The winter holidays bring with them a flurry of activity and preparation, and too often, people hurrying through the streets leave good will in the dust. However, in Farmingdale, the traditional "true" spirit of the season has been seen through several gestures throughout the past few weeks.
It started with the annual lighting of Farmingdale Village's Tricentennial Tree on the evening of Dec. 4, when residents huddled on the Village Green to hear the sweet voices of the East Memorial Chorus singing holiday carols, and were reminded by the words of community leaders about the close-knit, small town roots of the community. Both those small town roots and a kind holiday spirit came alive after the tree-lighting, when the Kiwanis served free refreshments to the community inside Village Hall.
Another gesture of good will was seen a few weeks later, when the children of the Farmingdale Methodist Community Nursery school visited the participants in the Farmingdale Adult Day Care Center, bringing with them Christmas carols and ornaments to give to the adults. The generosity of the children, their teachers, and the director of the school, clearly brought smiles to many in the Adult Day Care program.
Residents have also been generous to the Toys for Tots toy drive for children that the village has held in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps., and to the many extra local food and clothing drives that have been conducted throughout the season.
The most recent example of kindness was when the Farmingdale AARP, whose members hail from Farmingdale, Bethpage, and neighboring areas, threw a holiday party for the children enrolled in Farmingdale Head Start. Nothing less would be expected from a group of people who have been so tireless in their volunteer service to the community that they recently received national recognition for their efforts.
The good will and joy that have been present in the local community throughout the holiday season are wished for all readers of this newspaper for the coming new year.
