Chopin Club Christmas program

The Chopin Club met Dec. 12 at the home of Marion Rich for its Christmas program and gift swap.

Juni Dugas, program chairwoman, shared Christmas customs from several countries including Italy, Germany and New Zealand along with the United States. Janice Beattie, Marge Cutter, Dugas, Louise Leighton, Marion Rich and Ruth Stokes performed at the meeting.

Florence LeBlanc was welcomed as a new associate member.

In October, the club presented Ruth Stokes with a 25-year pin from the National Federation of Music Club. She was a member when living in Florida before joining the Chopin Club of Westbrook.

Stokes has been a nationally certified piano teacher for more than 50 years, and she currently has a junior music club. She has been a substitute organist for many years, as she and her husband moved about, and now fills in regularly at the First Baptist Church in Portland and the Friends Church in Windham.

Trinity Lutheran Church tea honors seniors

The Parish Care Committee at the Trinity Lutheran Church recently held a tea to honor their senior members and “care” friends in their newly renovated fellowship hall.

The Rev. Thomas Chittick presided over the event, with entertainment by Jeff Brown on piano and John Muthyala on guitar. Transportation for many in attendance was pre-arranged and provided by members Roger Knight and Ellen Bartlett.

Brenda Orach, chairwoman of the church’s social ministry, said the tea was elegantly served in fine china by the women of the church. They included Karen Brown, Donna DeSimeo, Alice Deschambeault, Sally Knight, Hannah Muthyala, Werkenish Leta, Elsie Reese, Edna Quinn, Cleo Sherman and Jane Sinclair.

“Many pleasant stories were shared and the newly installed elevator lift and remodeled fellowship hall brought tears to many of those who had not visited in recent times,” Orach said.

In attendance were Rhoda Barker, Jackie Boucher, Virginia Christiansen, Ruby Clark, Lillian Eastman, Emma Estes, Mary Ann Gagnon, Lennie Douglass, Sena Herbert, Joy Jacobson, Maynard Jensen, Celia Hurtibise, Russ Jensen, George Koski, Gladys Lindeman, Virginia Luebbert, Irma Magnusson, Bob and Astrid Meggison, Ann Este, Warren Nelson, Myrna Orach, Everett and Jane Paulsen, Mary Peters, Dorothy Rush, Honor Sanville, Enid Smith, Carolyn and John Wendt, Ruth Delano, Howard and Margaret Wohltjon, Margaret Brown, Natalie Swain, Irma Blake, Fred Carier, Gerri Manchester and Therese Macdonald.

“The event was a huge success and the committee looks forward to another similar event for their seniors and “care” friends in the near future,” Orach said.

Festival honor one of many for Jalene Regassa

Jalene Tiruneh Regassa of Westbrook, honored as “Queen of Light” on Dec. 9 at the St. Lucia Festival sponsored by St. Ansgar Evangelical Lutheran Church in Portland, already has racked up many accomplishments.

The daughter of Yeshiwork Feyisa and Tiruneh Bonni, she was born on Dec. 25, 1990, in Goba, Ethiopia. Before coming to the U.S, Regassa attended a local elementary school in the capital city of her country, Addis Ababa, and completed fifth grade.

When her family moved to Portland, she attended Reiche Elementary School and Lyman Moore Middle School. After her family moved to Westbrook, she attended Westbrook Junior High. She is currently a sophomore at Westbrook High School.

Regassa enjoys school, particularly challenging honors classes and after-school programs. She hopes to join the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society by the end of this year.

Her favorite subjects are math and English, and this year is taking honors-level classes in both. She plays soccer in the fall and tennis in the spring, and also participates in Spanish Club and math team.

After high school, she plans to attend college. She prefers to go somewhere warm, but not too far away from her family. She has not decided what career she wants to follow, but would like to do something in the math and science field.

Cutline (Ruth Stokes) – Mary Levesque, past president of the Chopin Club, presents Ruth Stokes with a National Federation of Music Club’s 25-year pin in October. Cutline ( trinity 10) – Attending a tea at Trinity Lutheran Church in Novemeber are, left to right, Dorothy Rush, Honor Sanville, Enid Smith and Jackie Boucher. Cutline (Trinity 23) – Jane Sinclair, Werkenish Leta, Pastor Chittick in back, John Muthyala and wife, Hannah Muthyala, participate in a Trinity Lutheran Church program honoring seniors.