Around the Neighborhood - Seward - 4 January 2026

I hope everyone had a good holiday. We were able to celebrate with our two boys. Next, my mom and her boyfriend,  and last my husband's father's side. This time of year brought many sicknesses, so hope everyone is on the mend. This week brings the last holiday of the year, I hope it is good to all of you!

The end of December has brought our town some interesting weather.  The plows have been running  and keeping our roads safe. Thank you to Chad Evans and his team! The roads are looking great and I see your long hours and time away from your family. Thank you for your time and devotion. 

With this weather Seward experienced an outage of cable for many hours. My husband woke up on Sunday December 28 to a message that it should be back by 6:00 a.m. That was not the case. By 12:30 p.m. we were restored! Thanks to the workers out in the awful weather for getting it back on. It is not just cable, it is phone service, and internet. Many do not know how important the internet may be to people  with devices to help keep them alive. 

Did you hear the CRCS High school is working on the play Frozen? It is true! They are currently in need of some artificial trees for their sets. If you have a fake Christmas tree you no longer use, they could  put it to good use. The trees will not be returned,  as they will be kept for props.

If you were not able to see the photos  of the happy faces at Marchand adult home in Sharon Springs, please check their Facebook page. They had so many donations from amazing  people like you! Each resident was able to wake up Christmas morning to a stocking filled on their bed. They also had other stuff around their community Christmas tree. Thank you for helping them enjoy their holiday!

As many of you know we had our first ever Seward Farmers and Artisans Market, this past Summer and Fall. We are working as a team to make improvements to bring it back to our town. We hope to have our first meeting in the month of January,  so please stay tuned here for more news. 

Many of you know Duane Spaulding. He has been a member of our town for many years. If you did not know, he has been working  on a dream of his for the past  year. Duane has been trying to bring  back the feed mill in Central Bridge. After long hours of work,  he finally has an open date! January 10, 2026 8:00a.m. to 5:00 pm. Stop in to see the mill, get a tour,  grab a milk, and buy some feed. Congratulations Duane and team!

Homeschooling event: Homeschooling skate at Interskate 88 on January 8 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kimberly Buck is also coming to some events, so I will get more information and check back in. 

Local business in Seward: Black Willow Pond,  located on Hill Road. It is run by Carrie Edsal and her family. Carrie works at the college, her husband runs the farms. Her two sons help to run the farms and markets.  They offer a variety of different goods. You can buy pork, eggs, beef, yogurt,  milk, and more. Be sure to check out their Facebook page. They also are a vendor at our Seward Farmers and Artisans Market!

With the new year, I would like to start a new tradition.  Each month I would like to say happy birthday to people. If you have a birthday shout out send me a message on Facebook or text me at 518-337-3722. For January, Happy Birthday to: my mom Louise Whitbeck, my God sister  Angela Trendell, my brother Charlie Whitbeck, Dalton's girlfriend Aly, my God Son Ryan, and my cousin Kenton. 

I will end my column with two events coming up. Serious Brew Company is helping our local Farm Bureau have an event.  If you would like to donate a basket to this event  we would appreciate it! Please message or text me. We are also hosting an Ag community event at the college. This event has limited space, so please reserve your spot early.