Text Box: TOWNSPEOPLE CELEBRATE AT DECEMBER HOLIDAY PARTY There was a full house for breakfast at the town hall on Saturday, Dec. 9. Residents helped themselves to pancakes and syrup, sausages, fruit salad, and many other delectable dishes contributed by the guests at the town’s annual holiday party. Children decorated gingerbread houses, and everyone mingled with their neighbors on this festive occasion. The party was arranged by clerk/treasurer Cathie Polak. Willem Polak and Florian Kogelnik flipped the pancakes. Eve Arber and Isabel Brintnall helped set up, while Raya Bodnarchuk, Nancy Long, Anna Bayer, the Macy family, and Willem Polak did the clean-up. Madeleine Carter and Alec Graham put together 30 gingerbread houses from graham crackers with meringue for glue, and brought 18 bags of pretzels, candy and mini-marshmallows for the children to decorate with. Madeleine likes to think of the houses as a living memorial to Bea Smith and her friends, who first brought them to a town holiday breakfast nine years ago. Tim Maloy gathered up the leftover food and delivered it to Martha’s Kitchen in D.C., where he is a volunteer, for their lunch program. Text Box: Text Box: Willem Polak was kept busy flipping pancakes. Photos by Eleanor Balaban Text Box: Text Box: Tea Costello concentrated on making her gingerbread house just right. Text Box: Text Box: Mayor Debbie Beers wore a festive sweater with Santa, a snowman, and stuffed animals.