October 24, 2003

Salvation Army volunteers prepare for holidays

By Barbara Bedell
Times Herald-Record

It won't be long before the red kettle campaign of the Salvation Army starts. It's an appeal that raises money to provide a holiday meal for the needy and new gifts for children.

In Middletown, the "kettle kickoff" will be during the 11th annual breakfast at 8 a.m. Nov. 18 at Southwinds at Fulton Square. Orange County Sheriff Carl DuBois, a member of the Salvation Army's board of directors, has been named honorary kettle campaign chairman. He will solicit volunteers to help him. Many come from community organizations. Traditionally, the Middletown Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and Business and Professional Women compete to see who can raise the most money.

The breakfast is an uplifting event with music. The chairwoman will be Karen Miller, a Rotarian, who also is a member of the Army's board of directors. Tickets are $10, with reservations due Nov. 7 by calling 343-0821.

During the recent fund-raising flea market hosted by the Middletown Corps at 80 W. Main St., Capt. Claritza Medina, a co-pastor with her husband, Capt. Hector Medina, baked cakes for the pastry table. Her husband, who rides a flashy yellow motorcycle when he isn't driving the more conservative navy blue van, was selling items from his mammoth Hot Wheels collection. He also was reminding visitors about the nonprofit group's annual spaghetti dinner.

The dinner will be from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Corps' social hall. Tickets are $8 for those 12 and older, and $5 for youths 3-11. Others are free.

Members of the Corps' Girls Club, co-directed by Elizabeth Hanna and Judy Weiss, will help.

The Girls Club is designed to broaden horizons. Meetings are 5-7 p.m. on Mondays. Outings have included hiking, walking the Heritage Trail, visiting nonprofit groups such as the Drug and Alcohol Council, and picking up roadway trash. Their most recent outing was a visit to Michelle's Total Fitness Gym, where they lifted weights.

-Shirley Call will be honored at a buffet supper tomorrow for her 33 years of service to the Goshen Area Day Care Center, where she was director. It will be at 6 p.m. at the home of John and Marie Matta in Goshen. For information, call 294-7247.

-The 45th annual awards banquet of the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association will begin with an open bar social hour at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Raleigh Hotel in South Fallsburg. Honorees include Helen Dana and her family, who will receive the Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award, and Joe Faraldo, who will get the Lifetime Achievement Award. Also, Bill Mulligan will be named Amateur Driver of the Year and John Gilmour will be given the Good Guy Award.

During the evening, proceeds from the journal will be donated to the Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, said John Manzi, dinner chairman. Tickets are $50 and are available by calling him at 794-4100, Ext. 455.

This and that

The Orange County Veterans Coalition dinner, set for tomorrow, has been canceled due to poor ticket sales. Priced at $45, only 41 tickets were paid for, with another 10 spoken for. The bottom line was, simply, the price was too high, said Conrad Flickenschild, Coalition chairman, after talking to numerous veterans. The awards that were planned for several people and a business for their continued service to veterans will be given on Veterans Day following the 2 p.m. dedication of the granite memorial and new Veterans' Service building in the Orange County Cemetery on Craigsville Road in Goshen.

The dedication is no small fete. It's been in the offing for several months and with great anticipation since the impressive monument was erected in honor of all who served in the military. The stone, which sits at the entryway of the hallowed ground, has been covered with tarp since it was completed in late spring.

The new building will house the agency directed by Tony Zippo. It also will be the location for the agency's three vans, which are used to transport veterans. The agency's six full-time employees and three part-timers expect to be in their new quarters sometime in November.

Orange County Executive Eddie Diana will preside over the dedication. For information, call 291-2470.



Barbara Bedell's column appears daily. Call her at 346-3125.