Supervisor Joe Cetta and Mayor Ed Snow commemorated the memory of 9/11 by sounding the “noon” whistle at the times each of the towers were struck and fell. It was a nice way to remember those who lost their lives, and those that got sick after being first responders and working at the site. We can “never forget” the tragedy of that day. I hope America doesn’t have to experience something like that to become one nation again.
Congratulations to Dr. Denise Freeman who retired from UHS Saturday after 25 years of service. She had a beautiful retirement party at the Schoolhouse with both her children, their spouses and her husband Dr. Mike Freeman, along with many other family and friends.
Music on the Delaware opens its 2023-2024 coffeehouse season with a free concert Sunday, Sept. 17 at the Walton Theatre from 6-8 p.m. featuring woodwind quintet, Mosaic Winds. Mosaic Winds’ performance titled “Bach to the Future” will take the audience through time and musical genres, including baroque, classical, modern, folk and jazz. Coffeehouse concerts take place on the third Sunday of the month in the Andrea Retz Paternoster room of the Walton Theatre and are free. Donations are gratefully appreciated. Desserts and coffee/tea will be available. This event can also be viewed by folks at home through Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/j/84455407805. Up next are Steve Eisenberg & Friends Oct. 23; Boom Chickens Nov. 19; The Vollmers Jan. 21; Killdeer Trio Feb. 18; John Potocnik & Friends March 17; Sloan Wainwright April 21; and Tune Keepers May 19.
The Fenimore Chamber Orchestra’s 12 piece wind ensemble opens Music on the Delaware’s 2023-2024 season Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. For more information on Fenimore Chamber Orchestra, visit fenimoreco.org Tickets can be purchased at www.musiconthedelaware.org
Come and support Club Anarchy Wrestling at a chicken barbecue Saturday, Sept. 16 at Walton Motors from 10 a.m. until sold out. There will also be a bake sale.
The WCS cafeteria will participate in New York Thursdays this school year. New York Thursday meals are cooked from scratch within the district cafeteria and will be held 14 times this school year. The meals use seasonal foods grown, harvested, or produced in New York. Sometimes the cafeteria is able to use food grown right at WCS in the greenhouse or the Juice Plus stands growing lettuce at Townsend - a great way for students to see our agricultural community in action.
The annual Walk for Hunger is Sunday, Sept. 24 at Veterans Plaza on Delaware Street. Registration at 2 and walk at 3 p.m. - either a one-mile or two-mile course. A family fun day has been added to the event. Don Foster of BG Tunes will bring games, music and prizes. The S&S food truck will be there and will donate a percentage of their sales. Ninety percent of funds raised will be distributed among the Walton Food Bank, local churches that provide free meals to the community, (at least 480 served each month); and the Weekend Food Backpack programs in the elementary, middle and high school (62 children served in 2022). In keeping with the philosophy of reaching out to others, the remaining 10% is given to a worthy cause outside of the Walton community, this year the funds will be given to Clear Path for Veterans that operate a satellite location in Vestal and serve Delaware County veterans. Pick up a pledge envelope at your church or at Delaware Valley Hospital Finance Building, 20 West Street, Walton, or call Denise Jackson at 631-327-3118.
Speaking of free church suppers, Levi’s Table at the Baptist Church, Townsend Street provides free, tasty meals every second and fourth Monday September through May. They have warm, spacious indoor dining, and takeout options available from 4:30-5:30; all are welcome.
First United Methodist Church starts free Thursday Soup Suppers tonight - Sept 14 and every Thursday from 4:30-5:30. Come enjoy hot soup and fellowship at 101 North Street. They are also excited to welcome back in-person dining.
New Hope Community Church resumed free “soup it up” dinners last Tuesday. Come every Tuesday from 5-6 p.m. All are welcome.
And if breakfast is more your thing, join the Northfield Community Church, 5116 county Hwy. 23 at an all you can eat pancake breakfast Saturday, Sept. 23 from 8-11 a.m. Menu is pancakes, sausage, eggs, hash browns, juice and coffee and by free-will donation. Proceeds help fund the church’s Operation Christmas Child project.
The Walton Historical Society is excited to announce their first annual Walton Fall Market at the fairgrounds. There will be a $2 admission cost, and vendors for to enjoy. There will also be activities for kids, entertainment, and more. If you are interested in being a vendor that day you must reserve and pay for a spot in advance, by emailing the Historical Society at waltonhistoricalsociety@outlook.com or waltonfallmarket@gmail.com for an application. If you have not already applied stop at the Historical Society, 9 Townsend Street, to pick one up. Vendor spots are $20 for a 10’ x 15’ space.
Fall is in the air, so mark your calendars for the many fall events being scheduled. First the second annual Trunk or Treat at the DelCo Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact Melissa Steinbrecher to participate by decorating a trunk. All are welcome to come trick or treating.
The next week the Trout Creek Trunk or Treat event will be Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Trout Creek Town Hall parking lot. New this year - a haunted house (but not too spooky for the littles) at the Schoolhouse in Trout Creek, just a short walk from the town hall where our trunk or treat takes place. Both from 4 -6 p.m. Sponsored by the Trout Creek Committee, all are welcome to come decorate a trunk. If you do, arrive by 3:30 for set up.
While we’re at it, mark your calendar for the Trout Creek annual craft sale Saturday, Nov. 4 this year. To be a vendor, contact Lynne VanValkenburg on Facebook.
Sunday, Sept 24 is the date of the third annual UTV parade/poker run for the Trout Creek Fire Department. They are celebrating 60 years (1963-2023).
The poker run is $10 per person, and the parade is free. Chicken barbecue, hamburger and hot dogs all day; awards for fun categories like Furthest Traveled, Dirtiest UTV, Best Decorated and Oldest Driver. Something new this year - area fire departments to enter a fire department UTV for a special, Best Appearing Fire Department award, and bring more members. There will be 3-4 raffles throughout the day for a chance to win guns and other prizes. There will also be a garden tractor pull during the day, and a chance for the UTVs to show off their pulling power. Come enjoy the day and support the volunteers in the fire department.
The next Classic Flix movie is Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. The movie is “Now, Voyager” starring Bette Davis and Paul Henreid. All seats $7 for a nice retro night out.
Walton Warriors Football Moms’ fundraiser raffle prize this year is a 58” Smart TV. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Available from any team member, the winner will be announced at halftime Sept. 30.
Clayon “Junie” Stanton will hold his community friends and family get together Saturday, Sept. 30 at the New Hope Community Church pavilion. All are invited. If you can, bring a dish to pass (not required). Junie will supply the hamburgers and hot dogs; meal starts at 2 and Randy Hulse will supply the live music starting at 4 p.m. Junie started this a couple years ago so that families and friends took the time to get together to socialize and have some fun without it being a sorrowful event. Great reminder to live each day to the fullest. Come out if you can.
September is library card sign-up month. Don’t have a library card just yet? Fill out an application at the circulation desk at Ogden Library and go home with one that day.
The Great Give Back Project at the Ogden Library takes place through September and October. It is a community service project to help knit or crochet winter hats from 50 skeins of yarn donated to the library. The yarn is to be used to make hats for infants to eight year olds, and the library is partnering with the Walton Toy Bank to distribute them. The library has some simple patterns or use your own, but stop at the library to pick up the yarn for the project and return the finished hats to the library by Nov. 1.
The library’s “Movies by Moonlight” series was scheduled to start week, but again, the weather did not cooperate. And Waverly was all decked out in her Mirabel Madrigal outfit for Encanto, too. However, hopefully this week they will be able to show “A Dog’s Way Home” Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to the Gardiner Place lawn for family-friendly movies on the new giant, inflatable screen. Free popcorn, compliments of the Walton Theatre, and hot cocoa will be provided. But in the event of rain the movie night will be canceled. Next up - Sept. 23, Soul, and Sept 30, Lightyear, at 7:30 p.m. Watch the library website and Facebook page for up-to-date information. Sounds like fun!
The committee working to bring back the Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be organizing the Community Christmas dinner, too. The dinners will be in person - come in, sit down and be served. The Thanksgiving Dinner will be Thanksgiving Day, Thursday Nov. 23 and Christmas, Monday Dec 25. Donate by sending a check to Wayne Bank, c/o Tim Gutliph, 131-133 Delaware Street, Walton, NY 13856. In the memo, specify “Community Dinners.” This is an ongoing project, so give when and if you can, and many hands make light work, so volunteer if you can, or donate if you’re able. Organizers need volunteers for all aspects - kitchen help, servers, set-up, clean-up. These dinners are for everyone in our community. There are no income guidelines - it is just to come together as a community to celebrate. Because Walton is a Community That Cares!
