Hub of the Huddle

- FIRST THINGS FIRST -   Nora Keating !   -- IN THE NEWS -- Barton-Brown Observatory opens Weather Station at WPL      Temporarily mounted on the pergola in the Library's garden, the station will be relocated to a pole on the lawn near the Observatory next spring.   The equipment measures everything we need to know about the local weather from right here in  the Hub of the Huddle.       The station is now part of the Weather Underground network of over 180,000 personal weather stations nationwide.  Having this local station contribute up to the minute data, will help refine the accuracy of WU's forecasts for us.   The Observatory station joins three existing WU stations nearby in Franklin Springs, Deansboro and Hubbardsville.  Click here  for lots more information about the WU forecasting model.      Weather information can be accessed on-line by clicking on the colorful "WU" bug  in the column at right.  Or, you can go directly to wund

- LOCAL SEEN - Santa's Eye View Last Friday (on his way home after a long night at work!) The Huddle Shanley Rd and Post Street (Clinton and College Hill in distance to NW) Madison Wind Farm Solsville and Munnsville Wind Farm in distance Oriskany Falls The Quarry ****** Christmas Full Moon, 11pm Photo: jmr About the lunar halo (from the Farmers' Almanac 2016)      A lunar halo is caused by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light through ice particles suspended within thin, wispy, high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. As light passes through these hexagon-shaped ice crystals, it is bent at a 22 degree angle, creating a halo 22 degrees in radius (or 44 degrees in diameter). A double halo, sometimes with spokes, may be seen on rare occasions when light reflects off water or ice.      The prism effect of light passing through these six-sided ice crystals separates the light into its various colors

- LOCAL SEEN -  Last night the community gathered together to sing Christmas carols around Waterville. They met in the CVS parking lot, traveled to Harding's Nursing Home and over to the elementary school to sing at the girls volleyball game. For more photos visit their facebook page . Thank you to everyone who organized it and to all who came out. It was wonderful to see the community get together and spread some Christmas cheer.  ****** - NEWSWORTHY -   Santa is coming soon! Norad is tracking Santa and you can too! CLICK HERE to follow Santa around the world! ****** Christmas Full Moon There will be a full moon on Christmas for the first time since 1977! This months full moon, the last of the year, is called the "full cold moon" because it occurs during the beginning of winter. This Christmas full moon won't happen again until 2034, so you'll want to catch a glimpse of it because that next time it

-- UPDATE -- The Polar Express Visits Memorial Park School  (with thanks to the PTA) Children were welcome to wear PJs,  climbed aboard (the school bus version) of The Polar Express,  heard the classic tale, and then received their own bell and hot cocoa. ***** TONIGHT *****  TOMORROW St. Bernard's : Christmas Eve Mass & Pageant @ 4 pm,  Christmas Day Mass @ 9 am Three Steeples  @ 7 pm SouthGate Ministries  @ 7 pm Methodist  @ 8 pm *****