Let us start with some more good news. Next Wednesday November 11th which is Veterans Day is the last free fishing day of 2020 in New York State.

This means that anyone-residents and nonresidents can fish the over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, 7,600 freshwater lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and portions of two of the five Great Lakes in New York State for free and no fishing license is required.

In addition to Veterans Day, the other free fishing days in New York State include February 15th and 16th, (Presidents Day Weekend), June 27th and 28th, and September 26th (National Hunting and Fishing Day).

Although anyone can fish for free on those days and no license is required, all other fishing rules and regulations still apply. For more information go to www.dec.ny.gov. Although with all our issues this year, 2020 was good for trout fishing with anglers landing some pretty impressive fish. Take the opportunity to get outdoors in this wonderful weather and have some fun before the snow starts to fly!

Speaking of flying- now some bad news. I spoke with Lou Monteleone and out of an abundance of caution because of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the County and especially in Port Jervis, The Santa Express will be canceled this season. Lou told me that “after sixteen years I had to make this very tough decision.

It is a family and children's event and I cannot allow even the remote possibility of hosting a possible “super spreader event”, he said. There has always been two other significant Christmas events that will take place this year at the Corner Ice Cream Shop and the now closed for the season Pizza Piazza in Eldred.

At the Piazza, there will be Santa's Village of Giving with donation stations set up to collect toys, nonperishable food and clothing for the Sullivan County Coalition for the Homeless, pet food and supplies for a local no kill shelter and inside the Corner Ice Cream Shop there will be a mail drop for cards and letters for our troops who will not be coming home for Christmas.

I will list more details once the charity locations are set up. Right now, Lou and Frank and their family members are busy completing the building going up across from the Corner Ice Cream Shop on Route 55 next to Peck's parking lot which will be their state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse. A first for the Town of Highland!

The American Legion Ladies Auxiliary will be sponsoring a Soup and Bake Sale on Saturday, November 14th from 12:00 to 4:00pm. The sale will be held at the Highland Town Hall on Proctor Road across from Pecks.

I spoke with Martha Worzel, the Ladies Auxiliary's Vice President, who told me there will be several varieties of homemade soups available featuring French onion, stuffed green pepper soup, chili, vegetable beef, chicken noodle and Martha's very popular vegetarian minestrone soup.

There is also a bake sale with cookies, quick breads, brownies, cakes, and desserts, so this is a great time to stock up. The quart size of soups are $7.00, and the pints are $4.00 or two pints for $7.00.

It seems that Covid-19 has robbed all our holiday celebrations away from us. Please do not forget to do something to acknowledge the sacrifices our veterans have made for our Country on Veterans Day, November 11th-even if it's just thanking a veteran for his/her service.

While we are thinking about the important significance of Veterans Day, a special Sullivan County “hat tip” to Pete Carmeci, the Commander of the Sullivan County Veterans of Foreign War for all of the care, assistance, services and just plain old fashion “good looking out” he does every single day for his veteran brothers and sisters. Thank you, Pete!