Parish Girl Scout Troop 710 will host a “Girl’s Night Out” at the Mills & Petrie Memorial Gymnasium on Friday Oct. 3.  This event is open to girls looking to find out more about Girl Scouts in the Mexico Service Unit.  There will be a number of Girl Scouts from around the area bringing a long a friend to enjoy the activities from 7-9.  Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts will participate in a sleep over.

Miss Jamie and the dancers of the Right Step Dance Studio will host a Chicken BBQ on Sat., October 4 from11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the corner Lot of Route 69 & 69A. The chicken will once again be prepared by “Fricken Chicken”. The dinners will be $8 each, the pre-sale ticket dinners must be picked up by 1 p.m. The proceeds will be used for the dancers upcoming trip to see the Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular.

The first celebration at new G & F Pizza & Italian Restaurant in Parish was fantastic.  Robert, Bonnie and daughter Morgan Frederick, Bette, Steve, son Benny Logsdon, Matt Spaman, Benny Clark, and his grandparents'  Barbra and Elwood Clark , gathered to celebrate the Frederick's 30 year Wedding Anniversary.  The food was five star, Pizza's. Meat Lovers, Breakfast, Chicken Parmigianino with Spaghetti, Stuff Shells, Baked Lasagna, huge plate of Fried Calamari, fresh Crisp Salads, and warm Garlic Rolls. To top off the meal , Fried Bread Dough. Five star all the way, a great time was had by all.

Bonnie and Bob Frederick enjoyed breakfast with Linda Clark, who got a phone call her husband Matt Clark was rushed to the ER for appendicitis. Matt is recovering and is doing well.

Lillian Harter, Robert and Bonnie Frederick enjoyed lunch together at the Grist Mill recently.

Bonnie and Robert Frederick are Great Aunt and Uncle, Heather and Jerret Franz of Orwigsburg Pa. had a baby boy, a month early.  Cole is doing great and is at home.

Debbie(Lock) Banville from Cape Cod, daughter Christine and grand son Noah from New Mexico, Sandy and Jim Chetney from Oswego, Mr. and Mrs. Banville great Grandparents from AZ, met with Bonnie and Bob Frederick for lunch at the Cracker Barrel Monday.

 Eric and Lori Popp Behling became grandparents of a beautiful little girl, Cadence Grace Backaus on September 26 at 2:44 pm. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 oz. and is 19" long at Albany Med Hospital.   Erin, Rich and Cadence are all doing well.

Pierre Guindon of St. Pascal-Baylon Ontario arrived in Parish on September 26 to spend the weekend with his brother, Bernie Guindon and family.  It was an enjoyable visit for all.

Wed. Oct. 1 was not a great weather day, but the Leaf Peeper trip to High Braes Refuge was outstanding.  All enjoyed the delicious meal that was served and the tour of the manor.  It was a step back in time as the group each stepped in the quaint chapel that once stood here in Parish as the Parish Center Methodist Church.  The hike down to the lower falls was breath taking and full of serenity and peace.   There are still open seats for the bus trip to Forestport’s Buffalo Head Restaurant on Mon. Oct. 13.  Call 625-4575 for more information.

The Greater Parish Area Chamber of Commerce met on Wed. evening, October 1.  Nancy Bookheimer enthusiastically announced that there were approximately sixty entries in the “Focus on Parish” photo contest.  What a great success for the first year.  She also mentioned that the photos are outstanding and great thought have been put in to these creations.  If you missed the deadline, please be aware that there will be another next year with the deadline being Sept. 30, 2009.  Start snapping pictures now and perfecting those skills.

The remainder of the meeting was finalizing the upcoming “Parish Fall Fest” to be held on Saturday, October 18.  This popular yearly event will take on a new facet this year by raising funds for the Parish Ecumenical and Dugway Food Pantries.  With the economy as it is, these pantries will be a blessing for many this winter.  

Here is a rundown on what will be taking place and the fun that you can have while helping out your neighbors on Oct. 18: at the Parish-Hastings Presbyterian Church, 814 Rider Street; 7-10 a.m. pancake breakfast; at 8:30 there will be registrations for the 9 a.m. start for the fun walk around Montgomery Street.  Beginning at 9 a.m. at the Merrill Town Community Park, the flea market and crafters will be set up; the haunted house will open at 10 a.m.; the apple pie bake-off is judged at 11 a.m.   The costume parade with many floats will begin at 1 p.m. at the Parish Fire Station, 16 Union Street ending at the Merrill Town Community Park where you will find music with Eddie Goetz and the Silver Spurs; air hops; hayrides, balloon mania; face painting by the APW Art Club; pumpkin search; Relay for Life—cancer awareness booth, Lakeside Winterguard’s kettle corn and caramel apples; the chamber will be grilling hotdogs and hamburgers and other assorted items will be available; the photo contest entries and pictures of the scarecrow entries will be on display; the basketball hot shot contest will begin at 2 pm and the soccer target challenge will begin at 3 pm.  The winners of the photo contest, the scarecrow contest and the apple pie bake off  will be announced at 2 pm and the winners of the basketball and soccer contests will be announced at 4 pm. 

That evening at dusk Parish will have it’s own little drive in at Merrill Town Park beginning at dusk with the Halloween classic “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”  There will be no admission we just ask for monetary or non perishable food donations.  There will be popcorn and beverages available for purchase. 

Great News!  I am so excited.  The Oswego City-County Youth Bureau will be helping out Parish Recreation along with the Parish Girl Scout Troop 710 in a joint effort to put in the 9-hole Disc (Frisbee) Golf Course at the Merrill Town Community Park.  The Girl Scouts will host another sign up activity with four of the holes temporarily set up on the baseball fields on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 2-4 pm.  Come see what it is all about, since we will be needing volunteers in the near future.

The APW Marching Band and Color Guard Uniform Drive 2008 will go thru February 2009.   The Band Boosters challenge all of the Alumni of APW to donate!  Which graduation year will raise the most.  The APW Band Booster Club is in need of volunteers.  The club meets once a month, check the calendar for the date, time and place on www.freewebs.com/apwbandboosters.  The next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 16.

  The Greater Parish Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring “Focus on Parish” an Amateur Photo contest of 4 X 6 to 8 X 10 photographs from the Parish area taken in 2008. All ages are welcome to join in, but you must be a resident of the town (village) of Parish. There are cash prizes and certificates for First ($100), Second ($75) and Third ($50)

Entries must be made by Sept. 30 and winners will be announced Oct. 18th during the annual Fall Fest. For rules and an entry blank visit parishchamberofcommerce.parish-ny.com/ or Nancy Bookheimer at 625-7138 or 649-5974.

 To make this column interesting and informative, we need to hear from you, email information to guindfam@... or call 625-4575.

Blessings and Peace be with you,

Mary Lou Miller Guindon/'75
315 625 4575