I become very excited at this point in the year as January is behind us and there are only a few short months before we all begin to return to Ocean Point.

For a brief moment I thought we might be done with winter until Mother Nature brought us another blast of cold arctic air and snow, certainly not as severe as during the holidays bit still quite cold.

What to do when the days are cold and gray and darkness comes too early? Jean Webster found a very enjoyable event at the Opera House recently when they had an Open Mic night. Jean read two poems from her book, “Four Corners of a Circle,” which was very well received and Jean reports that is was a fun night for all participants as well as the audience.

Liz and Dick Colten recently returned from a trip to Milan and Lake Cuomo, Italy where they spent time with their son Jerry and his family. Liz was thrilled that they had great weather and great travel the entire time.

On a very sad note, I have learned that Gus Newell passed away peacefully on Jan. 26, with his wife Barbara, his son Pete, and his daughters Nancy and Betsy, by his side. Gus was a very vibrant member of the Ocean Point community. Gus and Barbara enjoyed every moment spent at Ocean Point; golfing, boating and walking were just a few of the activities they participated in while at their cottage.

Gus was a kind, gentle, caring man with a winning smile and a great conversationalist with many interesting stories to tell. A couple of summers ago the journey to Ocean Point became too difficult for he and Barbara and so they chose to spend summers at their Cape Cod home; their absence certainly left a void in our small community.

Our sincerest condolences to Gus’s entire family, Gus will be missed by all of Ocean Point. A celebration of Gus’s life will be held this summer at Ocean Point.

As previously mentioned, once January ends, I start to turn my attention toward returning to the Point and summer activities. There are currently many wonderful activities being planned throughout the summer but there is one in particular that I would like to bring to your attention so you may start organizing. Marilyn Heise has very graciously offered to chair an Ocean Point old photos night at the Casino. The details have not all been fine tuned, however, I wanted to mention so that you may begin to search your archives for some photos of days gone by. I will keep you posted as plans and details of the activity come together. It sounds as though it will be a very fun and memorable night for all to share.

Have a great week and Go Pats!