This week's Dryden Courier (December 21st) leads with Margaret Brownell Lorenzen's latest Slinky Slithertail book, Petunia Patch Pockets and the Golden Locket. Lorenzen wrote the first version of the story back in 1961, but this version, with illustrations by Jocelyn Sawyer with Liza Behls, was just published last month.
A report on Eric Machan Howd's recent concert for the Freeville United Methodist Church shares the front page, Howd performed as a fundraiser for the church, which is encouraging its members to share their talents. Inside the paper is a note that the church is starting up a food pantry with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Donations and volunteers would be especially helpful now, as the pantry isn't eligible for state aid for six months. (Thanks to a comment, it's now listed on the donations story.) The Courier's editorial mentions both the food pantry and the SPCA's efforts as causes worth helping, and there's an article on Katrina pets at the SPCA.
There's a profile of County Legislator Mike Lane, looking over his past service as Village of Dryden Trustee and Mayor, as well as his last twelve years representing Dryden in county government. As Lane puts it:
I'm not going to close any doors... I'm not done. I expect I'll find something I want to do, whether it's at a county office or a state office, I'm not sure. But in my heart, I'm not done. There are too many things left to do."
The middle to back of the paper is filled with holiday drawings by children in local schools, and even the advertising includes lots of the drawings. It's a lot of fun to browse, and very different!
In sports, Steve Rugg of the Dryden Boys Swimming team is the boys' Athlete of the Week, for his performance against Southern Cayuga and Odessa-Montour. There's a profile of Dryden swimming coach Carl Hatt. The Dryden Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, and Swimming and Diving teams all had averages above 90 in the classroom as well. Paul Gangarossa's column notes the Dryden Girls Basketball team for illnesses keeping a successful team down, and suggests duct tape to help the Boys Basketball team keep it together.
Posted by simon at December 26, 2005 9:07 PM in Dryden Courier , Freeville , politics (local)