Happy New Year! What a blessing it is to have had so little time spent on snow removal and weather delays. However, winter seems to have arrived in force with the changing of the calendar page and we now are getting some real wintry weather. I’m hoping that the cold will kill off some of the viruses and bacteria that cause health problems for so many of us. I have fallen victim to a nasty head cold recently and don’t wish it on anyone.

Did you have trouble with needles falling off your Christmas tree as soon as it was set up? We cut our tree at a local tree farm and set it up in the stand within just a few hours and by the second day there were needles everywhere and more would fall if we just touched one of the branches. It has seemed very unusual, and I wonder if the warm autumn and early winter weather is to blame. We have been careful to keep it well watered since the first day, so that should not have been a factor. It will probably be on the curb well in advance of the 9 a.m. arrival of the Muncy Lions Club members who are conducting their annual Christmas tree pickup on Saturdays, January 9 and 16.

Now that schools are back in session, there will be plenty of activity around the high school and elementary school as students are competing in several winter sports and preparing this year’s musical production. Be sure to pick up a schedule of basketball games and wrestling matches, and mark your calendars for early March so you can enjoy HHS’s presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical about a girl and her glass slippers!

The days are beginning to get a bit longer, but it still gets dark quite early in the evening, so please be sure to watch carefully for pedestrians along the roads near town and on the streets in the borough. It is unfortunate that the uneven and inconsistent quality of sidewalks in our borough make it difficult to walk without tripping or stumbling. As a result, those who wish to walk anywhere often choose to walk in the street where the surface underfoot is more reliable, even though this exposes them to the dangers of motor vehicles. Drivers need to be vigilant in watching for them, and walkers need to be sure to wear light colored articles of clothing that will make it easy to be seen. Recently I was startled to realize that someone was walking their dog and they stepped out onto the street, dressed in all dark attire, just as I turned a corner. While nothing bad happened, it was scary. Let’s all work together to keep everyone safe!

Hughesville events:

Fri. Jan. 8 Preschool story hour at Hughesville Area Public Library at 10:30 a.m. Theme will be ‘Animals in Winter.’ Registration required.

Sundays in January Hughesville United Methodist charge will hold regular 9:30 AM worship services at Christ U. M. Church, 146 South Main Street. Sunday School will be at 10:45 a.m. and Wednesday worship at 6 p.m., also at Christ.

Sat. Jan. 16 Hughesville Area Public Library movie with John Wayne in The Searchers at 6 p.m. and Sun. Jan. 17, Teen Video Game Night 6-10 p.m. Space will be limited for each event so please register at the desk or call us at (570)584-3762.