Epsom & Utica news

FAYE ASHTON Special to The Standard

Happy New Year y’all. Wishing all our readers a healthy, giving and peaceful 2024. Did Christmas flyyyyyy by for you too? I hope the joyful memories will last until we all celebrate together again.

If you had the privilege to take in the Port Perry High School’s Christmas Music night, held on December 20th, I’m sure you enjoyed their performances as much as we did. So many thank you’s for their instructors, who give their all to bring a great music experience for the students. Thinking of teachers, the Christmas Season adds so many extra challenges in learning and celebrating and I would like to take my hat off to them. Specifically, to one teacher who went beyond for our grandson who was sick on the day their Christmas party. The teacher made sure he was included by videoing it to him. Thank you, we were all touched.

I Hope you didn’t miss the December 21st Christmas celebration Uxbridge resident Leah Daniel and guests shared at the Uxbridge Music Hall. It was a Christmas of the highest célèbre, solos. duets and a first rate band to back it all up. Thanks Leah for sharing your beautiful singing voice with us.

After celebrating Christmas Eve at Epsom United Church, we came together on Christmas Morning to celebrate again the birth of Jesus, with our little ones carrying around baby Jesus, so heart warming,

Guess we missed the full moon on Wednesday December 27th with all that rain, cloud, and dense fog. The mild weather throughout the Christmas season made it easy to travel if you could see through the fog but unusual to have it stay mild so long . I’m sure the 'cold' moon or 'long night moon' as the Indigenous people called it was up there but not for us down here to wish on.

With all the happy celebrations we soon get brought down to reality. Our hearts and souls are feeling deeply sad for the Hill family who farmed in our community 30 years ago and farm in the London area now. Their son Chris who has battled cancer since last April died Saturday, December 30th of added complications. At 38 years his wife, Logan and four little children under six, his parents Gerald and Nancy and sisters, Kelly, Cindy , Alicia and families will miss him forever as this community will too. The Hill family raised a top quality Holstein dairy herd 'Hillmark', here in Epsom, where Chris also attended the little Epsom Public School. Our deepest sympathy goes to all the family.

A warm welcome awaits you at Epsom United Church on Sunday January 7th,10:30 a.m., fellowship to follow.

This community must have news you are proud to share. I would appreciate hearing from you. Please email me your news to Faye.eaglesnest@gmail.com or call me at 905-244-5605.