Chocolates by Leopold, Montrose's gourmet chocolate factory and store, donated a 3 foot tall Chocolate Santa to be raffled for the benefit of the Association. Click to watch a video of the Christmas Festival, when the Chocolate Santa was rolled down Public Avenue to spread the chocolate evenly in the mold. Joann Slee won the spectacular Santa and the raffle raised $212. Congratulations to Joann, and our deep appreciation to Michelle DePue, Tom Follert, and of course Leopold! Chocolates by Leopold is also the sponsor of the Chocolate and Wine Festival, held on the 3rd Saturday in May, which benefits our organization and the hospital.

Jeffrey Marshall, Chief Preservation Officer of the Heritage Conservancy, gave an inspiring talk about the National Register of Historic Places and the new Montrose Historic District at the Annual Meeting (11/5/11). Rather than show a slide presentation, he encouraged everyone to take a closer look at the many remarkable buildings in person. But Jeff did assemble a beautiful presentation, and he gave us permission to post it. Whether or not you were able to attend, take a look here. Maps of the district will be available to view at the Historical Society in the near future, says Curator Betty Smith. Betty received a much-deserved plaque at the meeting honoring her for her crucial role in making the district a reality!

An exhibit celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War has just opened at the Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton, and it includes a number of items on loan from our Historical Society's museum. In addition to a number of photographs, there's a large American Flag which belonged to the Union League of New Milford, a Civil War-era accordion, a Star revolver which was manufactured in Binghamton, and more. The Historical Society's collections contain a huge variety of unique and significant items. If you haven't yet visited our museum, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It's a gem of our county--and admission is free!

The Hands On Helpers, part of the Community Options/ IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) Department of NHS Human Services, sponsored a yard sale and luncheon to benefit the Association. The event, held on September 17th 2011, brought in $687 from the sale of donated items, hot dogs, soda, and baked goods. Please join us in congratulating and thanking them!

L to R, front: Theresa Phelps, NanciJo Brown, Cindy Augustine, Francine Geertgens, Victoria Bennett, Aimee Oswald; rear, Christine Raines, Stephanie Young, Heather Hall, April Fowler.