Community Notes: The quilt raffle, the Lenten fish fry, and seventeen pounds of potato salad

St. Hedwig's Spring Quilt Raffle

The ladies of St. Hedwig's Altar Society have completed this year's raffle quilt, a queen-size wedding ring pattern in blues and greens that took seven months and four replacement thimbles. Tickets are two dollars each or three for five dollars, available after all weekend masses or from Donna Plachta at the Grebe Point post office. The drawing will be held April 12th at the parish hall following the 10:30 service. Proceeds support the ongoing roof fund, which has reached $14,200 of its $47,000 goal. The quilt may be viewed in the vestibule through Easter Sunday.

Barbara Wojcik chairs the committee this year. She reports that every square was hand-stitched and that the batting is eighty percent cotton. "We used the same pattern as 1987," she said, "when Elaine Kowalski won and later donated it back for the silent auction, but this one has the darker binding."

Knights of Columbus Fish Fry Continues

The Knights of Columbus Council 3840 will serve its fifth Lenten fish fry this Friday from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Upper Dorr community center. The menu remains walleye, coleslaw, dinner roll, and choice of baked or fried potato. Beverages are included. Adults are twelve dollars, children under ten are six dollars, and carry-out is available.

Grand Knight Raymond Ostrowski reminded us that the walleye is shipped fresh every Thursday from a supplier near the Great Lake, though he would not name the specific port. "Same as we've had for eleven years," he said. Last week's attendance was 176 dinners, down slightly from the previous Friday due to the basketball regional. Tartar sauce and malt vinegar are both available at the condiment station.

The Knights will host one final fish fry on Good Friday, March 29th, with extended hours.

Tamarack Township Picnic Committee Meets

The Tamarack Township Community Picnic Committee held its March planning meeting Tuesday evening at the township hall to finalize the menu for the annual June picnic.

Chair Phyllis Vandenberg reported that Herm's Market has agreed to donate the hamburger and hot dogs again this year. The corn will come from Stendahl Farms if the early crop is ready by June 14th; otherwise the committee will purchase from the Wexagaw farmers market as in 2022.

Discussion turned to the potato salad. Marilyn Dykstra has made the potato salad for the picnic since 1991, typically preparing twelve to fourteen pounds depending on the weather forecast. This year she announced she would be in Traverse City that weekend for her grandson's graduation and could not make the salad.

Several committee members offered to step in. Cheryl Hoekstra volunteered to make her mother's recipe, which includes dill and a mustard base. Janet Timmer suggested her own recipe, a vinegar-style salad without mayonnaise that she described as "lighter for the heat." Tom Penske said his wife Carol makes a red potato version with the skins left on.

After thirty-five minutes of discussion, the committee voted to have all three members prepare potato salad — Cheryl making eight pounds, Janet making six pounds, and Carol making three pounds — to see which version attendees prefer. Phyllis will provide labeled serving bowls and a comment card box. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

The Tamarack Township Community Picnic will be held Saturday, June 14th, at the township park pavilion, beginning at noon. Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs.