Kismet Kapers
By Bradlee White“Kid Kenny” (Ken Bellafiore) turned 60 on May 19. His wife, Laurie, threw a special party at their Crazy A home Saturday afternoon. Not surprisingly, it was a rainy day. There were beach umbrellas outside but most crowded into the steamy living room. Fashion dilemma: what do you wear to a monsoon? Ken opted for his traditional “birthday” Jester’s hat. Yellow was the color of the day. Half coat, half dripping pants or full rain suit requiring substantial “on-off time?” Jannine Meltzer looked healthy for someone recovering from a hypothermic run in the rain. Frank and Michelle, having attended a previous dry land party, came dripping after a walk from the ferry, she in high heels. Guests included the usual Kismet friends, Ken’s daughters, Ann Marie and Catherine (Kat), friends from off-island like frequent guests Jeff and Marguerite, Cookie, a past Kismet homeowner, Ken’s sister Marge as well as childhood friend, Nancy, who presented him with an album she created with pictures of his daughters as babies as well as of Ken’s youth.Memorial Day Weekend started in sunshine that lasted from Thursday to late Saturday afternoon. Friday afternoon saw a crowded Surf’s Out Happy Hour where friends from past summers reunited. Carole, Susan, Barbara and Kelly are back at the Boatel while Tom and Roseann chose to move into their West Lighthouse home. Zanadu’s crew, Judy, Joyce, Joanie and Mel, were back, having passed on the previous weekend’s torrent. Roz and Helene, who did make it last weekend, are settled in at the Lawn House.Brian Kelley’s scheduled Silent Disco on the Beach looked like a lost cause “gone with the wind” at 8 p.m. when I made my way up there, but Brian later messaged a picture of about 40 people who had shown up by 9:30 p.m. Dancers wore rented earphones so that only they heard the music. Or was it just the howling wind? Whatever, they danced. Brian will be doing his thing at Surf’s Out on June 23, after Rich Mahogany, and plans more beach dances.Saturday was chock full of events. (Good timing since Sunday and Monday were washouts.) Kismet League for Animal Welfare (KLAW) hosted a book sale at a home on Seabay and Burma. It was a low-key, friendly event as book lovers browsed and chatted for several hours in the soft and leafy breeze. KLAW brought in about $300 including some advance ticket sales on the upcoming Flea Market Auctions to be held at their annual Flea Market on June 16-17 at the Fire House Community Room.Kismet Fire Department hosted its second annual Open House, an opportunity for the community to get to know KFD members. Hot dogs, hamburgers, cotton candy and cold drinks were available for all, and smoke detectors and sweatshirts were on sale. The best part was the exciting activities for children who got to try on firefighter gear, ride in a “Mule” (a six-seater transport for fire crews), and – with a little help from Joe Carlton and John Altieri – hold onto a real fire hose and aim a powerful blast of water to and through a distant target.Later the Dirty Vice Band drew a large crowd as they played some great sounds from the deck of La Famiglia on the bay in the late afternoon, before the gusty winds turned sour.I forgot to mention the passing of Jean Warrington last January. I will miss her, Kim and Caitlin, but with Kim’s input, her home has been beautifully transformed for the Puis family. Caroline and George (George toting the large extension ladder) rescued a fallen bird, returning it safely to its nest. Terry Corio, who passed away suddenly last spring, was honored when her company created a special Memorial “Spirit” Award. Andrea Wikso, up from Florida for a family affair, spent a couple of days in Kismet at Myrna’s Cartoon Alley.Upcoming Events June 8: Kismet Community Association meeting and This Bud’s for You fundraiser for Mugsy Cole.June 16-17: Two big auctions: KLAW’s 22nd year Annual Flea Market and Auction and the Kismet Auction Dinner, long a community tradition, revived by Amy Wood last year.
