates the holidays in their own fashion. This year Richie Ligon and his daughter, Lynn, celebrated Christmas in Texas at the Dallas Cowboys football stadium, where they watched Lynn’s son, Curtis Flippen, play in a football game. Curtis, an eighth-grader at Riverhead Middle School, is an outstanding athlete and a two-time All American football player. In the game he made five tackles and had three sacks. Pre-game practice was at the University of Texas at Arlington. They also visited the locker rooms of both the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, the press conference room and received autographs from NFL and Senior Bowl players. Although many memories were made, Curtis will never forget walking through the tunnel and onto the playing field before the game. It was a wonderful weeklong celebration, from Dec. 25 through New Year’s Day.

Patricia and John Kurpetski had a hectic holiday season with their aunt Irene’s wake and funeral. However, they were able to meet their cousins Linda Luiser and Skip and Ellen Kurpetski, David Kurpetski and Leighann and Kirk Straughen in Kissimmee, Fla. They then visited their son John Henry and grandson, Logan. Their other son, Robert, also joined them for Christmas. In the evening they went sightseeing and were in awe of the beautiful Christmas lights in Orlando. They also went to Congo River Miniature Golf — Logan’s favorite thing to do. Christmas Day was spent watching Logan open his presents and receive messages from Santa. In the following days more time was spent with Logan, who flew his remote control helicopter, used his night vision spy glasses, spent hours playing PlayStation and read from his book collection. It was truly an enjoyable homestyle Christmas. They can’t wait to go back and visit again.

Dana Hubbard, a member of the Riverhead High School NJROTC, would like the community to come out and support its flapjack breakfast fundraiser Saturday, Jan. 21, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s in Riverhead. Tickets are $10 each from any RHS NJROTC cadet or by calling the NJROTC office at 369-6806. Hope to see you there.

Happy birthday to Renee Linnen and Karen Heppner on Jan. 12; Dale Messina and Tony Naugles (who turns 50), Jan. 13; Mary Ann Trojanowski and Ty Brian Paddleford, Jan. 14; Corale Bloss, Karen Paulick, Frank Stepnoski and Mark Gajowski, Jan. 15; Logan Kurpetski (who turns 8) and Ariana Mielnicki (22), Jan. 16; Tristan Krajewski, Heather Howell and Jason Cobb, Jan. 17; and Scott Kubacki, Jan. 18. Hope your day is extra special.

Riverhead Free Library’s next book discussion, “One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd” by Jim Fergus, will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to noon. For more information, call the adult reference desk at 727-3228.

Remember to hang your flag from sunrise to sunset in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Monday, Jan. 16.