A few columns ago, birthday wishes had been sent out to Bea Lawrence who turned 95 in February. Since that column, a party was held in her honor at the Whiteface Range Hall on Tuesday, March 27.

Now that lady has some relatives who know how to throw a party! Her daughter, Cheryl had things well under control, the food was laid out on the buffet table and the three (count ’em-3) birthday cakes were on the side just waiting to be sliced up and distributed to the dessert-hungry well-wishers. When Bea was brought into the hall, her expression was one of pure unbelief. “I was so surprised.” she later said.

I heard that she had been lured there by thinking it was someone else’s party. And since she could have taken the 20 steps or so back to her house at any time, I am thinking that she wasn’t all that unhappy to be there.

Relatives and friends from near and far were on hand to wish our wonderful friend the very best for her 95th birthday and for many more to come.

The AuSable Valley Garden Club held its first meeting of the year on March 15 at the Wilmington Fire House. Those in attendance enjoyed a pot luck luncheon and discussed events for the year. They will be visiting various gardens locally and in the immediate area. Master gardeners from Cornell University regularly hold discussion meetings where members are helped out with their own gardens. New this season are visitations to organic-type gardens.

Since our growing season is short, so is the club’s number of meetings. There are no set meetings in either January or February so members will not have to get out in inclement weather. The club meets on the third Thursday of the month at different previously scheduled events, two of these being luncheons. The next meeting will be on April 19.

Anyone wishing to become a member would be most welcome and should contact either Jeanne Nichols at 946-7654 or Sylvia Mustelier at 946-2236.

The Thrift Shop is open for business again, this time with more vernal fashions available. If you are not aware of our shopping mecca here in town, its hours of operation are from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday. The shop is also one of the acceptable locations for high school students to work out their community service hours that they will require for graduation. For further information, call 946-2922.

The Ecumenical Sunrise Easter service will be starting at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate because this will be the first function to be held at our town beach since the beginning of its rejuvenation project. While we will still have to be very careful not to tear up the work that has already been done, we can park on Bowman Lane and walk down to the newly constructed pavilion. The difference of how the beach looked before as opposed to how it will eventually turn out is quite the change.

As in years past, following the sunrise service, everyone is invited back to the Whiteface Methodist Church. Don Morrison, with his hearty crew of “Breakfast Makers” will be ready for the faithful. Following the breakfast the denominations will disperse with the Methodists staying for the 10:30 worship service and Easter egg hunt for the younger set. Pastor Brooke Newell extends welcome to any of the Methodist services to anyone who does not have a home church, or may be visiting in our area.

How does “The Jay Community Garden” sound? That is exactly what some folks in our area are hoping to bring to fruition. With a meeting to hatch the plan being held on this past Tuesday night, I couldn’t get any photos of who was there, but with Fred Balzac, Susan Hockert, Carolyn Comegys and Meg Parker being some of the people involved, you can be sure that the plan will be well thought out and well carried out.

This group has in its contributors master gardeners, some who have been there, done that, and last but certainly not least, the greenhorn gardeners who are most eager to learn the craft from the best. Balzac told me, “It will be another opportunity for people in the community to work together toward a common goal.”

Thanks must go to the Town of Jay for making the land available and establishing the garden to the volunteer efforts to plan and set up the garden and to individual gardeners working their plots to grow vegetables. Wilmington businesswoman Susan Hockert disclosed that this project was in the works last year. She and fellow master Gardener Jeanne Nichols were very excited to help with this.

“This is what we do – help people understand how to garden” Hockert said, “We started talking to our other master gardeners to see how their community gardens went – Lake Placid and Keene Valley and came up with some basic guidelines.

Let’s look forward to many good things to come out of this community effort. Hats off to all of you!

The Wilmington Historical Society’s membership drive is underway. The time to support the efforts to preserve Wilmington’s history is now! You may not think so, but years from now, you will say to yourself, “Gee, what ever happened to?”

If these people and buildings are preserved now through pictures and commentaries, then the next generations will be able to enjoy them, too. If you didn’t receive the 2012 Wilmington Historical society membership flyer, you can download one at www.wilmingtonhistoricalsociety.org or pick up a form at the Wilmington town hall. For more information, call 518-420-8370.

For anyone who is interested in researching their genealogy or even the area’s history, the next Research Night will be on Tuesday, April 17. Complete with members of the WHS helping out, we can come to the Wilmington Community Center on Springfield Road between the hours of 6 to 9 p.m.

And in closing, I would like to take a moment to say, “thank you” to Joy who works at the Lake Placid Kinney Drugs store. Maybe my writing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But when someone like Joy tells you that they like your work, it makes you hold your head a bit higher. It surely can brighten your day. It did mine.

Until next column, thank you for reading this, and “May God Bless.”