By Joyce Porter and Patsy Roberts
It doesn’t seem possible that the Homecoming Festival is this weekend. We are in last minute preparations for celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The brochure with all the events is posted on Facebook and copies are in the Post Office and local businesses. I hope you can attend some of the many festivities and help us celebrate our freedom. We have very nice benches that the festival purchased located in front of the council building. We also have a tent and large picnic table donated by Winchester Ag which will be erected in the same area. We will begin setup on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. and appreciate everyone who is willing and able to help.
Patsy and Zayne are working hard on cleaning and making repairs in the cemetery in preparation for the historical ghost ride. I am very sorry to report that Patsy was attacked by a snail this weekend which may have left her incapacitated, or at a minimum traumatized.
We wish Wilma Breeze a very happy 91st birthday. She and Tom are both at home. Wilma and her sister Leona were in charge of the festival for many years.
Our annual Quilt Show and Americana display will be on Saturday, August 29 at the United Methodist Church from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. “Bring Things from the Past” as we celebrate 250 years of America. The American quilt recently completed by the Rhonemus family will be in display – come see if your name is on the quilt. The UMC Church quilt will be on display in memory of Florence Bryson. Items for display can be brought on August 27 from 4-6 p.m. and August 28 from noon- 2 p.m. Someone will be in attendance at all times when the church is unlocked.
W3CU food and clothing pantry hours are 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday each month. The next regular pantry day is September 17. If you are unable to come on our regular Thursday for Compassion Closet or unable to attend our back to school giveaway, please call the church at (937) 695-0025 to schedule an appointment. Clothing donations can be brought in on Tuesday mornings, 9 – 11 a.m. Stop by around 3:30 p.m. on pantry day if you can assist in serving. Please check our Compassion Closet Facebook page for updates.
The next Winchester Village Council meeting is on Wednesday, September 8 at 7 p.m. Please note that special council meetings are announced on the door of the council building. The meetings are open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend. If you have an agenda item, call Ashley in the Town Hall (937-695-0880) before 3 p.m. the Friday before the meeting.
Winchester’s Past (Patsy Roberts): Next weekend during the Winchester Homecoming Festival, we will have a special program celebrating our 250 years of freedom. One of the things we will be recognizing are the four revolutionary war soldiers that are buried in the old part of the Winchester Cemetery. We are very happy that we have descendants that are Grandsons of two of the soldiers, John McCormick and Tom Cross, who will be part of the program. John McCormick was born in 1756 in Ireland and died at the age of 104. James Cross was born in 1730 in Pennsylvania and died in 1813. George Harper was born in 1759 in Maryland and died in 1825. William Heddelson was born in Ireland in 1756 and died in 1845. The program will start at noon on the stage and again at the Ghost Ride through the Cemetery at 8 p.m.
Information is due by Sunday evening and can be sent by calling (937) 205-2309 (leave a message) or by email at [email protected].