Karl's Kolumn

WERE YOU THERE? Dark, cold and rain (and sometimes snow) didn’t diminish any fun at Saturday’s Fall Festival in Watervliet’s Flaherty Park. There was plenty of fun and goodies to be had by all.

At the same time, there were two wagonloads of happy revelers on Main Street getting curb stop service to spooky and or mysterious buildings. Billed as the Haunted Hayride, stops were at the Watervliet Fire Department, Tri-City Record, Watervliet Public Library, and the Sidetrack II Café. A count of more than 300 riders had an exciting time. There was plenty to see and do.

Hats off to the Watervliet Business Association, its sponsors, leaders, and volunteers, for making Watervliet the place to be Saturday evening.

SMALL TOWN CARING… I’m so thankful for the individuals who came to the aid of Anne and me during the Fall Festival Saturday night. We were walking on Main Street towards visiting the haunted buildings when it began to rain heavily. We were running to shelter when suddenly Anne stumbled and fell flat on her face.

I couldn’t lift her on my own. Other folks helped me raise her up, and we carried her to the Jot Party Store. Soon the party store was crowded with folks offering their assistance.

Shortly after the Police arrived, the ambulance attendants arrived and began treating Anne. It seemed in just a few minutes, she was checked into Watervliet Hospital Emergency Room. After being attended to, she was at home with minor injuries.

We are all fortunate to have a hospital in our Tri-City Community. Their care is a comfort to us all.

ISRAEL UNDER ATTACK… How horrible is the terrible carnage these days in the Middle East. Bystanders and innocents are being slaughtered on both sides of the border. While so-called leaders stand by and do little to halt the murders of citizens.

If there is any semblance of a cease-fire, there needs to an accounting of all those that had any responsibility for the slaughter. Too often those that had a hand in the bloodshed are left to carry on the carnage within other borders.