My favorite season of the year is Fall. Not just because it is my birthday month, but because for as long as I can remember, the beauty of the season when the sun on a warm day shines through the brilliant colors of the painted trees meant the joy of raking leaves for me and my neighborhood friends to play in would fill my day. Although I don’t enjoy raking leaves anymore, shuffling through them during a brisk walk on one of the trails open to the public and lots of other happenings fill my day with the glory that is Sullivan County.

So, to start us off, the Sullivan County Chamber Orchestra (SCCO) opens its 2025-2026 season with an unforgettable evening of chamber music that blends wit, depth and discovery. The concert entitled, “Light and Dark”, features the music of Haydn, Price and Beethoven. The performances are on Saturday, October 11th at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 15 St. John St, Monticello, NY and Sunday, October 12th at 3 p.m. at the Reformed Presbyterian Church of White Lake, 6 Mattison Road, White Lake, NY. Tickets are available online at: www.nesinculturalarts or at the door. For more information call: 845-798-9006.

The Sullivan County Historical Society invites you to its Annual Meeting and Dinner to be held on Sunday, October 19 at 2:00 at Casa Mia Restaurant in Hurleyville, NY. This year’s honorees are History Maker Aileen Gunther and History Preserver Carol Smythe. For more information or to reserve your ticket, please email scecil@scnyhistory.org or call the museum during regular business hours 845-434-8044.

The Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce will hold its October Networking Mixer and Meet the Board of Directors Candidates on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at Upward Brewing Company in Livingston Manor from 5 PM. – 7 PM. Join for an evening of connections, collaboration, and community. This special October event will give you the chance to meet the Board of Director Candidates and learn more about the future leadership shaping our business community. Attendees will also receive free professional headshots, provided by Niche and Needle. For more information, please call 845 791-4200.

Don’t miss the Loch Sheldrake Fire Department Annual Fall Breakfast on Sunday, October 12, 2025 from 7 AM – Noon.  Adults at $12, with kids 6-12 for $6 and kids 5 and under – free.  Remember to support those who give back so much to our community.

The Sullivan Central Rotary Club presents its “Baskets of Hope” Raffle to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. All baskets are valued at $150+ minimum.  Baskets so far include Golf Baskets (The Monster), Spa Baskets, Beauty Baskets, Coffee Time Baskets (Starbucks), Pampered Chef Basket, Cinema Basket (HPAC), Morgan Outdoors Basket, Vera Bradley Bag Set Basket, and more coming in. Tickets are priced at $25 each, 3 for $50, 5 for $75 and 10 for $100. 

The drawing will take place on October 18, 2025 at Cunningham Family Farm during it Lemonade and Sweet Treats Event for Make-a-Wish. Funds raised will go directly to the Wishes of children in Sullivan County. For more information or to secure your raffle tickets, email SullivanCentralRotaryClub@gmail.com .

Mark your calendars to come out and meet Sullivan County native Will Little who is running for New York State Supreme Court.  This special fundraising event will be at El Sombrero Restaurant in Rock Hill on Thursday, October 9, 2025 from 6pm – 8pm.

Congratulations to Monticello Central School District Hall of Distinction Class of 2025 Inductees Danny Briggs and Alex Cabrero. I have the distinct privilege of knowing both of these men personally, Dan as a friend since childhood, and Alex as my former student. Both are pillars of their industries and amazing individuals.

Happy Birthday to Betty Jane Stevens, Mary Burkart, Carolyn Bivens, Tayla Regan, Charles Miller, (10/8), Sullivan County Clerk Russell Reeves, Maria Kyprianou, Joanna Goldfarb (10/9), Mike Cohn, Steve Schwartz, Travis Brust (10/10), my birthday twins Glorianne Ellison, Yadi Montes, Danny Paik, Dr. Gerry Galarneau, Anna Dexheimer – and, of course, me – (10/11), George Nikolados (10/12) and Angela Rein, Dr. Ilan Zedek, Jessica Stern, Joe Brown, Shannan Magnetico (10/13).

Lastly, each year for my birthday, I run a fundraiser for Sullivan County Ride 2 Survive. This all-volunteer local organization raises funds to help cancer patients with gas costs to life saving treatments and appointments. The unforeseen costs of cancer are real and many items are not covered under insurance. Couple that with inflation of daily needs and getting to treatments can become a hardship. Ride 2 Survive takes that burden away. It is terrific to know that their Annual Gala on November 1, 2025 at the Villa Roma Golf Club has officially sold out, but you can still make a difference by donating to my birthday fundraiser. Please contact me at my email below to arrange your donation.

Shorter days may be happening, but there is also so much more. Just do it! And, as always, just in case I really don’t “Know It All,” please keep me in the know by emailing me at LoriJames.SCDemocrat@gmail.com.