HAMMONDSPORT HAPPENINGS

• Well, pardon me, Hope hopes that if you have relatives in any of the following places that you did not call them early last Sunday morning. I read this week that these places do not observe Daylight Savings Time: Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, or American Samoa. But, the Navajo Nation in Arizona does follow Daylight Savings Time because the nation is so large, it is located in three states. My source is webexhibits.org. I found it interesting and thought you would, too!

• Tomorrow, March 17, is Saint Patrick's Day - and that's no blarney! Although the holiday began as a day to honor the saint who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, today it mainly honors all people and all things Irish. (Though for the record, dying beer green, as I've heard is done, is not all things Irish!) According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2007 figures), there are some 34.7 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry, including 24% of Massachusetts' residents. There are four towns in the USA with "Shamrock" in their names and nine USA towns named Dublin. The number of pints of green beer downed with the 41.6 billion pounds of beef and 2.4 billion pounds of cabbage produced in the U.S. (2005 figures) - well, who knows! Happy St. Pat's Day 2008!

• This third week in March has another thing going for it. On Thursday, March 20, is the first day of spring, with a full moon at that!

•Wine Country Toastmasters meet Tuesday, March 18, from 7:00-8:30 PM at the County Health Care Facility on County Route 113 in Bath. For more information, call 607-776-6813.

• Wednesday, March 19, retired teachers and staff of HCS will hold a 9 AM gettogether at the Bath Chat-AWhyle restaurant for breakfast and fellowship.

• Traffer Dougherty, director of the Curtiss Museum - who earlier this year announced that July 4, 2008, will mark the 100th anniversary of Glenn Curtiss's historic flight of the Junebug - thanks all who have contributed to the expenses of around $75,000 for the centennial celebration.

• Do you know that the Office for the Aging is glad to help with such things as shopping, transportation, minor home repairs, chores, and the like? If you live in the Hornell area, call Faith in Action at 607-324-1138. In the Bath area, call Project CARE at 607-664-2298. In the Corning area, also call Faith in Action at 607-936-0941. These programs are primarily for seniors over 60 and are possible because of a network of caring volunteers. Donations and grants, including funding from the United Way of the Southern Tier and the NYS Office for the Aging, give financial support.

• Hammondsport Joint Fund Drive-Reginald Wood Memorial to Scouting, part of the Hammondsport Community Services, is now taking place. To continue the

work and programs of both +

the Community Services and Scouting, please help by sending a gift of money.

Please make checks payable to the Hammondsport Joint Fund Drive and mail to Donna Colvin, Treasurer, 8731 Brown Road, Pulteney, NY 14874. Here is what Hammondsport Community Services did in 2006 (most recent year for information available): community food baskets and gifts, $6,870; general emergency help, $2,741.46; summer youth programs, $3,700; local youth education assistance, $1,054; Halloween community services, $36; Hammondsport and Pulteney libraries, $3,000- for a grand total of $17,401.46. Also, if you know of someone in need, please call Mary White, Jim Conklin, Katherine Meade, Lynn Domras, or Dick McCandless. Contributions to the Joint Fund Drive are tax deductible, since Hammondsport Community Services Inc. is a 501(c)(3) entity.

• In the March Laker Lines of Hammondsport Central School, there is a picture on the cover of Grade 3 teacher Erin Waterstraat and third graders Zoe Zumbo and Cameron McConnell showing coins they counted and collected for the Hammondsport Community Services. Glenn Curtiss Elementary School celebrated the 100th day of school on February 13. In addition to writing a 100- word paragraph about the 2008 Election primary races, marking 100 feet along the school hallway, and performing 100 calisthenics on the100th minute of the school day, the students were also asked to count out and bring to school 100 cents to be donated to the aforementioned Joint Fund Drive. Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters totaling $187 were collected. This project not only helped the students count to 100 cents and understand the value of different coins, but also incorporated character education concepts of kindness and compassion.

• The HCS Construction Systems class is looking for someone who needs a small structure built. The person need only buy the materials. In the past, students have built a greenhouse, playhouses, and more. If you are interested, please contact HCS Technology teacher Jon Lowin at jlowin@hport.wnyric.org or phone the school at 607- 569-5200.

Hammondsport church news

• Today is Palm Sunday in all of the Hammondsport community churches. Next Sunday, there will be a 6:30 AM Easter sunrise service at the head of Keuka Lake.

• St. Gabriel's Catholic: Maureen O'Neill, Pastoral Administrator: Rev. Peter Anglaaere, Sacramental. Mass schedule: Saturdays 5:30 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m.

St. Gabriel's Church parishioners were grateful to get a thank-you letter for their continued contributions to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, held in St. James Church. The letter explained, "We served almost 1,800 people in 2007 and members of your church, among other people and groups, helped make this possible."

If you would like to sing in the choir for the Good Friday, March 21, 6 PM service and Easter vigil mass, there will be a rehearsal after the 11 AM mass today, March 16, and one hour before each service. This taking part through music may be your special way of celebrating the Triduum.

Each Friday, Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 8:30 A.M. immediately following the 8 A.M. mass. Everyone is welcome to take part.

All are invited to remain after mass today to pray the Rosary for the sick of the parish and for Father O'Connor.

• St. James Episcopal: Located on the corner of Main and Lake Streets. The Rev. Sandra Curtis, Rector; Sunday Eucharist and Sunday School are at 9:00 A.M., followed by Coffee Hour. Thursday at 12:15 P.M., Holy Eucharist; Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays at 3:00 P.M. and Saturdays at 11:00 A.M.

St. James is looking for people to help with alter guild in 2008. If you have ever thought about taking part in this ministry, please volunteer. Leah Nichiporuk and the Rector are more than willing to help new volunteers learn the duties so you will feel comfortable with the work.

• First United Methodist Church: The Rev. Paul Rowley, Minister: 8:30 a.m. Service: 9:45 -10:45 a.m., Sunday school; 11 a.m. Service. On the 5th Sunday of the month, the two services are combined with a 10:00 A.M. service for all.

Pastor Paul Rowley did a wonderful thing for the church during Lent (as he often does): he ordered a Lenten devotional with daily devotions on Your Nail. Pastor Rowley said that his prayer was thus -- as we set aside a special devotional time during Lent, it will become a time of deeper insight into the suffering of Jesus for us and a time of renewal in our walk with Him.

Please remember that the Pregnancy Resource Center always needs donations of materials.

• The First Presbyterian Churches of Hammondsport and Pulteney: Interim Pastor Anne Waasdorp at both churches: Pulteney at 9:30 AM; Hammondsport at 11:00 AM. I n Hammondsport, adult Bible Study and Prayer at the Pulteney church on Tuesdays at 2 P.M.; adult Sunday School in Hammondsport, led by Jim Walling, at 10:00 A.M.

The noon ecumenical Good Friday service on March 21 will be held at the Hammondsport Presbyterian Church. There is no luncheon on this day.