The beautiful August weather has brought out the best in JPVIS partiers, sailors (well, not so best here), tennis players and boaters. The down side is that many of the children and their families are filtering off the point to go back to school. Is summer winding down? 

JPVIS held its Roland Garros 4th Annual Tennis Exhibition on August 10 under a beautiful Maine sunny day after a downpour the night before left the courts quite soaked. What does one do while the sun bakes the courts dry? Eat. The day began with yummy homemade Maine blueberry pancakes and waffles, coffee, and juice skillfully prepared by Jessica Dumphy, Whitney Loeb, Barbara Dawson (our own Jeff Dawson's mother) Barbara Gray, Linda King and Lee Corbin with much help from many other JPVIS volunteers to serve over 75 people.

Many thanks to all the folks who ran home to brew pots of coffee to serve at the breakfast, due to the unforeseen disappearance of JPVIS’s large coffee pot. The tennis was up to its excellent standard with Jeff Dawson, Matt Rose, our former Tennis Director, Salim Chraibi, and Matt's assistant pro at Winchester Country Club in Massachusetts, Lucas. The match sparkled with many sharp volleys and big serves. Our Jeff and Matt edged out Salim and Lucas, 8-6.

Later on in the day, with much covert planning and the help of Jim Dilley and Fran Hunt, Jeff wooed his girlfriend, Whitney Loeb, out to Ram Island lighthouse. On bended knee he proposed to her on the catwalk. Whitney accepted. All was photographed from Fran Hunt's nearby boat by Whitney's and Jeff's families. Champagne flowed as they motored back to shore. Both are on cloud nine!

A week earlier, our JPVIS President Peter Edwards married his long time girlfriend, Bev Simmons, on yet another perfect Saturday afternoon in Peter and Bev’s back yard on Spruce Point overlooking Linekin Bay. Bev’s brother-in-law, or should I say x-brother-in-law, performed the ceremony with much solemnity and jocularity. They held a “rehearsal” dinner for a large crowd of Bev’s out of town family at the Community House: a lobster bake with steamers, corn on the cob (steak for the landlubbers), and dozens of apple and blueberry pies. The next time we spied Bev after the wedding, she was on crutches with a broken foot. She claims she injured it on her treadmill three days before the wedding, but secretly we all believe was really wedding night antics.

Speaking of newlyweds, Vicki and Glen Robinson (our adopted JPVIS family members living on Mill Cove Crest) threw a surprise party to celebrate the “elopement” of Jim and Barb Harriger, which took place in the Bahamas on March 1. (They finally got hitched after living together for 10 years.) And surprised they were with about 20 close friends in attendance, including Barb’s brother, Doug and his wife, Karen Weiderman.

Ladies tennis continues to play hard, both on and off the courts. There is enthusiastic turnout for the ladies weekday morning round robin, which welcomed a number of new players this season, and the courts are full almost every morning. Players turned out for a potluck luncheon in the Community House on Wednesday, and next Wednesday the fun will continue with a tennis mixer with the BHYC ladies, followed by lunch at the Yacht Club.

If you would like to join, please contact Jessica Dumphy or Sharma Schacknow. The Ladies Club Championship is also under way this week with fierce competition among the teams, which include Tibby Bartram and partner Emily Whiting, Deb Smith and partner Anne Cataldo, Linda King and Maude Wright, Jen Shea and Chris Coffin-Williamson, Sharma Shacknow and Jessica Dumphy, Linda McArtor and Cammie Beattie, and Claudia Greene and Jennie Cook. After a hard-fought tournament, Tibby and Emily will take on Jessica and Sharma for the title on Tuesday afternoon.

Jeff reports his tennis clinics have concluded, but that he will continue to give private lessons this week. The juniors (boys and girls) have played very strongly this summer and we have some new tennis champions to report. Jack Fleming once again won the boys singles over Patrick Biasko. Jack also teamed with Devin Pai to beat out Jack’s brother, Ray Fleming and his partner, Patrick Biasko. The girls singles was played in a round robin format with Tess McComiskey winning. Emma Mansourian teamed with Alston to win the girls doubles over Tess and Andrea.

In a very, very tight match we are very proud of our JPVIS Jumper Juggernauts (junior tennis players) who won for the second year in a row the Mid-Coast Maine Junior Tennis Tournament Summer Championship over the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club. Last year the Yacht Club prepared a special plaque for this event. And now it will hang in the Community House for yet another year for all to admire. Much congratulations to all of our players.

It is with much sadness that JPVIS will be losing Jeff Dawson as our Tennis/Social Director at the end of this week, as he and Whitney head to Chicago where Jeff will begin a full-time job working with his father. Jeff has promised that he will be in close contact with JPVIS to find us an equally wonderful new Tennis Director for us next year.

In honor of Jeff, the men’s and ladies tennis groups had a farewell party for Jeff on Monday evening. Jeff had received a beautiful “golden” tennis racket from his junior girls. Not to be outdone, the ladies presented Jeff with three “golden” tennis balls to go with his new racket.

Ann Swope reports that Kate and Lucy Swope are back this weekend for more fun.  This reporter has learned that the Ann and Carey Swope and Susan Schadler and Leslie Lipschitz, after spending a night on Peter Edwards’s island, Duck Ledges (no electricity or water, but it does have a lavish outhouse), have fled the country due to their raucous behavior ... for a week of biking and fun on Prince Edward Island.

In an effort to repeat last year’s win in the Linekin Ledges Regatta, Bob Stuart cut too close to the ledges and ran aground. The tide was still going out, so Varuna was stuck on the ledge for about three hours. She attracted numerous observing boats. There was some serious damage to the keel, which is now being repaired at the Luke boatyard. Hopefully, Varuna will be back on her mooring in a week or so, again improving the view for Juniper Point Road residents.

Next week’s column will be written by Anne Dooley. Please send your news and events to Anne this week. Art and Helene Barnes will return from France around Labor Day.