Hilltowns Senior News for Thursday, February 23, 2017
I just found out that I may be one of them! You know, the children of illegal immigrants. My great-grandmother was English, and she was married twice, not once. My grandmother was adopted by her stepfather, so I’m really not related at all to the people I’ve always thought were my ancestors. When I tried to look them up through Ellis Island, I couldn’t find them.
See, I was at the library, and, on a whim, decided to try out their copy of Ancestry.com. The information about my great-grandmother has always been rather sketchy, so here was an opportunity to shed a little more light on her.
Light? It was like an exploding star! I’m not who I thought I was! What do I do now?
At what point does one become a “legal” resident? At what age or time does one become an “American?” There wasn’t anybody issuing citizenship papers in 1623 when my first folks showed up on these shores.
If you can’t find any paperwork, are you presumed to be legal, or illegal? I’d better start reading law books if I want to be sure.
If your grandparents were “illegal,” are you OK? I know there’s a big flap right now about the children of immigrants, but at what generation does that question go away? Second generation? Third? Fourteenth? Could I be suddenly sent to Yorkshire on a technicality?
Who can I ask? Certainly not the Immigration Services, or whatever they’re called now. That’s like asking the wolverine if your chickens are safe. All the people who originally sailed on those ships are dead, so there’s no help there.
My grandmother’s remaining letters talk only about how proud she was of her stepfather who fought in the Civil War. Her “real” father had a German-sounding name, even though the 1880 census says he was born in England.
They never wrote down anything about religion in those days; do you think I could be Jewish? Or Catholic? Or even Muslim? Am I what my ancestors were, or what I think I am now? If nobody waved any crosses or palm fronds over me, or poured water on my head, what am I?
I guess I’m lucky that they came from England. If worse comes to worst, at least I speak the language...
Coming up
Speaking of which, February and March are the time of the Cricket World Cup. February is National Laugh-Friendly Month, National Women Inventors Month, and Spunky Old Broads Month. This week, merging into March, is Telecommuter Appreciation Week and Bird Health Awareness Week. February 26th is the Daytona 500, For Pete's Sake Day, Levi Strauss Day, National Bacon Day, and World Pistachio Day. Mardi Gras is the 28th.
March is Red Cross Month, and Brain Injury Awareness Month. National Horse Protection Day is March 1st, as is National Peanut Lovers Day and Pig Day. Dr. Seuss Day and the National Day of Action (Peace Corps)are March 2nd, and the 3rd is What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day.
The senior shopping bus will make its next trips to Walmart and Whole Foods on March 8 and March 22. Call CDTA at 437-5161 two days in advance to arrange for pickup.
Cooperative Extension has free water test kits available. No outside labs or special fussing; you can do the test at home. The main number at Co-op is 765-3500.
The Hilltown Seniors are sponsoring a trip to the Culinary Institute of America and the Vanderbilt Mansion on April 5. Cost is $50 for members, and $70 for non-members. The trip includes a lunch of antipasto, Italian Roasted Chicken (Petto di Pollo Alla Salvia), Glazed Carrots, Chocolate Lava Cake (Tortino di Cioccolato), and coffee or tea at the renowned Caterina de' Medici restaurant. Shirley Slingerland is taking reservations at 797-3467.
The Hilltown Seniors next meeting will be March 11 at the Berne Reformed Church on Helderberg Trail. Lunch will be corned beef and cabbage, at a subsidized cost of $5 per person. Call Shirley at 797-3467 to register.
March 9 the Helderberg Senior Services will be taking off for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The only charge is admission to the museum, for $13.50 per person. We will stop for lunch, which you can purchase on you own if you choose, or brown bag it from home.
Hilltowns Community Resource Center continues its Thursday lunches at noon on March 9 and 23. There is no charge; only your free-will offering. Lunch is followed by an hour of bingo. The Resource Center is located at the Reformed Church at 566 Route 143 in downtown Westerlo. Call Mary Beth at 797-5256 for more info. They also have a food pantry on site; donate or take what you need.
Pastor Wendy Cook reminds us that the next pancake breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church on Helderberg Trail in Berne. No set cost; give what you can offer.
The Crafty Crafters will be making etched flower vases, and flowers to go with them, on Monday, March 13, at the Knox town hall. Class starts at 1 p.m.; call Pat Lightbody at 872-9400 for reservations.
The Rensselaerville Senior Citizens’ Club is scheduled to meet on March 14 at noon for lunch at the Medusa firehouse (28 Route 351, Medusa). Bring a dish to share, and eating utensils; coffee and tea are provided. The cost is one dollar.
Menu
The menu for next week is:
— Monday, Feb. 27, lemon oregano fish, stewed tomatoes and zucchini, hash browned potatoes rye bread citrus ambrosia, and milk;
— Tuesday, Feb. 28, herbed chicken with gravy, roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, wheat bread, tapioca pudding, and milk; and
— Friday, Mar. 3, Spanish rice with tomatoes and beans, carrots, corn bread, brownie and milk.
Doors open at 11 a.m., and lunch is served promptly at noon. We also have transportation to and from lunch. Just tell Linda Hodges when you call with your reservation.
Does your curling club, basketball widows, or Dr. Seuss fan club need an easy place to meet? Why not meet at the Senior Center? Come have lunch, and then get together with your friends! There’s plenty of space, and the center is open for all of us. We already have games, dominoes, and cards after lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays, so join us.
Please call Linda Hodges 24 hours in advance to 872-0940 to reserve lunch, or email her at: , or sign up when you come in. Tell us how many are coming, your name, and your telephone number. If you’d just like to come and help out, call Linda, send an email to , and put “volunteer” in the subject line. Lunches are provided by Helderberg Senior Services, the Albany County Department of Aging, and Senior Services of Albany. The town of Berne Community and Senior Services Center is located at 1360 Helderberg Trail (Route 443) in Berne.