Southport Column: Generous donation, Santa’s surprise visit and more

Tue, 12/08/2020 - 8:30am

During this time of much sad and bad news, let’s start off with some good news this week. First, the Southport Island Association has received a generous donation from seasonal residents, Paul and Sharma Schacknow, through the Schacknow Family Foundation, Inc. It will be used to support its “Helping Hand” program, which makes small charitable grants to neighbors on the island who are having difficulty paying bills for rent, fuel, firewood, food, medications, and the like. The Schacknows have kindly provided funding to help the mission of the Southport Island Association since they joined our summer community about 12 years ago. So, thanks to Paul and Sharma, and to the Southport Island Association for all they do for our island home.

The other good news is that Santa came to the Southport Island School last Friday about noon, surprising the children, so that they clustered at the school’s windows as the word spread that a man in a bright red suit was coming up the driveway on his big, white motorcycle and was parking by the flag pole. If you looked closely, you could also see that he was bearing presents. Soon tables were set with hot chocolate and cookies, donated by our Island Store, and duly masked Santa disturbed the bags of presents, including pencils, gloves, and mittens. Mrs. Claus, Alice Mutch, the new Southport Island Association president, was also helping with the service and distribution as were some of the teachers. What tickled me the most was when the initial excitement was over, many of the children sat down on the grass near Santa and enjoyed their food and presents as though it were summer and picnic time.

Although we all cannot gather this year as in years past in the parking lot of the store, to hear the children sing and enjoy Santa’s arrival, the hot chocolate and cookies, at least the children could still have that experience. They are also participating in the giving experience by making Christmas cards to send to residents at St. Andrews Village.

Additional lighted figures have also gone up around the school pond, to cheer us as we drive by. Look for the lobster waving his claws, a reindeer, and several other figures lighted at night.

The recent storms have sent water and seaweed over Beach Road, not yet necessitating removal by shovels and trucks, but showing us even a reinforced sea wall has its limits. Today, Monday, as I tried to drive to Hendricks Head Beach, a leaning tree blocked my way at about the Brittons' driveway. I understand that about 30 people in that area are still without power.

In the ‘not so good news’ department, our Southport Memorial Library is again closed for entrance, but not for service. You can still call the library (633-2741) on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to order books that will be set out front for you or to ask Jen or Anne to choose books for you if you have none in mind to read at the moment. I have found both to work very well for our household, and that our librarians are very willing to order a desired book if it is not in our collection.

A reminder that you still have time to order a holiday pie from the Island Store, but time will run out on Dec. 19. Call 633-6666 to phone in your order.

Now a word of caution about the COVID-19 virus that comes from personal experience. If you yourself or someone you know is tested for Covid, and the test is negative, be sure you ask what kind of test it was. Apparently the rapid test is not necessarily reliable. A family member tested negative to our relief and then two days later tested positive from a different test. Life these days demands careful thought and study from all of us.