Lions recruit fire company, legionnaires and police for June carnival

The Millerton Lions’ second dinner meeting of the year was held Wednesday, April 27, at American Legion Post 178. Good food (of course), new faces we hope to see again next month and good topics of conversation. It is now official that the Millerton Fire Company, the American Legion and the Millerton Police Department are all on board to join us again this year for our carnival, to be held from Thursday, June 2, through Sunday, June 5, at Eddie Collins Field on Route 22 in Millerton. I hear they are almost as eager as we are, and it has always been my belief that enthusiasm breeds success, so let’s get ready, get set and go. If anyone out there has access to a pizza oven that could be used for the event it sure would be great; we would love to be able to serve that hot, delectable dish that everyone is so fond of. Just give me a call at Saperstein’s at 518-789-3365 and I will see to it that the right people get the right information.The officers for our 2011-12 season have been announced and are as follows:• Lion Tamer: Betty Walsh • Tail Twister: Pat Kelly • Treasurer: Lewis Saperstein• Directors: Mary Clinton, Mary Cooper, Carol Dean, John Eboli, Karen McGinness and John Moody • Third Vice President: Maryann Belarge • Second Vice President: Michael Jordan • First Vice President: Stacey Moore • Secretary: Tom Tighe• President: Todd Clinton Great lineup, if you ask me.Our guest speaker for the evening was Steven Schoonmaker, superintendent of the Webutuck Central School District. He spoke to us of 21st-century education and his hopes for our children’s futures. The plan will need to involve transforming, not reforming, education. We listened intently as he described the techniques used in creating a professional learning community (PLC) in which there is less focus on teachers, content and testing and more focus on the students, real life and demonstrations. The emphasis would be in creating, solving and collaborating together with students, who would not only work independently, but also in small groups or teams. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator of learning than a purveyor of information; actually helping students “learn how to learn” and prepare them to be independent, life-long learners. In this new learning environment, the students not only help each other with the process of creating, but they will be able to present material in many different ways as a means of expressing themselves and sharing what they have learned. They are already working to implement methods to encourage “higher order thinking skills” in grades four, five and six, and he is pleased with the progress. The goal, he says, is to make sure that we are effectively preparing every student for the real world of the 21st century. For an overview of this educational concept go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpl4U Sir Kenneth Robinson Educational Paradigm Shift.Just a short time left to purchase your tickets for our 11-month raffle to benefit our scholarship fund for graduating seniors. There are 66 chances to win cash for only $20. Better come in to Saperstein’s and get yours, as drawings will begin soon and you wouldn’t want to miss out. Attention ticket holders: If a raffle ticket was purchased from Saperstein’s between the numbers of 109 to 139, call me at 518-789-3365.Our roadside cleanup on Saturday, April 30, was a success with nice weather and even nicer volunteers. We want to thank everyone for their efforts and Stacey Moore for her organizational skills. Let’s all keep up the good work and hope to see less litter and plenty more participants when me meet again. Remember, many hands make light work.’Til next time … Melanee Mayville lives, works and writes in Millerton. She has been a member of the Lions Club since 2008.