To the Editor:

A special thank-you for all of our wonderful donations from our community. All of your donations of your new and gently-used items helped make our September garage sale a great success.

Of course, we also needed all of our faithful customers who came once again to find their great finds. We all appreciated everyone who helped make this sale another success. So many great things were sold and found new homes. Of course, we also are once again donating our remaining items.

Two massive unrelated Albany fires, only blocks apart, and starting 30 minutes apart, leaving almost 70 people displaced, has had Bethlehem Grange reach out to the Albany City Community Development Department. The result was the delivery of towels, blankets, women and children’s clothing, toys, stuffed animals, and anything else of our remaining items that could be used immediately. Their immediate goal was getting clothing for the victims.

Once again, Bethlehem Grange 137 is participating in Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends, where you can help the Bethlehem Grange by your $5 purchase, which entitles you to 25 percent off all of your Boscov’s purchases, with your shopping pass, on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Call me at home at 518-438-8862 or on my cellphone at 518-421-1384 to purchase and receive your shopping pass.

On Thursday, Oct. 18, from 3:30 to 6 p.m., we are having a Chicken or Rib Dinner Barbecue, at 678 Route 9W in Glenmont. We will be located on the east side of Route 9W, with Bethlehem Police Department directing traffic, in case you need to cross the busy road to purchase your barbecued dinner.

We will be located south of Beacon Road and north of Wemple Road. Our chefs are Barbecue Delights of Schoharie, and they will be barbecuing on site. We will also be offering homemade desserts for your purchase, to benefit our Bethlehem Junior Grange 115.

There is still time to get your oil raffle tickets, to win 150 gallons of delivered home heating oil. One ticket costs $10, three tickets cost $25. The total value of the oil is over $440. The winning ticket will be announced after our Nov. 3 turkey dinner. You do no need to be present.

The Oil is donated by George W. Frueh & Sons Home Heating Oil Co. The tickets will be available at our barbecue dinner as well as our turkey dinner. They may also be purchased by sending a check made payable to Bethlehem Grange 137, care of Carol Carpenter, 21 Ramsey Pl., Albany, NY 12208  Or, you can call me or call Vernon Starr at 518-567-4294 to arrange to purchase.

We are looking for our community’s help. Our building is in desperate need of exterior painting. As a not-for-profit organization, we, like so many other organizations, do not have the financial means to be able to purchase the paint and to hire the people to do the job.

The majority of our members is not able to even consider getting on a ladder, due to age and health concerns. The younger ones are all busy with their families and unable to devote the necessary time needed.

If there is a group of people, an organization, or even individuals, that would be willing  to help us with getting our building painted, we would really appreciate hearing from you. Our building is clapboard, and peeling badly, with lots of bare wood exposed.

With our building on the National Register of Historic Places, we are desperately trying to maintain it, to keep this valuable historic building available for the continual use by our local community. Please call me or Vernon Starr for more information, or to offer your help.

You are welcome to come to our monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of each month, starting at 7 p.m. Our next meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. We are continuously working on our community service projects, and always welcome new participants.

Save the date of Saturday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. We are once again hosting the Trunk or Treat, as a free and safe trick-or-treat event, for all children from toddlers on up. Grandparents, parents, nannies, and children, decorate your trunk, van, SUV, or bike, and bring candy for the kids. There will be more activities in our Grange Hall for everyone.

Carol Carpenter

Master

Bethlehem Grange 137