The Prattsville Scoop by Abby and Gabby - 23 February 2024

PRATTSVILLE - Hope all of you spent Valentine’s Day with those you hold dear and you told them that. Now onto the next holiday – St. Patrick’s Day. Thank you to all who keep these days safe for us and we want them to be safe also. Our military and law enforcement organizations are always thanked and cautioned to be safe.

Sandy Hill out in Missouri let us know that she continues to crochet laprobes for the VA Centers in their area. It has become too expensive for them to ship the afghans here so they make those local veterans very happy and loved. Sandy recently took eight to the VA Hospital in Columbia Missouri. Sandy had to go to MU for an infusion for her bones to help them rebuild so she will be less susceptible to breakage if she takes a stumble and continues to work with a bone specialist. We wish Sandy the best of good healtlh and send her thanks for showing love and caring for the veterans in their area. Thank you Sandy and Larry for your good deeds.

Lana Breigle and the other mothers of Section IV Athletes want to thank each and everyone for supporting their Bake Sale on Saturday at Jim’s Great American. The goods were displayed very professionally and was only surpassed by the taste of each baked item. And the friendliness of each Mom was an added attraction. See you around again. Good luck to your athletes.

Sympathy to the family of Mary O’Hara who recently passed. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Mary loved to laugh, and make you laugh, and enjoyed reading. We saw Mary at Briars and Brambles as much as we did in Prattsville. It was always a joy to compare reading lists and the latest novels read or to be read. We will miss you Mary.

We also send condolences to the family of Jerry Hughes of Conesville/Gilboa. A retiree of the Blenheim Gilboa power plant, Jerry also loved working in the woods cutting firewood and whatever you needed which was only surpassed by his love of conversations. There was never a short talk with Jerry, it went on for quite a while. Sympathy is extended to his family.

Iwo Jima Day is Friday, February 23, the day Old Glory was raised on Mount Suribachi during WWII. We thank them all for their service, past and present.

Thank you Lula Anderson for being Senior of the Year, now I can say I know someone famous. But then I have known you and your family for years and knew you were outstanding. Congratulations.

Joan Christian Engle of Tannersville area delivered a large supply, ten to be exact, of crocheted afghans and blankets to be gifted to the veterans at the Stratton VAMC in Albany. Thank you for being the go-between for this supply, Joan, they are beautiful. Most of them are larger than laprobes and one is bedsize and so happy that our veterans will be kept warm with such gorgeous items. Wish everyone could see them. Of course the afghans or laprobes or baby items crocheted by Dena Lawrence are worthy of seeing as are Margaret Deyo Lawrence’s.Thank you, thank you on behalf of our deserving veterans. Joan’s good deeds are special because we were in the same class at the Lexington Elementary School in the 1940’s. Is that date right? Margaret was a year ahead of us. Paul Mead would know because he was there with us. He is probably much older than us.

The luck of the Irish was surely with the Greene County Veterans Service Agency, when in 2022, they launched Valentines for Veterans program. Thanks to the community support, it was an overwhelming success. It is now done year-round . . . Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, Armed Forces

Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Happy Holiday/New Years, and of course, Veterans Day! For those months without an official holiday, we go with a monthly theme. There are presently 81 Veterans residing in local, long-term care and assisted

living facilities. As we enter the 3rd year, it is hoped that the Greene County community will continue to show their appreciation for our Veterans by sending cards. For March, we would like St. Patrick’s Day cards to these veterans. Please be sure to mark the envelope, Attn: U S Veteran. You can either deliver them yourself or drop them off at the Agency (159 Jefferson Heights, Suite D303, Catskill).

If you wish the Greene County Veterans Agency to deliver, the deadline is Friday, March 14. Each facility will hold all cards as they come in so they can distribute them evenly among their resident veterans. The present number of veteran residents and addresses for each facility are:

Greene Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center – 24 Veterans

161 Jefferson Heights, Catskill, NY 12414

The Pines @ Catskill Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation - 10 Veterans

154 Jefferson Heights, Catskill, NY 12414

The Eliot at Catskill – 15 Veterans

122 Jefferson Heights, Catskill, NY 12414

Home Sweet Home on the Hudson – 10 Veterans

38 Prospect Ave, Catskill, NY 12414

Home Sweet Home at Athens – 2 Veterans

71 2nd Street, Athens, NY 12015

FASNY Firemen’s Home – 20 veterans

125 Harry Howard Ave, Hudson, NY 12534

Thank you from Michelle Deyo, Director

Hey ladies, are you as upset as I am re: the lack of coverage of Caitlin Clark’s accomplishment of becoming the highest scoring College basketball player, surpassing even the males? Her name was mentioned by a male reporter but not for her record. Come on!!!! Now she has only to break Pistol Pete’s scoring record and that was for a male professional basketball player. You go girl.

Our Donnie Rion sets a good example as a family member and a good person. Donnie stops in to see cousin Charlie Rion, of Mosquito Point, at an Athens facility, see above information, for those needing a little assistance. He says Charlie continues to tell of his remembrances of local people and events and he has a ton of those memories.

So glad the groundhog did not see his shadow, it has been frigid ever since.

Happy Birthday to Matt Hill, son of Sandy and Larry Hill, on February 24. Happy Birthday to Rob Gurley and Chris Brody on February 28.