Julia Schaun, Pine Oaks Book Club Co-Chair
Hello �
I know that Barbara has said that she�d help out with writing the book club column, but with her Community Board president candidacy and the election this month, I thought it might seem improper for her to write this one, just in case her opponents accused her of campaigning. But, she did such a great job hosting last month that it�s hard not to vote for her!
I also want to thank Rosetta Davis for leading the discussion of �S is for Something Crime-Related.� There were so many twists and turns and surprises, having such an organized guide like Rosetta sure made it easier to understand. I may even read it a second time!
Probably not, though, as we turn to nonfiction, as we do every other month, and �The Life and Times of Samuel R. Mainefellowe.� Mainefellowe was navigator on the H.M.S. Millberry, which was attacked in the little-publicized Philadelphia Tea Party. According to the book, the events in Philadelphia received little notice because colonists merely threw tepid cups of tea at the ship�s crew. On the other hand, the incident did give birth to the �tea-shirt.� But I don�t want to give away the ending! I want to thank Benjamin Solomon for suggesting the book, and for leading this month�s discussion.
Since the first of November is also the first Wednesday of the month, we�re moving the meeting back to the 8th in order to give our members more time to read what I�m sure is an exciting account. So remember, please don�t show up to my house on the wrong day. As a deterrent, I�m considering hooking up those paint-cans-on-a-string from the Home Alone movie franchise.
Yours in reading,
Julia Schaun
By Marcus Eddy, Senior Class President
It was a rough month for Rt. 237 High School. First, our Fighting Van Burens fell to the previously winless Jeanne Kirkpatrick Ambassadors on an improbable fourth quarter punt return for a touchdown, extending our homecoming �award� streak to 24 years. It�s hard to describe the sadness on the faces of the proud alumni in attendance. I�m joining them next year, and I hope not to see number 25. Not even winning the title of homecoming king could make the outcome palatable.
I�d also like to take this opportunity to express the hope that those of you injured in the homecoming dance fire are recovering. Luckily there were no reported fatalities, and I�d like to personally thank EMT Dave Ellis who treated me on the way to the hospital. Certainly there are no hard feelings against Grooveasaurus Tex, for whom this was the second concert in recent months resulting in a fire, and I know I�m excited to see their next show at Al�s House of Fireworks and Flammable Pajamas on November 11.
On a more positive note, I want to thank those of you who attended the junior class haunted house to raise money for this year�s prom. A �spooky� time was had by all, and I particularly enjoyed the hallway filled with escaped mental patients, although Eric tells me those were just his neighbors. Still, I was more scared than I ever have been since a fourth grade field trip to Busch Gardens. I�ve never been able to look at a log flume in the same way. Your generous contributions will help us towards our goal of holding this year�s prom at the Arlington Yachting Society.
And speaking of which�onion sale! That�s right, the Rt. 237 symphonic band is selling Vidalia onions this month as a way to raise money for their spring trip to Boston. Onions may seem like an odd choice, especially since you can find them for $1.29 a pound at the grocery store and last year�s citrus sale was so successful, but my band sources tell me that supervisors are telling them to tell people that you can eat a Vidalia onion like an apple! So there it is! I�ll stick to onion rings, thanks.
Go Fighting Van Burens!
Marcus Eddy, Rt. 237 Senior Class President
Fighting Spirit...p. 3
Neighborhood Watch...p. 4
Message from the President...FRONT
Pine Oaks Book Club...p. 3
Welcome Wagon...FRONT
This Month in Pine Oaks...FRONT
Young Person's Perspective...p. 5