It was another curious year. Pantry visits were down 10 per cent to 2,468. The number of families went down from 523 to 503. Income went down $6,056; expenses were up $10,661 to a record of $106,007. Except for administrative expenses of $2,278 for building use, phone, thank you notes etc., all money was used for purchasing food or $25 gift cards which we give once a month. The only reason clear to me is that we had fewer food contributions and our CROP Walk check ($5,000) has not arrived yet.

The leadership, staff and extended family of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation mourn the loss of Carole G. Cohen, wife of the chairman of our board of trustees, Dr. Jordan J. Cohen. Carole, who spent her career in university advancement work and nonprofit management, was a great friend to the foundation.

This past Sunday afternoon, I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time to see something extraordinary. Sitting on the bank of Mill Brook just below the Mill Pond dam, watching to see what fish might be about, I spied several dozen tiny elvers (one and a half inch-long baby eels) against a patch of light colored sand in the stream bottom, trying unsuccessfully to make their way upstream.

What a wonderful column on the history of the automobile on the Island. You always impart a history lesson and link that history with contemporary events.

I loved your ending with a Paul Laurence Dunbar poem. My mother recited his poetry to our family of six kids and I was so proud of myself when I memorized The Party.

I look forward to reading your column, always a bit late because the paper is mailed to me when I am off-Island.

If we humans seriously started making corrections to our economic, political and cultural systems (including those promoted in Monday’s Earth Day activities) what do you suppose life in a sustainable United States would look like in 2100?

To hear one expert’s opinion, go to emagazine.com/magazine/choose-your-future. It offers some hope!