This week we’re reporting on winners and champions.  

After the JPVIS Tennis Tournament the following will have their names painted on the Community House Boards for 2024: Men’s Singles: James Welch; Senior Men’s Singles: Gordon Scowcroft; Men’s Doubles: Azhar Meyer and Rick Barton; Women’s Singles: Susie Uitti; Women’s Doubles: Lizzie and Phoebe Lewis; Women’s Senior Doubles: Anne Markette and Jose McComiskey; and Mixed Doubles: Sarah Barton and Azhar Meyer. Congratulations all!   

The sad story about tennis this week is that Dave and family are leaving at the end of the week. We have every reason to believe they’ll be back next year and look forward to it. 

After Dave leaves on Saturday the Community House will close at 6 p.m. unless you make arrangements with Debbie Rosenberg or Anne Dooley. 

Saturday’s Chowder Cook-Off was a winner! 12 cooks vied for the Judges’ and the People’s attention. Kate Culbert and Terry Paetzold expertly tasted each chowder and declared the champion to be the Lipschitz/Schadler family! They built on a base of codfish with coconut milk, turmeric, coriander, and cardamom, with a final blast of lime juice and some tiny zesty crackers. Second was Becky Taylor, the previous champion, with her classic, sop-up-the-last-bit, fish chowder. Azhar Meyer was third, with “Mack and Chow,” made from mackerel he “line caught” the day before. Pretty cool. The people, on the other hand, gave first place Peoples’ Choice to Becky; we will flirt with a different kind of chowdah, but at the end of the day we like it traditional.  

During the event it was announced that long time Juniper Point resident Fred Morrison had passed away the evening before. Several people extemporaneously spoke warmly of him. Next week Peter will write a tribute to Fred in the column.  

Genie O’Connell took the spotlight at the Story Telling last week, focusing on Manley and Mildred Reed, her grandparents. She had 50 or more of us at the Community House enthralled as she brought them to life. She was 8 when Manley died but she has plenty of memories of playing in the shop with wood shavings and scraps of lumber and having to be absolutely quiet during lunch while he listened to the news on the radio. Additionally Holly Barnes sent her Dad’s notes about Manley, which Kit read.  Dave Gagne, Don Sylvester, Dorothy Sylvester, Mac Gray, Jon Sylvester, and John Gillies all shared warm and revealing stories. Our historian Carey Swope read from a transcript of an interview with Mildred and showed some old photos. Of course, Genie brought Mildred’s soft molasses cookies. Many thanks to Kit Andrews for organizing this and other Story Nights. The evening is on video; ask Carey or Ann how to access it. 

The Ladies End of Summer Send Off Salad lunch is on for Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 11:30. A notice will come around via email.  

Matt and Jose McComiskey have been practicing their Irish Set dancing and, if enough of us are interested in learning, will host an evening. The dance is done in groups of eight, like square dancing, with several patterns. Give them a shout and let’s get this on the end of summer calendar.  

Peter Edwards has graciously agreed to write next week’s column. Perhaps a bit too eagerly; please don’t let him make things up! Send your news to ptr.edwards@gmail.com  I’ll be back at the keyboard the following week for our final column.