Kindling the holiday spirit

Warwick - On Sunday, Nov. 20, crowds of shoppers enjoyed light winds, blue skies and mild temperatures in the upper 50s as they strolled around the downtown business district in the Village of Warwick. They came to enjoy the refreshments, the Christmas music, seasonal decorations and special promotions offered by many individual shops. Sunday was the kick-off for the annual celebration of “Home for the Holidays,” which marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season and many of the stores served local wines, hot cider, cookies and hors d’oeuvres. And, as they have each year, members of the Warwick Valley Chorale sang traditional Christmas songs and hymns while they traveled about the Village. Downtown Warwick will continue to feature weekly events to attract visitors during the holiday season. This evening, Friday, Nov. 25, at 6 p.m., everyone is invited to the annual Christmas Tree lighting outside the Old School Baptist Meeting House. The Warwick Fire Department sponsors the festive event, so don’t be surprised if Santa Claus makes an early surprise visit in a fire truck. Residents are encouraged to support local businesses. The downtown shops offer convenience, expert advice, individual service and free gift-wrapping. And unlike a few of the national megastores, no one has told their sales staff that they shouldn’t say, “Merry Christmas.” The Angel Tree For the past five years during the holiday season, Warwick Merchants have sponsored the “Angel Tree,” which is mounted on the fence between Newhard’s Home Store and Akin’s Pharmacy. Each of the angels on the tree represents a needy senior citizen or a local child whose family is dependent upon the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry. The angel bears the age and gender of the child and a list of suggestions of what the child or senior citizen needs or would like to receive for Christmas. Visitors are encouraged to remove the angels and purchase appropriate gifts from local merchants. Coordinator Penny Steyer, who also owns Penra Wine and Spirits, 36 Main St., has offered to store and display the presents. “I have the biggest window,” she explained. Last year, the citizens of Warwick donated more than 500 “angel” gifts for children and about 60 gifts for seniors. “This is a very generous community,” said Steyer. “At that time, we needed two station wagons and two pick up trucks to deliver all the gifts to the Food Pantry.” This year, Warwick Girl Scout Troop No. 479 has volunteered to sponsor the 2005 Angel Tree in downtown Warwick as their Holiday project. “This year we are all extremely aware of how easy it can be for families to be in need,” said Troop Leader Caroline Beischer. “We’ve seen the results of recent major catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina. We need to remember that there are also families in our midst who are in need, and somethings such as increased fuel and heating costs can make that need even greater.” Beischer explained that the idea of volunteering for this project originated with the young Troop members. “The girls had noticed the Angel Tree last year,” she said, “and they felt that those who are dependent upon the Ecumenical Food Pantry should be able to share in some of the joys of the season.” Although a list of suggestions appears on the reverse side of each angel, other age-appropriate items will be gladly accepted. Gifts should be delivered unwrapped to Penra Wines and Spirits. In recognition of the Girl Scout’s support and efforts, the Merchants Guild has also offered to make a Holiday donation to support the work of the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry. For additional information about the “Angel Tree,” call Rosie Madden at 986-6612 or Penny Steyer at 986-0043. Important IBA meeting On Tuesday evening, Nov. 15, approximately 60 people from a wide range of business interests and community concerns attended a meeting of the recently formed Warwick Independent Business Alliance (IBA) at the Gallery at Port of Call. They were there to learn more about the Warwick IBA, what it is, why it was formed and how the members intend to fulfill its mission. According to Michael McDermott, a co-founder of the local chapter, the Warwick IBA hopes to educate the community about the value and importance of supporting all local businesses. “The education campaign is long-term and will manifest itself in many ways,” he said. Some of those ways, he explained, include news articles, press releases, integration of the IBA mission into the schools, working with non-profit organizations on fundraising, active media contact and consistent word of mouth. “The meeting was a big success,” said McDermott.