Dae Vitale
By Dae Vitale
Greetings from River City. On May 8 and 9, I will be celebrating my 89th birthday. I’ve lived long enough to remember when phone booths were a common public sight, with a door that closed, an overhead light, a seat, a desk-like shelf and a phone book! TVs that you just plugged into an outlet and adjusted “rabbit ears”, or used an antenna on the house roof, and didn’t give you orders.
Telephones you had to dial; when you dialed 411, you got a human being to help you get a number you needed, if you dialed “O” you got an operator who spoke to you. There were things you could buy for a penny, a nickel was nothing to sneeze at and a quarter was a prize. Christmas stocking staples were nuts in the shell, Christmas chocolates, little toys, candy canes and a beautiful orange (our grandfather gave each of us a silver dollar).
Radio was wonderful for fertile imaginations, and most movies were child friendly. Families ate dinner together. Children did chores as family members and didn’t get paid for them. Children played outside with neighborhood children and got home in time for dinner/before dark.
Halloween Trick or Treating candy didn’t have to be examined. Churches on Sundays, holidays and Holy Days were full of the faithful. Sassing your parents or other adults was a no-no.
Although typewriters were common, most people wrote using pencils and pens, pencil boxes were ubiquitous in grammar schools. That’s just a tad of all that I’m thinking of as I start the last year of my 80s! Happy birthday to me! (Yes, I do have two days for my birthday).
On May 11, take the time to Spring Into Downtown Newburgh, 70-80 Broadway. Shop, Stroll, Sip Dine, Enjoy a Wellness Event, and an Outdoor Urban Art Show in Downtown Newburgh.
Happy birthday greetings to Lauren Widmark who celebrated an April 25 Candles and Cake Day. May this birthday become a treasured memory and usher in a wonderful year ahead.
Reminder: On May 11, the Newburgh Volunteer Fair at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Find out how you can be a volunteer in a local community organization. You’ll discover the different ways you can help support the local Newburgh community and its residents.
The focus is on raising awareness about the important work being done by non-profit organizations in the Newburgh community. Explore how you can connect with people to help.
Free admission will be offered to the Museum and to Washington’s Headquarters’ Hasbrouck House on May 11, courtesy of the Friends of the State Historic Sites of the Hudson Highlands. When taking a tour, you will learn about the important role Newburgh played during the War of Independence.
There will also be a number for wonderful other happenings in Newburgh on May 11 as part of “Spring Into Downtown Newburgh”. You are encouraged to patronize nearby shops and restaurants, visit the Newburgh Farmers’ Market, and more.
For more information about the 2024 Newburgh Volunteer Fair, contact Jennifer or Elyse at (845) 562-1195 or WHQSHS@parks.ny.gov.
St. Francis of Assisi Church Movie Night: On May 17, a showing the movie, A Case for Christ, which is a 2017 movie about a former atheists’ search for the truth of Jesus’ divinity, by investigating evidence from the fields of Science, Philosophy and History.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The movie will start at 6 p.m. Pizza, drinks and snacks will be served along with some good old fashioned fellowship. “Hope to see you there!” Call Judy at (845) 527-9807 for pizza ordering purposes.
Senior Breakfast – Join fellow parishioners of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish and St. Patrick’s-St. Mary. Annual Free Senior breakfast will be held on May 18 in Sacred Heart Chapel following 9 a.m. Mass.
Serving a wonderful breakfast with a speaker and comedy skit by parishioner Larry DiGregorio. Please call the Rectory (845) 561-2264, Judy Grehl (845-527-9807) or Elaine DeCrosta (845-590-1499).
The Dominick Casadone Chapter of Saint Vincent de Paul Society operates the Baby Outreach Center every Tuesday morning at the Valastro Activity Center, located across from the Sacred Heart School from 9:30 a.m. - 12 Noon.
They are now in need of diapers sizes 4, 5 and 6, baby wipes, boy’s clothing sizes 24 months to 5T and girl’s clothing sizes 9 months to 5T.
Adopt A Baby Shower at Sacred Heart, Saint Francis, Saint Patrick’s, Saint Mary’s, Our Lady of the Lake Churches, all weekend Masses in May, sponsored by Society of Saint Vincent de Paul supporting their Baby Outreach Center.
“New Items Only”. Items needed: Newborn Clothing 0-9 months; Baby Outfits 3-24 months; Sleepers; Receiving Blankets; Diapers Sizes 1 – 6; Baby Wipes; Onesies/Body Suits; Hooded Towels; Lotion; Baby Wash; and Blankets.
The meetings of the Senior Citizens Group will be suspended until further notice.
I don’t know about you, but I think it is madness or mindless to pay multiple thousands of dollars to a university where students are not in class, not being properly educated in academic subjects, while they are disobeying laws, harassing people, and too often, too many of whom know little if anything about what their protest is all about, or who is leading the charge. As always, I close with my prayers for God’s blessings on your heads, my dears.