Barbara Bedell: Purple Heart Museum gets new mission and leader
In spite of the chill of winter that has brought ice, snow, freezing rain and fog, the grass under it all is green and, in some gardens, daffodils are ready to spring up by showing an inch or two of green. They are probably as tired of winter as we are.
One saving grace can be a quiet room, a good book and appreciating the outside view from inside.
Winter's days will be gone before you know it and then we'll complain about summer's heat. There will be no complaints from Joseph Morgiewicz. He directs a group of young dancers who keep their Polish culture alive with performances that include their lovely costumes and beautiful smiles. It's the kind of pageantry that makes all ages proud. To inquire about performances of the group or programs for your group, contact Joseph by email: morgprod@yahoo.com
Big Sky Productions will be giving its eighth performance at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Ethelbert B. Crawford Library in Monticello. It will be "Pretty Fire," written by Charlayne Woodard. The performance will be in the library's Robert D. Norris Community Room at 479 Broadway in Monticello.
The one-woman show features DeLois House of Ellenville as Charlayne. House has starred in many Big Sky Productions. Her first performance of "Pretty Fire" was at Sullivan County Community College. She has since performed the play at the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation, the Grand Montgomery Chamber Series, and in the Newburgh, New City, Gardiner, and Mamakating libraries.
Due to sensitive subject matter, the play is suggested for ages 12 and up, with parental guidance suggested.
Admission is free. For information, call the library at 794-4660.
• Brian Maher, former mayor of the Village of Walden and the longtime aide to the recently retired state Sen. Bill Larkin, has been hired to be the full-time executive director of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc.
"The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Museum is the only nationally designated facility dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing the stories of our nation's service men and women who have received the Purple Heart Medal," said Maher. "It is truly an honor to be able to work with people throughout the country who have received a Purple Heart Award. I have learned a great deal from my predecessor Andy Komonchak while he served in this position and I know I have very big shoes to fill."
Maher is ready to work. He has plans for a new project to provide trips to Purple Heart recipients from all over the country to visit the Hall of Honor, West Point and other notable military landmarks in the Hudson Valley.
• Stuart Turner, a longtime Orange County resident and partner at Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC, is the new chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Citizens Foundation. Through the years he has helped maintain and improve quality of life in Orange County while serving on boards of the Citizens Foundation and the Orange County Land Trust, and most recently as an advisor to the Orange County Municipal Planning Federation. He has been instrumental in supporting the villages, towns and cities in their comprehensive planning, continuing planning, zoning assignments, and environmental studies.
Barbara Bedell's column appears daily. She can be reached at 346-3125 or by email: bbedell@th-record.com.