Christmas services

Happy birthday to the new baby Jesus, born on Christmas Day and a Merry Christmas to all!

Church services

Christmas services in the Canastota vicinity that have been given me include:

St. Agatha’s Church, Christmas Eve, 4 p.m. and Christmas Day, 9 a.m.

St. Mary’s Church, Verona Beach, 9 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass and Christmas Mass 11 a.m. on Monday, Christmas Day.

Whitelaw Presbyterian Church, no Sunday morning worship, 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Christmas carols and the combined choirs, including solos.

First Baptist Church, 7 p.m. Candlelight Service Dec. 24 with special music including vocal solos and harp presentations.

United Church of Canastota will hold a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24.

Closed

All the business offices and banks will be closed on Monday, Christmas Day. The Madison County offices will be closed,

Madison County Office for the Aging will be closed along with the SNACK sites. Canastota schools will be closed for the next week and will reopen on Jan. 2. Canastota Public Library will be closed for Christmas as well as New Year’s Day on Jan. 1.

Garbage pickup

Due to the Christmas holiday, garbage pickup in Canastota will be delayed one day. If you usually place your refuse at the curb on Sunday night, you will place it at the curb on Monday night; those who normally set their garbage out on Monday night will do so on Tuesday night.

Flu/immunization clinics

Madison County Health Department has scheduled the following flu and immunization clinics: Wednesday, Dec. 27 from 9-11 a.m. and Friday, Dec. 29 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Pa- tients should bring their health insurance card. Most insurance plans accepted. Some fees may apply. Clinics are by appointment; call (315) 366-2848 or visit www.healthymadisoncounty.org. All clinics will be held at the Madison County Health Department, 138 N. Court St., Building 5, Wampsville.

Sherrill-Kenwood Library

Sherrill Kenwood Library will host the following events during the Christmas vacation week. Wednesday, Dec. 27 the movie “Despicable Me 3” (PG) will be shown at 1:30 and 6 p.m. On Thursday, Dec. 28 from 12-8 p.m. children can test their putting skills on the sixhole indoor Winter Wonderland mini golf course. On Friday, Dec. 29 from 1-6 p.m. kids are invited to play Giant Yahtzee & Legos. Snap Circuits Saturday takes place Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The library will be closed Dec. 24-26, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

Oneida Library

Oneida Public Library will be closed Dec. 25 and 26 to celebrate the Christmas holiday. The library will be open as usual on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 27, Teen Movie Marathon: Broadway and Blockbuster from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Teens can have their fill of fun at the OPL with four movie favorites, pizza, popcorn and drinks. The free films are “Grease” at 10 a.m., “Les Miserables” at noon, “Footloose” at 3 p.m. and “School of Rock” at 5 p.m.

On Saturday, Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the American Red Cross will hold a blood drive at the OPL. This is a time of severe blood plasma shortage in the northeast. Donors should schedule an appointment by calling the Red Cross at 1-800-7332767.

The library will be closed on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1. The library will be open as usual on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 9 a.m.

Free movie

Cazenovia Public Library will present two free screenings of “Dunkirk” on Friday, Dec. 29 at 1 and 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. The 2017 film depicts the WWII evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, which resulted in the rescue of 3330,000 French, British, Belgian, and Dutch soldiers. The visually stunning film portrays the evacuation from three perspectives: land, sea, and air. “Dunkirk” is rated PG-13 and runs 106 minutes. Free popcorn provided. For more information, call (315) 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.

Don’t forget

The Gary Johnson program at the Sherrill Community Activity Center, 139 E. Hamilton Ave., from 8-11 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29.

Come bowl and listen to great music. $15 includes unlimited bowling from 8-10 p.m. and shoes. The concession stand will be open for food and drink purchases.

Space for bowling is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are accepted. Call (315) 363-6525.

“Noon Year’s Eve”

Cazenovia Public Library will hold a family friendly “Noon Year’s Eve” party on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 11 a.m. Children and their families are invited to the Community Room for crafts, stories, and music, leading up to a balloon drop at noon. Refreshments will be served.

For more information, call (315) 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org.

New Year’s Eve

Greater Oneida Kallet Civic Center, 159 Main St., Oneida, will host a New Year’s Eve dinner dance on Dec. 31. Doors will open at 8 p.m., with live music provided by Rhythm ‘n Shoes from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. The event will feature an hors d’oeuvre buffet with a carving station and desserts catered by the Rusty Rail. A cash bar will be available.

No tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are $65 per person. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit the Kallet and its programs.

For more information, call the Kallet at (315) 3638525 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Welcome

The Hamilton Public Library is happy to welcome Travis Olivera, the new director, as of Jan. 1, 2018. Olivera replaces Hilary Virgil Deskiewicz, who has served as the library director for the last six years. The Library Board of Trustees’ search committee selected Olivera from a large pool of qualified candidates.

Olivera received his master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University and his bachelor of science in Journalism Studies from Utica College. He exemplifies creativity, forward thinking, and a drive to make the library a great place for patrons, community members, staff members, board members and volunteers. Olivera will leave his position as the library director of the Ilion Free Public Library, and currently lives in Utica with his wife and two sons.

The staff, trustees, and volunteers are excited to have Travis joining our team and are planning a special public event for January. Please watch for the date and details, as we hope you’ll join us in welcoming him.

January events

The following events are scheduled for January at Morrisville Public Library.

The READO Winter Reading Challenge is underway until March 1. READO, open to kids and adults, is just like regular Bingo, but with books. Participants will be entered into a drawing to win a 3D Pen Set or a Kindle Fire. Contact the library at (315) 684-9130 for details.

The annual Canned Food Drive to benefit the Morrisville Food Pantry takes place Jan. 2 through Feb. 28.

Kiddies Korner is held Tuesdays at 10 a.m. with stories and crafts.

Teen/Adult Movie Night on Jan. 5 will feature “The Mountain Between Us,” rated PG-13, at 7 p.m.

Book Talk meets Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss “Britt-Marie Was Here” by Fredrik Backman.

The Library Board will meet on Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s program room.

Family Movie Night on Jan. 26 will feature “The LEGO Ninjago” at 7 p.m.

Curb side pickup

Morrisville Public Library will be offering a new curb side pickup service on Fridays from 3-5 p.m. beginning Jan. 5. Patrons are invited to call the library by noon each Friday with the items (books, DVDs, etc.) they would like delivered to their car and indicate the time they will arrive at the library for pickup.

For more information or to volunteer for the program, call the library at (315) 684-9130.

Healthy Living workshop

Madison County Office for the Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association will present a free workshop on “Healthy Living for Your Brain & Body” on Thursday, Jan. 18 from 1011 a.m. Participants will learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and how to incorporate research findings into a plan for healthy aging. The workshop will be held at the Office for the Aging, 138 Dominic Bruno Blvd., Canastota. Seating is limited; call (315) 697-5700 to reserve a spot.

Tree recycling

Town of Stockbridge residents can recycle their Christmas trees by dropping them off at the town’s green waste recycling center at the highway department, 5320 N. Main St., Munnsville. Trees must be unwrapped.

Reminder

The Munnsville Volunteer Fire Department reminds residents to keep the snow clear around the fire hydrant near their home to save the firefighters time in the event of an emergency.