Matt Veronesi
By Matt Veronesi
Last week we took a trip to New York City to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. In the past we always ran two buses to that trip but because of Covid we weren’t sure if we would have been able to fill two buses this year so we did just one and it sold out. I have been Recreation Director in New Windsor for over 16 years and we have done the trip every year except for 2020 when they did not have a show due to the pandemic. And it is a beautiful show and everyone that attends always says how wonderful of a time they had on it.
Even though it gets old for us we are so glad that we are able to offer the trip and bring happiness to those that attend, even if we want to tackle those bears on stage sometimes!
The Town of New Windsor Annual Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled for this Friday December 3 from 6 - 8 p.m. in front of the Town Hall Complex at 555 Union Avenue. After the lighting of the tree there will be music, food vendors, entertainment, holiday vendors, a Holiday Hay Ride, and a chance for photos with Santa and Mrs. Clause. This is an all outdoor event so make sure to dress warm. For more information on the Menorah Lighting or the Christmas Tree Lighting please call the Recreation Department at 845-565-7750.
December 7, 2021 will be the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, “a date that will live in infamy”. This will be a day of remembrance to all those who have served and those who have lost their lives in defense of our country.
American Legion Post #1796 and Sons of the American Legion Squadron #1796 will again be holding the largest gathering in the Hudson Valley in remembrance of this fateful day eighty years ago.
Many military groups and service organizations will meet at 1100 hours behind Blu Pointe Restaurant on the Hudson River in Newburgh to remember all those that have sacrificed in the service of our country.
The general public is invited to attend and participate. Participation is done by acquiring a biodegradable wreath or cut flowers to be cast into the river in remembrance.
The Newburgh Free Academy band, AFJROTC and Madrigals will be in attendance to commemorate this day. Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus will be the guest speaker.
Light refreshments will be served at the event and lunch is offered afterwards at the American Legion Post #1796, 29 Walnut Street, New Windsor, NY. The Sons of the American Legion is an organization for the sole purpose of honoring all our veterans.
Participation in the Sons is granted to those who have served and been honorably discharged or those who have had a father or grandfather who is a veteran.
For further information, call Chris Eachus at 845-527-4514.
The local Kiwanis Club held an installation of new officers and members was held on October 21, 2021 at the Temple Hill Tavern in New Windsor. Robin Bello was installed as President, Eileen Buckley as Vice President, Brittani Turner as Club Secretary and Robert Marchione as Treasurer for the Club. Three new members were formally inducted, Kelly Ross from the Salvation Army of Newburgh, Jose Marin and Sandra Dumeng.
Members of the Kiwanis Club, along with students from the NFA and Cornwall High School Key Clubs met on Saturday, November 6, 2021 to perform our Adopt-A-Highway clean-up project. The club gathers twice a year on Veterans Day and Memorial Day to clean their designated area from Five Corners in Vails Gate to Union Avenue. on Temple Hill Rd./Freedom Rd.
Their regular meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at Perkins Restaurant, Route 300, Newburgh at 7:30 am. Please join them for breakfast to learn about their club and all of the wonderful projects that they do year-round to help the children of their community.
Please visit their website www.kiwanisofnewburghny.org or Facebook page for additional information.
The Town of New Windsor Recreation Department is pleased to offer some youth winter programs starting in January. There will be a youth winter soccer program and a youth winter basketball program held at the Vails Gate Elementary School.
Winter Coed Soccer which is being led by the professional coaches of Quickstrike FC will be held Wednesday nights starting on January 5 and will go for eight weeks and is $65 for New Windsor Residents and $75 for non-residents. This program is for ages 2-12 with the Born To Strike (ages 2-4) from 5:30-6:15 p.m., the Little Strikers (ages 5-6) from 6:30-7:30 p.m., and the Quickstrikers (ages 7-12) from 7:45-8:45 p.m. The Winter Coed Basketball Program is led by the professional coaches of Skyhawks Sports and will be held on Thursday nights for eight weeks starting on January 6 for ages 6-14. Ages 6-7 will go from 5:30-6:30 p.m., ages 8-10 will go from 6:35-7:35 p.m., and ages 11-14 year will go from 7:45-9 p.m. This program is $75 for New Windsor Residents and $85 for non-residents.
The Recreation Department is pleased to also offer once again our Start Smart Basketball Program for preschoolers age 3-5 which will be held on Wednesday nights starting January 19 to February 23 from 6-7 p.m. at the Community Center at the Town Hall Complex 555 Union Avenue. The price for the Start Smart Basketball Program is $65 for New Windsor Residents and $75 for non-residents. For more information or to register for the above programs please visit nwrecisfun.com or call 845-565-7750. Don’t hesitate space is extremely limited!
The following are prayer requests for the week if you would like to pray for them: Please allow Bruce’s surgery to go well and that he will make it through it. Please watch over all women who have had miscarriages and guide them and their husbands thru their difficult journey. Please watch over the family of Mario Delia who lost their father unexpectedly.
If you would like to send a prayer request to be added to a future column please feel free to reach out to me at 845-629-1260 by text or phone call or you can email me at mveronesi@optimum.net . Thank you.
Birthday shout outs this week go to Jim Kiley and Simon Sayson whose birthdays are both on December 3, to Kara Steffensen and Charlie Peyton whose birthdays are on December 5, to Tyler Fitzpatrick whose birthday is on December 8, and to anyone else out there celebrating birthdays this week Happy Birthday!
If anyone has a birthday or other special event you want mentioned in my column, or have anything going on in New Windsor that you want the world to know about you can reach me at mveronesi@optimum.net or by calling 845-629-1260. Have a great week.