Published: June 12, 2008 09:14 am         

South Valley

By CAROL BRODIE The calendar says summer arrives on June 21, but with this heat (84 degrees, as I write this column on June 7) and humidity, I believe it’s already here! Now this is weird — I have one calendar that says summer begins on June 21, but in looking at another calendar, that one says June 20! So which one is right?!

Anyway, I do know that this Saturday, June 14, is Flag Day, so be sure to proudly display your flag that day.

I don’t know about anyone else around the area, but we’ve been invaded by the caterpillar worms! One day early last week, I killed a couple of them on our front porch. By the middle of the week, we were killing up to 40 a day or more. They are very annoying, to say the least.

A much cheerier subject is our birds! I finally spotted what I thought I had heard weeks ago — a house wren. He/she seems to have built a home in the purple martin house, which is fine with me, because maybe he will keep those pesky starlings out of there.

I spoke to Marion Holmes last week, and despite the fact that she, too, has house wrens, she said her pair of bluebirds finally came back and have built their nest in the usual place across from her house in the nest box. Marion was also excited to share that she’d seen a female blue grosbeak in a bush by her house. She said it was just there for a brief time but she was glad to have been able to spot it.

My girlfriend, Janette Reynolds, emailed to say that she and her husband, Gary, had the pleasure of seeing a male indigo bunting and a bluebird last week near their North Blenheim home. Apparently, both birds were just passing through as they haven’t seen either one since.

Dad, Mom and I had one of the grandest surprises we ever could have had last Monday, June 2, when Rev. Tom and Jeanne Briggs stopped in to visit us. They were en route home following a weekend getaway and went out of their way just to come see us. We had a terrific, though short, visit and caught up on each other’s families. They asked about some of the people from the South Valley First Christian Church who were so good to them when Rev. Briggs pastored here from 1989 to 1990. He was one of the best pastors we’d ever had in South Valley, and we miss their family as much as they miss us.

We feel very fortunate, indeed, to have been able to keep in touch with them over the years, just as we have with other former pastors and their families, who’ve all become like family to us. One thing I will always remember Pastor Briggs for was his love and concern for the elderly who are in the nursing homes. He visited them weekly and enjoyed reading the Bible and singing to them. Sadly, today many churches can’t even make time to visit the nursing homes in December to sing Christmas carols to the residents, to say nothing of the rest of the year.

Birthdays & Anniversaries Birthday wishes go out to Kelly Sweeney-Brent who turns 30 years old, Eric Kruppenbacher, Diane Mollen, Jessica Mollen, Nicholis Brodie who will be 15, Bill Mabie, Edith Riemer, Dana Tripp, Ted Coleman, Gabrielle Card who turns eight, Alissa Lundgren who will be 12, and Jeremy Brodie. Anniversary wishes go to Joe and Jane Dent, Jeff and Yvonne White, Mike and Sara Kineke, Dan and Nellie Moore, Tom and Laurie Laymon, and Jason and Jamilynne Myers.

Coming Events

The Cooperstown Area Christian Women’s Club will be hosting their monthly luncheon, “Love Is in the Air,” at the Tally Ho, in Richfield Springs, on Monday, June 16. The meal will be served at 11:30 a.m., with the program to follow at noon.

The guest speaker will be Kathy Bump, from Johnstown, who tells how “I was trying to find something to fill my emptiness.” The special feature will be Carmel’s Bridal Shop & Formal Wear with Carmela Chiodo of Richfield Springs. Special music will be “HappyTunes” by Diane Ducey of Cooperstown. For questions or to make reservations, please call Nancy at (607) 264-3402, Dotty at (315) 822-6391 or Peg at (315) 858-0525.

Bits and Pieces

Carolyn Sweeney reports that “Charlie,” the missing dog from the Bear Swamp area, has been found! Carolyn was talking to his owner, who is a pharmacist at Bassett in Cooperstown, and she was thrilled to have him back home again. Since he is part beagle, he followed his nose too far from home and ended up on Hoose Road, in Roseboom, where someone spotted him from the notices left in the area. Ricki said she was going to put him on a long lead so she can keep an eye on him from now on. Jim and Carolyn Sweeney attended the funeral of Carolyn’s cousin, Donna Jones- Werner, of Amsterdam, on Friday, May 9. Donna had been a resident in a nursing home for a number of years and became ill.

On Saturday, May 10, Jim and Carolyn Sweeney were all packed and headed for Boston for a long weekend with their daughter, Kimberly, and her family. They were stopped for traffic on Route 7, outside of Cobleskill, by the car dealerships, when they were hit from behind by another driver. Their Ford Explorer held up rather well, so after some time doing the paper work, with a dented bumper and a couple of sore necks, they started out again for Boston, and the rest of the trip was fine. Carolyn jokingly told Jim, “Since this was the second rear-ended accident they’ve had on a Boston-related trip now, maybe it’s time he changed his baseball team from the New York Yankees to the Boston Red Socks, if that would help!” Despite the accident and all, they had a fun weekend with Kim and her family, and they were surprised at how big the grandchildren had grown in just two months’ time.

Jim and Carolyn Sweeney went to Poland, N.Y., on Sunday, May 25, Memorial Day weekend, to visit Herb and Brenda Belfiore for a holiday cookout with family. Brenda’s daughter, Cheryl Sweeney and her family, from Clinton, and her son, James Sweeney, from Springfield, Mass., were also there.

They also saw the Belfiore’s new camping trailer they just purchased for the family camping trips.

Diane Mollen and Brian Gibbs hosted a family picnic and barbecue at their home on Memorial Day, May 26.

Enjoying the day with them were Marilyn Mollen, Jessica Mollen and son, Grayson, Damian Gibbs and his girlfriend, Alysia Eibe, and their friend, John, all three of Albany. Renee Brant, Marilyn Mollen, Ruthie Hendricks, Jackie Hadden, Lisa Parietti, Londa Webster, Veronica White, and Margie Gould attended the Ladies Seminar at Baptist Bible College, in Clarks Summit, Pa., from Thursday through Saturday, May 29 through 31. Marilyn reports that they enjoyed a musical concert on Thursday night, followed by comedian Martha Bolton, whom she said was really funny. The ladies stayed in the college dorm rooms and attended workshops over the next two days. Marilyn says that 500 ladies attended the event. She also mentioned that Vickie Myers and Teena VanDewerker-Finch attended the same seminar the week before.

Joslyn Mabie spent Saturday through Sunday, May 31 through June 1, visiting her grandparents, Leland and Pat Mabie. On Saturday, Pat and Joslyn went to the Cobleskill Diner for lunch where they happened to run into Raymond and Sandy Sutton, of Decatur. The Suttons treated Joslyn to lunch because she’s done so well in track.

David and Sharon Thompson visited Keith and Daphne Thompson and daughter, Elizabeth, in Morris, on Sunday, June 1, and the five of them enjoyed dinner at the Morris home of Robert and Maureen Joy.

Pat Mabie began working at the Cherry Valley Museum on Monday, June 2, and Marilyn Mollen started on Wednesday, June 4.

Town of Roseboom committee- people Frank Brodie and Marilyn Mollen attended the Otsego County Republican Committee meeting at the Cooperstown Courthouse on Tuesday night, June 3. The Roseboom Area Senior Citizen Club meeting and covered dish luncheon was held at the Roseboom Methodist Church on Wednesday, June 4, with 13 members attending.

The South Valley Women’s Club meeting was held at the Community Hall on Thursday afternoon, June 5, with President Jackie Hadden, Marilyn Mollen, Linda Buzzutto, Lucy Proper, Helen Holmes, Allegra Schecter, Jean Roy, Thelma Coleman, and Sharon Volpe attending. The ladies planned their monthly dinner, which will be pot roast, for Saturday, June 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Community Hall.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your news happenings with me! I had so much this week, in fact, that there are a couple of items I will have to hold over until next week. I look forward to sharing all your news, so keep calling me at (607) 264- 3225.