VOW gears up for season 
The very first VOW meetings started off with focus groups who discussed ways in which to bring out the great potential of the hamlet.
Last year the Vision of Wallkill started out as a fledgling community improvement group who first met in January with the goal of making the hamlet a more inviting place to live, work, and visit. VOW gained steam fast, though, and within months counted among their accomplishments the winning of a $5,000 community grant and the organizing of the hamlet-wide Weekend of Wallkill.
This year, VOW members want to keep the momentum going with a series of events designed to bring the community together and celebrate and accentuate the natural beauty of our riverside hamlet. The group's 2015 plans include improvements to the River Walk they created last year, business outreach meetings, free summer music concerts and movies in the park, another Weekend of Wallkill, and much more.
VOW was one of only 22 nationwide recipients of the Outside the Box grant that paid for useful equipment like this outdoor movie screen.
VOW's achievements are as boundless as the creativity of its members, which is why they're always looking for new people with fresh ideas of their own. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Shawangunk Town Hall, for those who would like to stop in and find out more. In the meantime, you can like them on Facebook and visit their website for more information.
Whether you'd like to join VOW or not, they could use your help tomorrow as they fix up the River Walk. Wood chips need to be put down and solar lights reinstalled along the riverside walkway behind San Marino's Pizzeria. If you're able to spare some time, you can meet VOW members at the River Walk between 9 a.m. and noon. A complimentary lunch will be served following the morning's work at Popp's Pavilion.
Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library
The Wallkill Public Library Quilters' Circle recently donated a quilt to veteran Ray Harvey, who lost his home in a fire. Pictured with Harvey from left to right are Quilters' Circle members Terry Ryther and JoAnn Versusky.
Don't forget to pay your fines with a poem this week! See details below.

Tuesday: Textile Tuesday and the Quilters' Circle meet between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.in the community room of Town Hall. The Teen Anime Club meets at 3:30 p.m. to do some drawing and watch a movie. The Adult Fiction Book Club gets together at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Danielle Steel's The Ring.
Wednesday: Toddler Story Time is offered at 10 a.m. and again at 11:15 a.m. Family Story Time will celebrate the end of National Poetry Month at 3 p.m. with a special session - come in and take a look at our poetry wall!  MakeIt Space activities will also feature poetry workshops, starting at 4 p.m. The Chess Club meets at 6 p.m.
Thursday: The Knit and Crochet Club meets at 6:30 p.m.
Pay your fines with a poem next week!
If you've accrued some late fees you've been procrastinating about, next week is your time to clear your record!
The library is celebrating the last few days of National Poetry Month by giving users the chance to wax poetic themselves. From April 27 to May 2, you can write a three-line verse about the library and get your fines waived in return. Just drop off your creation at the circulation desk. We'll post your opus on our special poetry board.
Please note that the waiver extends to late fees that are under $5 only. Fines for lost or damaged items are not included. 
Calling all volunteers!
This weekend marks the fifth annual Clean Sweep, and you can celebrate by helping clean up the river and roads!
Volunteers are invited to meet at the library, grab an orange bag, and tidy up the streets near their homes and businesses. If you're a kayaker or boater, your help would be appreciated on local sections of the river, as well.
Clean Sweep takes place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. tomorrow (unless it rains, in which case the event will be held at the same time Sunday). Light refreshments will be available and lunch will be served at the pavilion by the river at noon.
For more information call 256-0446 or email cleansweepwallkill@yahoo.com.
Give your kids a head start in languages
Thanks to a generous donor, the library is now offering four separate DVD sets of Little Pim language programs!
The DVDs, which offer immersive lessons in Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, and English as a second language for Spanish-speakers, are designed for babies to children up to age 6.
Young children are not only hard-wired to learn second languages, according to a number of studies, the beneficial effects of doing so include not only an expanded world view later on in life but improved academic performance, as well.
Keep an eye out for the DVDs in the children's section!
Book pages make trail even more inviting
Girl Scout Troop 60226 has once again used the StoryWalk® Project to decorate the local Rail Trail with the pages of a children's book for all to enjoy.
Runners, walkers, bikers, and bladers can peruse It's Spring, Blue! by Adam Peltzman, as they travel down Wallkill's popular trail. The laminated pages are an effort to combine physical activity with literacy - two causes the Girl Scouts value highly!
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