Skip to main content

Wednesday, November 22

- WEATHER -



*****

- COMMUNITY -



Don't forget to celebrate the Parade this Friday, and even more why the Parade of Lights exists!
The Special History of the Parade of Lights: 
from the Original Waterville Blog "At Home in the Huddle" by P.S. Brown

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!)

It was earlier that year that both Rusty Manion and his wife Kitty passed away. Their daughters Darcey and Laurie, 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, Darcey 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!









*****
- IN THE MAIL -






Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 23rd 
9 am @ Firemen's Field
 "Please Join us for the 2nd Annual Waterville Turkey Trot! 
This will be an informal way for friends,family and neighbors to come out and enjoy a nice walk or run before we sit down with those most important to us to stuff ourselves. I am hoping that everyone will join us in bringing with them food items and/or a monetary donation for the Waterville Area Food Pantry (we will have boxes for the food and an envelope for the cash or check donations). We will meet at the start line for the Mary Cleary Memorial Run (near the Little League Field) and follow the same course. Since this is an informal run/walk please stay on the sidewalks and run or walk whatever distance you want or have time for. The goal for this day is to have fun, get some exercise and support our community through a great organization. "



Click for Link



Plus, music, refreshments, and a visit from Santa in the Firehouse afterwards!


















Waterville Historical Society
15th Annual Victorian Tea
British-style Cream Tea featuring scones with strawberry jam and Devonshire cream, Earl Grey tea, hot chocolate, cookies made from recipes in the Historical Society's cookbooks, sweets and savories served at your table. Entertainment by the Historical Choraliers, and a Victorian craft activity. Victorian costume optional. Tickets $12 each or $66 for a table of six. Please call 315-841-4370 for reservations.













*****
- AROUND TOWN -

Last year...


More flurries this morning, but alternating with beautiful sunrises this year...













Jeff Reynolds found these decorations compliments of the squirrels.

*****
Enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving! 
We'll see you again on Monday, November 27th.



Thanksgiving History
Click for link to full article from history.com 
"In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.  For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states....
In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday; each celebrated it on a different day, however, and the American South remained largely unfamiliar with the tradition.  In 1827, the notes magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale- author, among countless other things, of nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"-launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday.  For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians.  Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to "commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife" and to "heal the wounds of the nation."  He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retails sales during the Great Depression.  Roosevelt's plan, known derisively as Franksgiving, was met with passionate opposition, and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November."

Popular posts from this blog

Hub of the Huddle Has Moved!

  The Hub of the Huddle is a publication of the Waterville Public Library and so has moved to the Waterville Public Library website. Click HERE for current blog posts.

Tuesday, June 14

Click Here for more History on Flag Day  from USFlag.org Click Here for more History from Time Magazine Click Here for the National Flag Day Foundation Honoring Flag Day in the dark light of Orlando: Click here for Chicago Tribune Coverage

Monday, July 26

  -IN MEMORIAM- Linda E. Knapp October 13, 1949 - July 21, 2021 Click here for full obituary Gordon H. Reed September 18, 1943 - July 21, 2021 Click here for full obituary   Donald W. Atkinson August 29, 1980 - July 22, 2021 Click here for full obituary -WEATHER- -LOCAL CALENDARS- -Village of Waterville- -Waterville Public Library- -Waterville Central School- -IN THE MAIL- Matt Chase and Thunder Canyon (Facebook page photo) WCSD Fall Sports Update FamilyID will open for registration for Fall Sports on Sunday, August 1. A link will be pushed out via ParentSquare. If you are in need of an updated physical, appointments will be available on Tuesday, August 10 at the Jr./Sr. High School. Please contact Ms. Fancett, Athletic Director's Secretary to schedule an appointment. Ms. Fancett can be reached at cfancett@watervillecsd.org or (315) 841-3808. Updated physicals can be emailed to Mrs. Kane, school nurse at akane@watervillecsd.org or faxed to (315) 841-3813.   -AROUND TOWN- ...

Monday, November 7

- IN MEMORIAM - Evelyn Paulson September 24, 1926 - November 3, 2016 Click Here for Details ***** - WEATHER - ***** - NEWSWORTHY- Where & When to Vote?  Click the Image Below for a Direct Link: Who is on the Ballot? Click the Image Below for a Direct Link: ***** - IN THE MAIL - This Week: *** *** *** Waterville Memorial Park School Veteran's Day Celebration Please join the MPS Student Council and Memorial Park Elementary in honoring our local veterans. If you are a veteran interested in attending please call the main office at 841-3700. *** *** Closed in Honor: Post Office (often other Government buildings),  WCS Elementary & Jr/Sr Hight, The Waterville Public Library *** *** Cub Scout Pack 23 and Boy Scout Troop 108 will be collecting for the food pantry in Waterville, Deansboro, and Oriskany Falls. Please have your donation visibly out by the fro...

Wednesday, October 19

- WEATHER - ***** - NEWSWORTHY - Congratulations to the WCS Boys Varsity Soccer Team on their 5-4 win over Notre Dame last night.  This sends them to Section III play against Cooperstown on Fri. Oct. 21 @ 3 pm in Cooperstown. From Mid-York Sports Report Click Here to Read the Mid-York Sports Report Article ***** - HELPING OUR COMMUNITY - In your upcoming shopping trips, keep in mind that The Boys Scouts will be Picking Up Food Donations for the Waterville Food Pantry on Sat. Nov. 12th.  They will distribute collection bags the week before.  Every donation helps! *** *** Help for Local Residents Click Names for Links Nancy Morgan Continuing to undergo chemo treatments in NYC, along with a now shattered bone in her left leg that can bear no weight. Jordan Orendorff Hiking accident that left him with broken ribs, nose, eye socket, collapsed lung, cracked skull, brain bleeding, and brain swelling.  Reco...

Friday, May 1

- WEATHER - Click Here for History behind May Day - COVID-19 UPDATES & IN THE MAIL - Click Here  for the  Latest from Governor Cuomo  Click Here  for the  Latest from the CDC Including this central hub of information in consideration of reopening  Click Here  for the  NYS Department of Labor Click Here  for the  Oneida County COVID-19 Dashboard Click Here  for the  Madison County COVID-19 Dashboard Click Here  for the  NYS Park Department From MPS: Click Here  for the PDF Update for MPS Online Learning From the Jr/Sr High: Click Here  for an Update on Online Learning  Students and parents, progress reports are now available on Parent Portal.  Progress reports will be mailed home to all students. Letter as PDF:  https://drive.google.com/open… Schedule as PDF:  https://drive.google.com/open… Click Here for more Info...