October 26 – Saint Anthony’s Church in Yulan will hold their annual Christmas Bazaar at St. Anthony’s Parish Center on Sunday, November 1^st from 9-2pm.

The event is a combination of a yard sale, vintage finds, craft vendors, and sales reps from some interesting new products. Lunch foods, desserts, and beverages will be available for purchase. There is no admission fee. Shop, enjoy a meal, buy raffle tickets, and bid on terrific items during the silent auction. The Bazaar is sponsored by the women’s prayer group of Saint Anthony’s Church. If you are interested in getting a vendor table ($30.00) contact Elisa at 973-293-3559 or email her at pianotimestudio@yahoo.com. For more go to Saint Anthony’s Facebook page.

The Sunshine Hall Free Library has recently hosted several very interesting and well-attended events. Last Saturday’s True Crime program drew a capacity crowd to Lumberland Town Hall, where renowned pathologist Dr. Michael Baden and the very accomplished criminal defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden had us all completely transfixed with their personal retrospectives about the notable cases they represented during their amazing careers.

The Sunshine Hall Free Library’s next Author Talk will feature local writer Lynne Albuquerque, a former science teacher and lifelong reader. Her Hearts and Homicide series follows an unlikely crime-solving duo: a teacher and a police officer. Drawing on her background in science, she blends humor and romance in her debut novel, The First Day Back. Lynne Albuquerque will be the featured speaker in the library’s Main Reading Room on Saturday, November 14, at 1 p.m. A longtime resident of New York’s Catskill Mountains, she enjoys reading, canasta, fishing, and live music. She is also an avid supporter of local libraries and serves on the board of trustees of her neighborhood library.

The Library is hosting a free educational seminar on Medicare basics. Many insurers will no longer offer Medicare Advantage plans, millions of New York’s enrollees need to review their options and choose new medical insurance coverage during the annual open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 through December 7^th. The featured presenter will be Stephanie Margulies, an independent insurance agent who will explain the variations between part A-B-C and D coverage, the differences between the coverage options for advantage plans versus supplemental plans and the important questions to ask before you choose coverage. The seminar will be held Thursday, November 5, at 2:30 p.m. in the Library’s Main Reading Room. Bring your questions and concerns to get information that can help you choose the best coverage for you and your family.

For many years, the library has hosted its popular Story Time for children ages 2–5 on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Each session includes stories, music, crafts, and engaging group activities. Story Time is free and open to everyone. As Albus Dumbledore says in the Harry Potter series, “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”

A word of heartfelt thanks: As wonderful as these speakers and events are, the true stars are the people who make them possible. We are deeply grateful to the volunteers who commit seven years of service to the Library’s Board of Trustees, the loyal and dedicated staff who generously share their time and skills, and our many friends and neighbors who volunteer each day. Their quiet, behind-the-scenes efforts keep everything running smoothly and make the Library the remarkable resource it is for our community. To our relatively new Library Director, Melissa Reid, thank you for bringing a vision of creativity and growth. After 110 years, our little library continues to work its magic—and that is thanks to all of you.