The Right Step Dance Studio Christmas Recital has been rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the APW High School auditorium.  Tickets will be $1 per student and Senior Citizens and $2 for adults.  All are encouraged to bring non-perishable items for the Parish Ecumenical Christmas baskets.   There will be dance classes on Wed. Dec. 10  at the Parish Elementary School as follows:  5:00 - 5:45 all Level 1 and 2; 5:45 - 6:45 all level 3; and 6:45 - 7:45 all level 4 and 5.

Sat. Dec. 6 the annual Parish Tree Lighting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Veteran Memorial Park (corner of Church and S Railroad Street ) caroling and then the lighting of the tree before all will gather at the Mills and Petrie Memorial Gymnasium for hot cocoa and donuts. Santa will visit and listen to the children's wishes. There will be crafts, cookie decorating, themed raffle baskets, and various vendors.  Right Step Dance Studio students will perform beginning at 7 p.m. 

Nancy March Legacy ('72) enjoyed an early Thanksgiving with her daughter S/SGT Michelle Miller in Tulsa, OK.  S/SGT Miller, a member of the US AIR FORCE, returned from Balad, Iraq on November 3rd.  She was greeted at her base by her bother Vincent Denicola, his wife Becky and their children Joey and Kayleigh of Gastonia, NC.  Nancy's brother Will March drove from Manchester, Ct to attend this most "thankful" family gathering.

Remember the Mills and Petrie Memorial Gymnasium will be closed for the month of December for recreational activities, during the very worthwhile Parish Ecumenical Food Pantry's Christmas basket program and the "Elves at Work."  The Elves at Work make it possible for a child in the Parish area to wake up to "Christmas". You may pick up a tag off the tree at Parish Key Bank and buy presents, then drop off the unwrapped gifts with the tag  or make a monitorial contribution payable to "Elves at Work" and send to Lillian Harter, 2912 East Main Street, Parish, NY 13131

The Parish Public Library will host a “Community Open House”  on Sat., Dec. 13 from 1-4 PM at the library.  There will be a story teller from 1:30 – 2 pm, with Santa making a visit from 2-3 PM.  Great refreshments will be served.  Make a point to come see the library at work in the community.

A special kudos to Jim Gardner of ABC Tree Service, Jim installed the lights on the big pine tree at Veteran Memorial Park, just in time for the Parish “Holiday Celebration” held on Dec. 6.  ABC Tree Service is a member of the Greater Parish Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Parish Recreation and Parish Girl Scout Troop 710 have postponed the installation of the 9-hole disc (Frisbee) golf course at Merrill Town Community Park until spring.  The holes are dug, the targets are assembled (we are still lacking some chain) but the weather is just not cooperating.  The Oswego City-County Youth Bureau (who is helping fund this project)  is very understanding and giving us the time required.  The groups are still in need of cement and chain, donations would be appreciated.

As most of you know Steve Logsdon and family from the Parish Faith Church of the Nazarene will be leaving our community at the beginning of January.  The congregation would like to extend an invitation to the community to join them in an appreciation celebration for Steve and his family at their church on Sunday Dec. 14^th from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.  Steve, Bette, Leslie and Ben have been active members of this community in many ways for the past 15 years.

Memory Tree at Pleasant Lawn Cemetery:  for each submitted name, a light will be lit on the memory tree in remembrance of your special loved one.  Then each name is placed on a board near the tree.  The price remains the same at $10 per name.  There are many families that are unable to get to the cemetery during the Holiday season and have asked if there was a way that the association  could assist in placing decorations on the graves of loved ones for them.  The PLC  Association are placing beautiful Christmas wreaths decorated with lots of red ribbon and pine cones on graves for $20 per wreath.  A grave easel and wire is used to hold the wreath in place.  In the Spring the wreath is removed.  Send your check payable to Pleasant Lawn Cemetery to Venita Ackley, 422 Kipp Rd.  Parish, NY  13131.  The Pleasant Lawn Cemetery Association  thanks you in advance for participating.  The money is used to beautify your cemetery.

God bless all those military serving all over the world.  Please remember them during this holiday season and always!  (Let us remember those who will not be home for the holidays with family; because they are there for us. . .)  Please add to the list, military that will or will not be home for the holidays by sending information (name, home town, and where stationed)  email administrator@....  The will be listed on Positively Parish Blog and the Greater Parish Area Chamber of Commerce website.

The APW Band Boosters will be selling those awesome Little Caesars Pizza Kits from Dec. 1- 12.   They will also have a spaghetti dinner and concert on Wed. Dec. 17 at the APW High School from 4 to 6 p.m.  The dinner costs are adults $6, children $4 and senior citizens $5.  The concert will begin at 7 p.m.  All proceeds go towards new band/color guard uniforms.  Please show your support, they sure are putting great efforts into the APW Band and Color Guard Uniform Drive .

Parish Girl Scout Troop 710 will have a child care opportunity; giving parents the chance to go shopping. Shop without the little ones on Dec. 13  from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Parish-Hastings Presbyterian Church.  There will be no charge, we ask that you bring a non-perishable food item per child that will be donated to the Parish Ecumenical Food Pantry.  A Day of Fun for Children from the ages of 3 and up.  Please bring a bag lunch.

Girls that are in 2^nd and 3^rd grade are invited to join us between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.—come sign up to be a Girl Scout Brownie!  Parents we are looking for someone to volunteer in leading as well.

The Parish-Hastings Presbyterian Church’s Red Cross Blood Drive originally scheduled for Jan. 24 has been moved to Sat. Jan. 31 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Mills and Petrie Memorial Gymnasium, 2938 East Main Street.  This drive is in memory of Kayley and Rayel Sabine celebrating their life, keeping their memory alive.  Duncan Donuts will sponsor another coffee give away!

A last hurrah for 2008 in Parish!  A New Years Eve celebration at the Mills and Petrie Memorial Gymnasium, 2938 East Main Street, with basketball, table tennis, games, wii, cards , car races, crafts and more.  Pictures taken in Parish throughout 2008 will be shown on the big screen. The fun begins at 7 p.m.  Bring along a snack to share and non-alcoholic beverages for your family.  Coffee will be provided and pretend champagne for the magical hour in 2009 fun glasses.  Let’s make some noise!!!

If you had one wish for the village/town of Parish to be granted, what would it be?  Would love to hear from you at guindfam@....

I am looking for pictures of yesteryear involving the Mills and Petrie Memorial Gymnasium:  bowling, basketball, skating, etc. to make into posters.  See contact information below. 

The collection of stories on the past bowling at the Parish gym is coming along.  It is not too late give me a call.  These are some of the names that have come up: Jimmy Cheevers, Oliver P Comstock, Had Fuller, Norman Gamble, Earl Getman, Gene Hall, Bob Harter, Loretta Haynes, Sydney Henderson, David Horning, Harold Horning Jr., Mabel Horning, Steve Horning, Barb Houghton, Eleanor Kinney, Alberta Larry, Marvin and Joyce Miller, Marie Natlick, Mike and Jeanne Paternoster, Patsy Paternoster, Carl and Katherine (Nettie) Price, Don Price, Carol Ann Rudat, Jack and Lillian Wallace, Nancy Wart, Tom Waterman, Nancy Weaver, Richard and Ruth Whitelaw.  Don’t let your name or story be left out, give me a call.  See contact information below....

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