Happy and healthy New Year wishes to you all ! 
I hope many of you took the time to take part in an old tradition of riding thru the streets in your village or town to see the Christmas displays. Congratulations to all those who took the time to create these eye catching beauties. I’m sure they were inspired by Clark Griswold from that famous Christmas Vacation. It seemed that a lot more people decorated and they decorated earlier than before. Maybe its because we all needed a little Christmas , to quote that famous song! A thank you to the businesses who donated gifts to the winners of the contests. 
Its a great time to put away all the decorations until next year, but what to do with those pretty holiday cards.  A few ideas:  Cut them up to make gift tags for next year’s packages, create a homemade ornament, use them for your shopping lists or recipe cards,  make a new bookmark for all the wonderful books you can get from the Montgomery Free Library. Try cutting out favorite scenes and gluing them down to  make a collage place mat sealed in clear contact paper.
You can also donate them to places in your community like nursing homes, schools, etc. call first.  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children uses only the front but check on the restrictions before you mail them out.  

The Knights of Columbus in conjunction with the New York Blood Center will be hosting a Blood Drive on Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Day) in the Holy Name of Mary Church hall located at 89 Union Street, from 2 to 8 p.m.

All over the country, Knights also organize blood drives throughout the year. Since sponsoring the first U.S. national blood drive in 1938, they have continued as leaders in this important work. Last year alone, Knights enlisted the support of 540,381 blood donors. Today, Knights of Columbus blood drives collect an average of more than 400,000 pints of blood annually.

The Valley Central School District announces its anticipated continued participation with the grant funded New York State half-day and full-day Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) program for the 2021-2022 school year. Services for the anticipated half-day and full-day UPK program will be provided through our locally approved UPK Providers rather than through a district run program. Applications for the 2021-2022 UPK program will be  January 21, 2021.
For more information or to request an application, please visit their website at or call the UPK Office at (845) 457-2400 extension 18134 to have an application mailed to you.  Eligible children include those who will be four years old on or before December 1, 2021 and who reside in the Valley Central School District. Completed, eligible applications will guarantee your child an opportunity to be included in the lottery selection process for the program. Applications are due no later than March 18, 2021.

Support the Valley Central Class of 2021. A fundraising Game Day Party Pack Raffle,  a live drawing to be held Sunday, Jan 31 at 12 p.m. go to facebook.com/VCSC1964.  Entries close Saturday January 30, 12 pm. The cost is $20. Vizio 65” 4K HDR Smart TV and deli style party food to enjoy while you watch that new TV.  Sponsored by the Valley Central Scholarship Council.

Now here is a way to beat the winter doldrums: A Walk in the Park Dog Walk. Shelter dogs love strolling in the woods of Winding Hills Park.  I bet many of you didn’t even know this program existed.

Meet at the  Walden Humane Society shelter at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays to be matched with the perfect walking companion. Walking guidelines will be discussed. Dogs will be transported  in their van (we can hold 4-5 dogs only) or you can use your car. You  are usually back at the shelter by noon. Masks and social distancing are required. The dogs benefit from these walks tremendously : much-needed break from the shelter environment, dogs return to the shelter happy, tired, and ready to relax. Also, it  provides the dogs an opportunity to socialize with strangers,  exposure to other dogs, excellent source of exercise for pet and person  and the best gift you can give to these pups – short of adopting one. You may find your furever friend.
Please email vc@waldenhumane.org with any questions.
I know first hand the wonderful job the staff and volunteers  do at the Walden Humane Society as a friend recently adopted her furever friend from there. They are loving and caring and strive to give the pets the best environment they can until they go to their permanent home.

The Town of Montgomery Senior Independence Project provides a valuable service to our seniors. As a volunteer you can provide rides, shopping or just a friendly visit. Their free volunteer training is online “Zoom” on the following dates, Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m., 90 minute training, other training dates available. Email to reserve your spot, volunteer@jfsorange.org  or call 845-341-1173 ext.  305.