The town of Omena was festive and bright.
When Rosie went downtown on Christmas Eve night.
She gazed at the sparkling village with care, As she knew it could be her last Christmas as Mayor.
She was proud of all the people who had put up the lights, All that was missing was a blanket of white.
Santa had just visited the Omena Fire Hall, And declared that Omena’s spirit was the best of them all!
Volunteers had made cookies that were Oh, so Good, That Santa ate more than he knew that he should.
Like the poem says, Santa Claus is coming to town!! He will be at the Omena Fire Hall and Community Room on Christmas Eve. The event starts at 2:30 p.m. with cookies and caroling and watching for Santa to arrive.
We were very sorry to learn of the recent death of Omena resident Maureen Nelson. Maureen was an active member of Omena’s Club 21, and was its president for a number of years. She was quiet, but had a great sense of humor. She was a social worker by profession, and carried that commitment to helping others into her personal life. She was always ready to help anyone in need, quietly and without recognition. She and her husband Bob were foster parents to many children and gave them the love and support that they needed. She was renowned in and around Omena for her baked goods. Her sticky buns were legendary at Club 21’s summer bake sales. She single-handedly made all the Christmas cookies for Santa’s visits to Omena for many years. It’s taking several people to fill those shoes this year.
Her family was most important to her. Our sympathy goes to her husband Bob and her four daughters and all of her family and friends. She will be missed. We will think of her on Christmas Eve at Santa’s visit.
Marsha and Tom Buehler and their daughter Cammie paid a birthday visit to their other daughter Jen and her husband Amar at their new home in Washington State on the Washougal River. They said it’s a gorgeous area. The Washougal, which means “rushing water” in Chinookin, flows into the nearby Columbia River after tumbling through the foothills of the Cascades. The visit was during the atmospheric rivers events and water was certainly rushing! It was high drama watching the river rise and fall, and small islands disappear and re-emerge.
If you are a University of Michigan women’s ice hockey fan, you will be interested to know that forward Kelsey Swanson is the granddaughter of Northport residents Al and Margo Ammons. She is the daughter of Kirstie and Jeff Swanson, and attended Traverse City Central High School. She played two seasons for Long Island University, and transferred to Michigan last year. She was elected Assistant Captain for this season. If you didn’t follow UM women’s ice hockey before, you might want to now.
We are in the midst of flu season, so be sure to get your flu shots if you have not already. Apparently there are two types of flu – the harmless one that women and children get, and the “near-death” one that men get.
Happy Birthday this week to Fred Putnam and Ty Simmons, who both have Christmas Eve birthdays, and to Tish Renz and Juliana Phillips.
Omena Mayor Rosie Disch wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas. In the spirit of this special time of year, she hopes for peace – in our homes, in our community, in our country, and all the world, all creatures, great and small.
