We can always start sliding into the New Year with some good news for a change. I recently saw a notice that after a three-year hiatus the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is reopening a location in Port Jervis. During Covid time the DMV closed the small office in the Port Jervis City Hall Building located on Hammond Street. Apparently, the town’s City Council would not renew DMV’s lease because the Police Department also located on the first floor of City Hall needed additional space to expand their services. The new DMV office will be staffed by two people and will be located in the Sussex Street building near the Chase Bank building that is currently occupied by other Orange County offices. The new office should be up and running sometime in January once the agency is able to install the necessary equipment. Since May the County has provided some, but not all, of the DMV services with their mobile unit and the DMV will continue the mobile services to other communities in Orange County. 

The Sunshine Hall Free Library has a very unique and specialized educational activity programs for preschool kids from the ages of 1-5 years old called Little Sprouts Learning. The Little Sprouts Learning Program is a nationally recognized award-winning early education program that focuses on giving parents and caregivers easy to follow activities to do at home to encourage self-discovery in preschoolers and make learning fun and easy.

The Little Sprout early learning backpacks are filled with high quality learning material books and activities with easy-to-follow activity guides that make learning fun for small children. All the materials are developmentally appropriate for young children and teach valuable concepts they need to know for school success. Each of the backpacks is themed and typically includes several picture books, two to four educational games, more toys and an activity guide showing how to use the items. Each pack also has a resource guide for parents, family, and caregivers to help make learning fun for children. Currently at the Library there are several different themed project Little Sprouts backpacks available- “Everyday Objects” which focuses on touch and feel, words, first games and touch and feel picture cards. Another is “Shapes All Around” which features shape matching puzzles, math counts and pattern blocks and boards, my first colors and shapes and picture cards. Another backpack focuses on exercise and physical activities called “Get Up and Go” features two books-Exercise by Sharon Gordon and Get Up and Go by Nancy Carlson, a CD disc “Preschool aerobic Fun”, a Fitness Dice Game and activity sheet. These learning preschool backpacks are perfect to do as a family activity as the young child develops learning skills needed for starting school and has some fun along the way.

Each of the backpacks can be checked out for two weeks with one renewal allowed, and there is one backpack checkout per library card. Fortunately, it is a relatively new program so there is no wait list to check out the Little Sprouts Backpacks. For more information, go to the Library’s website or call them at 845-557-6258.