The days are short,
The sun a spark,
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.
Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor.
Milk bottles burst
Outside the door
The river is
A frozen place
The trees of lace.
The sky is low.
The wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.
– John Updike, “January
I miss milk bottles.
I apologize for the delay in getting you your monthly Allegheny West Gazette. The delay is my fault, and I vow to do a better job in the coming months.
In Allegheny West news, we had a very successful Small Business promotion in December. Thanks go to Ann Gilligan, Sally Graubarth, Abi Webb, Aaron Bryan, Eric Grasso and everyone else who pitched in. We managed to get our local businesses some much-needed promotion, and there was a prize for the lucky raffle winner (Sara Beck Sweeney). Let’s all try to patronize our local businesses on Western and Galveston Avenues. They need our support!
Our Christmas tree event also was a great success. Thanks to everyone who came out for the tree lighting. I hope you enjoyed it! I know I did.
Thanks, too, to the organizers of the event. There’s a big overlap between those folks and the Small Business event volunteers, so I won’t list everyone, but I especially want to thank Sally Graubarth for rolling that big electrical spool / tree base down Galveston. Thanks also go to John DeSantis for providing the tree well and electricity for the lights.
And, last but not least, thanks to Aaron and all the other volunteers who helped to dismantle the decorations and haul the tree away last weekend. I very much hope this will become an annual event for our neighborhood. Perhaps next year we can add a horse-driven sleigh and a hot air balloon to the festivities. Or, not.
I wish everyone in Allegheny West a prosperous new year. Better things are around the corner, I’m sure of it. I hope to be able to see you all at a physical membership meeting as soon as it’s safe to do so. Until then, we’ll be continuing our Zoom membership meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, starting with January 12.
Take care, and I hope you have a great January.
Bob Griewahn
President, AWCC