At Home in the Huddle 2013

It's Recyclables Day

31.7 degrees and still dark at 6:00 a.m.

I know that it rained during the night, and from what I can see of my back porch steps and sidewalk, they look as if they could treacherous. Please be careful out there!

YNN's morning Weather Forecast:

"Rain/Mix to Snow Today, Windy and Colder

We start the day with plain rain or a wintry mix across the area. Cold air filters back into the area changing everyone back over to snow. This will bring new accumulations today and into tonight with lake ehancement. It will turn windy as well.

Temperatures on Thanksgiving will be stuck in the 20s.  Drier and quiet conditions settle in for the end of the week into the start of the upcoming weekend. 

Temperatures will climb back into the 30s Saturday and Sunday.  Milder air should work in next week with highs in the 40s."

******************

There was light snow throughout the day, yesterday, but it did little more than reduce visibility ......

............ and put "frosting" on the plumes of the phragmites growing in roadside ditches.

Later in the day, however, it grew colder and as roads became slicker, some motorists took unintended detours into ditches and fields and the Waterville siren was heard at least twice, summoning responders to the top of Sanger Hill.

Although they have had little help from the weather, masons have finally been able to remove the plastic "warming huts" in front of St. Bernard's church.  I've been told by Mr. Dale Meszler of "260 Structural Engineering" that they now await delivery of blue stone, which will be applied to some of the walking surfaces, and the cast iron railings which will link the uprights and also be set on either side of the steps,  to be crafted by Mr. Raulli of Rome, the  metalworker who made the elegant railings at the Memorial Bandstand.

I also asked Mr. Meszler what word should be used to describe this new construction: it isn't a "porch," or just "steps," or an "entryway," so we searched the Thesaurus and decided that the word which best described the entire area is an "approach." I'll call it that from now on.

************************

IN THE NEWS

Front Page Headlines from

THE WATERVILLE TIMES

"1c(coach) x 35y(years)=400w(wins)"

"Winter Farmers Market Set For Waterville"

"Board Discusses Stone Church Work"

"New Diplomas Outlined At BCS"

"Parade Hits 25th Year"

"Marshall Town Board"

To read more, please click HERE.

************************

Today at the Library

"Kids Get Crafty"

Let your kids get creative at the library! Ages 5 & up can visit the library anytime between 3-5pm to create something new each week!  

Today's project: "Thankful Turkeys"

The Library will be open today, but closed on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

************************

Schools are Closed until Monday, but

Digital Sports shows these Friday events:

************************

The Village of Waterville

GARBAGE COLLECTION

will take place on Friday.

************************

Friday Evening...

"SILVER BELLS"

The 25th Annual "Parade of Lights"

starts at 6:30 on Madison Street and leads to the Fire House where there will be refreshments for all and Santa will be waiting to talk with the children!

If you lived in Waterville in 1988, you cannot have forgotten the first Parade of Lights!

(And if you've come to the village since then, you should know the story of this celebration because it is something very special, here: it's a celebration not just of the season but a Celebration of Community - Our Community!  I first posted this story in 2006, but it's worth repeating.)

It was earlier that year that both Rusty Manion and his wife Kitty passed away. Their daughter Darcy and three sons - Sandy, Jeffrey and Michael - were bereft with the loss of both parents and, at the same time, completely overwhelmed with the kindnesses shown them by everyone in the community.

One day, Darcy was having coffee with her friends Linda Nichols and Patsy Hill and she said, "I wish there was something we could do to say 'Thank You!' to everyone!" "Thank You notes," she said, "seemed just too inadequate."

It occurred to them that perhaps they could do something that hadn't been done in several years - a fun surprise for the village: they could arrange to have lights put on the Big Tree at the point of Monument Park and have it lit! And there would be a parade - fire engines and floats and children all carrying flashlights! - that would lead the way to the tree when the lights were finally to be turned on!

And each of the girls told one or two people who told one or two more and in six weeks' time - in an unanticipated avalanche of generosity and cooperation, $5,000 was raised; the Clinton Fire Department's ladder truck came to string the lights, the power company donated equipment and time, the Municipality chipped in, fire companies in all the neighboring communities sent units to be in the parade and ........... well........ the rest is history.

The floats became more imaginative and brighter. When it was deemed impossible to have the highschool band march and play (sometimes it's been so cold and stormy that just the thought of putting a flute or trumpet mouthpiece to one's lips caused pain!) the floats were actually wired for sound!

Since 1988, the Parade of Lights Committee has grown in numbers and scope: with various fundraisers - dances, spaghetti suppers and raffles - and the continuing generosity and support of the community, enough money has been raised to buy the elegant wreaths that are on our telephone poles along Main Street.

Thank you to Lisa Belfield, Doc and Kathy Upcraft, Don and Jennifer Neff, Diane Marceau, Angela Plante and Scott Whitehead.

**********

*************************

FOR THE RECORD

Seven years ago today thousands of  Snow Geese came to Waterville......



............. and last year they came to Hanover on December 9th.

Perhaps they'll come back!
(Click the images to enlarge!)

********

PLANNING AHEAD

Here are your December Calendars

WATERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY 

Friday Movie Matinées at 1:00

Dec. 6  -  "Jobs" (the Steve Jobs story)

Dec. 13 - "The Bishop's Wife"

Dec. 20 - "It's a Wonderful Life"

Dec. 27 - Kids' Movie: "Percy Jackson"

**********

WATERVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL

*********

VILLAGE OF WATERVILLE

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

*************************