Well, I am back from vacation and my first order of business was to write this column! After one week of lounging on the crystal blue waters of the Bahamas, you might find it hard to believe that I was actually looking forward to coming home, but despite the relaxation and sun, there is something to be said about the familiarity of home and being around people from your own community. I ran into Shoprite for some much needed groceries, and it was so great share a quick hello with Kellie Benoist. It's during simple moments like those, which may seem trivial at the time, that you realize how good it is to see a familiar smiling face and know that you are truly home...where your heart is.  

 Too many new things to share with you and I am hoping that you all receive the information in a timely manner. So where do I begin? Let's start with a great event that Mayor Dennis Leahy has planned for our village this Friday, July 25^th. On that evening, the Village will sponsor it's first of two planned Family Movie Night events! At 8:00pm, there will be music and games for the entire family and then at 9:00pm, you and your family are invited to come and watch The Bee Movie. The action takes place at Veteran's Memorial Park. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and come and enjoy a great movie for both kids and adults with the entire Village! A second event is tentatively scheduled for a Friday evening in August and that event will take place on the lawn of the soccer fields in Country Club.

 As if our Village didn't offer enough in the way of sports activities for the kids, a new program is being introduced this fall. Back in November, I made mention of a Flag Football League called I9 Sports that my son, EJ, had the opportunity to play in. We made the trip to Goshen every Saturday and I have to say that the League was wonderful. The program director, Ed Killenberger, and his wife Michelle run an excellent program that is focused on fun, inclusivity, good sportsmanship and safe play. Every child is made to feel that they are an instrumental part of the team.  Well, I am happy to say that this year, I will only have to step outside my front door and walk to Veteran's Memorial Park where starting in September , I9 sports will be bringing Flag Football to Maybrook every Sunday! The program is for both boys and girls ages 4 - 14. All skill levels are welcome. The cost of the program is $125 and you can register online by going to www.i9sports.com. If you register by July 31^st and use promotional code 99EA-153A, you will receive a $10 of discount. You can also register by calling the program director, Ed Killenberger, at (845) 355-9990. The program will also be looking for parent volunteers to help as coaches and assistant coaches for the league. I had the pleasure of being a volunteer for the pee-wee league last year and it was great fun to watch the kids develop over the course of the season. You can get information about volunteering by calling Ed or visiting the website. If you have questions that you need answered by someone who has already participated in the program, don't hesitate to call or email me!

 Another upcoming event is the Maybrook Bike Rodeo which will be taking place on Saturday, August 2^nd at 2:00pm at Veteran's Memorial Park. This is a great event for the whole family where kids will learn bike safety and have the opportunity to win some great prizes.

 The Village is also currently seeking vendors for Celebrate Maybrook Day, which takes place on October 4, 2008. The time for vendors to begin is 2PM. They may begin setting up at 12 noon. For more information on either the Bike Rodeo or on becoming a vendor for celebrate Maybrook Day, contact Tina Johnson at the Village Hall at 427-2717.

 Nettie Thompson tells me that the Maybrook United Methodist Church will be holding their end of the summer rummage sale on Friday and Saturday Aug 29-30 and Sep 5-6 from 9AM - 3PM. Additional items will be added the second week. Donations are welcome. Please call 427-2778 for arrangements.

 Joan Jones has shared that the Embroiderer's Guild will meet Wednesday, August 13 at 7pm. The Guild's purpose is to foster the needle arts; embroidery, needlepoint, knitting, quilting; etc.  All levels of skill are welcome. There is a new program every month. The meeting place is the Hamptonburgh Town Hall, Bull Road, Campbell Hall. For info (or a ride) call Joan Jones at 427-2659.

 The George C Bullis Library Manager, Greg Syrianos, tells me that as part of the National Endowment for the Arts, 16 audio guides, books and guides are available at the library. This is part of the National Endowment of the Arts "The Big Read" program which is a national program designed to encourage literary reading by helping communities come together to read and discuss a single book.  It is designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture. This leads into another great program that Greg hopes to launch. This fall, Greg is hoping to start a book discussion group. If anyone is interested in more information about "The Big Read" or the upcoming book club, please contact Greg at 427-2914. Also, don't forget to stop into The George C. Bullis Memorial Library during the weeks of July 14th - August 8th   and answer the question of the week to win a prize! Remember, the Library Summer hours are Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday: 9am-5pm, Tuesday/ Thursday: 10am-7pm. The Library is closed on the weekends.

 On Sunday, August 3rd, the Maybrook VFW will have its monthly Pancake Breakfast from 8:00am - 12:00pm. Please note the change in pricing! Prices are $6 for adults and $4.50 for children under the age of 8. Breakfast will consist of Orange or Apple Juice, Pancakes, Eggs, Hash Browns, Bacon, Sausage & Toast, Coffee, Tea & Hot Chocolate. Take out orders are welcome. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and a bake sale conducted by the Ladies Auxiliary.

 The VFW will be holding an Indoor/Outdoor Yard Sale this coming Saturday, July 26^th, from 8:00am - 3:00pm. The cost for participation in this event is $10 for an indoor round table, $15 for an 8 foot long indoor table or $8 to bring your own table for outdoor setup. Indoor setup will take place on Friday the 25^th from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. Please call (845) 427-5881 to reserve your spot.

 In more news from the VFW, the Post will be holding its First Annual Golf Outing at Stony Ford Golf Course on Friday, August 29^th at 8:30am. The cost will be $95 per person. Checks should be made payable to Maybrook VFW Post 2064. Please register no later than August 8^th. If you have any questions, call Daryl Capozzoli at 234-7276 or contact the Post at 427-5881.

 Here is some news from the Boy Scouts Troop 236. On Sunday, June 8^th, Troop 236 had over 90 people at its 23^rd Annual Awards Dinner. The dinner was held at the Maybrook Senior Community Center. Many were recognized that evening including the following: Advancement Trophies were awarded to scouts Mike Johnson, Tommy Beebe, Matt Beebe & B.J. Beebe. The Honor Recruit for the Year was Owen Custer. The Band Awards were presented to Andy Watson, Andy Swantek, Tommy Beebe, Matt Beebe, Ethan Boyd, Nicole Cardish, Terrence Davis & Steven O'Brien. The top 13 Honor Scouts for the year were: 13^th Place - Andy Swantek, 12^th Place - Ryan Sheafe, 11^th Place - Andy Watson, 10^th Place - Steven O'Brien, 9^th Place - Andy Kohol, 8^th Place - Mike Johnson, 7^th Place - Joey Costa, 6^th Place - Ryan Bolster, 5^th Place - Terrence Davis, 4^th Place - Liam Maguire, 3^rd Place - Ed Hagerty, 2^nd Place - Nick Babcock, and for the first time in the 23 year history of the troop, there was a tie for First Place Honor Scout of the Year. Not just a two way tie, but a three way tie! Congratulations to the three young men who were awarded First Place Honor Scout of the Year - Matt Amanti, Matt Beebe & Tommy Beebe.

 The Troop also made special presentations to the their sponsoring organization, Maybrook, V.F.W. Post 2046, as well as to the governing board of the Village of Maybrook, Mayor Leahy, Deputy Mayor Reynolds, Trustees Greany, Bradshaw and Budrow, for their continuous support of scouting in the Village.

 The Troop Band is just about ready for their next adventure. On August 11^th, they will be performing at the Galaxy Theater in Tomorrow Land at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This is the first time that the band will be giving a concert style performance and they are very excited about this unique opportunity. We wish them all the best. I've no doubt that they will make the Village proud!

Just another friendly reminder about the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program. Eligible children for this program include those who live within the school district and are 4 years old on or before December 1^st, 2008. To receive an application, visit www.vcsd.k12.ny.us and download the application by accessing the tab labeled Departments and going to Student Intervention Services or you can call 457-2400 ext 1015. Keep in mind that a local pre-school has been accepted to participate in this Pre-Kindergarten program. The Hamptonburgh Area Nursery School is currently accepting applications for the 2008/2009 school year. Call Helice at 427-2711 for more information.

 The Maybrook Golden Links Seniors are now located at the new Senior Center across from the Danny Meyers playground. The doors open @ 10am on Wednesdays. Anyone interested in joining should stop by before 11:30am to speak with the President and Vice President Marge and Marvin Evans about joining our club, or just to observe and be a guest for a day before you join. The official time for the meeting is 12 noon.

I understand that with market conditions being what they are, the market has shifted from a seller's market to a buyer's market. Gone are the days when we had daily bidding wars and buyers  went out to look at houses and felt so pressured to make a decision that they went out and looked at a  few houses and then "BOOM" they made a decision and the road to closing had been paved. Shifts in the market are expected and they are good for agents in that these shifts help agents to sharpen their skills in areas that might have become weakened over time because of lack of exercising these skills. These shifts are also good for the market in that the shifts create balance and tend to also normailize the otherwise overly increasing or decreasing prices in homes. However, with these shifts in the market come shifts in the abilites of buyers to buy the homes they dream of and sellers to sell the home they are trying to get out of. Sellers need to understand that they are not "giving their house away". Many times they have already enjoyed the fruits of their equity and have already spent the money that they would have otherwise earned on the sale of their house. Therefore they inflate their expectation of their home's value and then wonder why their home hasn't sold for an amount that will still yield them a profit.  Buyers feel that because there is so much more inventory available, they should be allowed to take their time and see absolutely EVERYTHING that is available in their price range before they make a decision. The reality is that alhough they should never feel forced to make a decision in haste, they should still make their decisions quickly because the mortgage industry has changed as well and  even though they are approved right now and even though there is more inventory out there for them to choose from,  their loan approvals are so volatile that the approval that they have today may be gone tomorrow. My advice to homebuyers and home sellers alike is to not use the excuses of past or present market conditions to allow you to make bad decisions. Real Estate Professionals are here to help you to make informed decisions based on these market trends. We are not trying to get you to "give your house away" and we are not trying to get you to buy the first home you see. We are simply trying to help you reach your ultimate goal of either selling quickly or getting into the home you want.