DISCOVERINGS VOLUME 23 A Newsletter for The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier ISSUE FOUR

SPRING 2015

REFLECTIONS FROM THE DIRECTOR Ice jams, icy drive-ways, slippery side-

walks, black ice, heavy

wet snow, rain win-

ter has been rather

erratic this year. With

that in mind, we want

to be a harbinger of

spring. Your children

can be assured of having fun inside of The Discovery Cen-

ter during the winter, and we will be sure that springtime

is ready to burst forth for you inside and out as we plan

special days and events to woo away the drears of win-

ter! Our message is THINK SPRING!

Lets begin with Marchour 31st Birthday month

continuing with a thirty year story of success and thirty

years embracing a verb named PLAY. Actually we end our

thirty year celebration by re-inviting Dr. Seuss to join us

for Green Eggs and Ham on Saturday, March 14 from 9-

11am. Joining in will be The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1

and Thing 2. Another March happening of note: Easter is

early this year. So our popular Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt

is scheduled as a special March event. Wear your Easter

Bonnet, bring your Easter Basket and join us on March 28

for a fun filled day. Following the Bunny Trail into Easter

Break we will be offering adventures every day from

11am-2pm. We will regale you with bees, April Fool tricks,

SciGirls, enchanting fairie worlds and down on the farm

animals!

We also are determined to add remembrances of times

past! April will see a revival of our Girls American Adven-

tures with a French mode - bring your favorite doll to live

the oooo-la-la experience. Friday, May 1 - A medieval re-

vival of our May Pole dance to which pre-K and first grad-

ers hither and yon are invited. Do you remember TRUCK

DAY? Its backMay 2 and beep, vroom, roar to the open-

ing of the Story Garden! Climb aboard a monster truck-a

chance of a lifetime! And of course MOMMY rules in May.

Take Mommys hand and lead her to Spa Day on May 9,

and know that mommies and grannies who love you tons

will enjoy this treatment.

Are you thinking spring yet? My gift to this spectacular

season is a concert by a dear friend who is a Grammy

Winner, a Parents Choice Award recipient, a New York

Times favorite whose assessment of this childrens per-

former is MAGIC. My friend Les Julian is the artist and

the first performer I ever invited to perform at The Dis-

covery Center. He writes songs about Self, Bullying, Funny

Noses, Grampaw's False Teeth, Coloring Outside the Lines

and much more. He is totally AWESOME. He will be in

concert, in the Story Garden, on Saturday, May 16, 2015

at 2pm. Our gift to youthe concert is free of charge

generously funded by Acco Brands.

GOOD THINGS HAPPENBUT YOU MUST SHOW UP!

Spring has begun to sprung! Help us make it complete!

OUR SPRING HOURS

Monday 10am-3pm for toddlers only (birth PreK). Open to all on school Holidays 10am-4pm.

Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm

Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday noon-5pm

We will be closed Easter Sunday 4/5, Mothers Day 5/10, and Memorial Day 5/25.

If the Binghamton City School District is closed due to weather, The Discovery Center will be closed.

SPECIAL EVENTS & SCHOOL HOLIDAYS Celebrate The Discovery Centers Birthday in a Seussical Way

Its a Seussical Day so come and play and celebrate The DCs 31st birthday on Saturday, March 14. Let the fun begin

with a healthy breakfast from 9-11am of green eggs and ham (and some of the yellow kind, too) in our Somersaults

Caf. Enjoy a reading of Dr. Seusss famous book Green Eggs and Ham. Breakfast tickets for eggs, ham, bagel and

beverage are $5/adults and $3/child 10 and under. Food sales will continue with Seussical food from 11:30am-

1:30pm for those who say eggs not here, or there, or anywhere! Join Thing 1 and Thing 2 and the Cat in the Hat in

the museum to enjoy crafts, activities, games, scavenger hunts and of course, birthday surprises! A special viewing of

Show Me the Honey from The Cat in the Hat Knows About That will take place in our Ahearn Playhouse. All activi-

ties free with admission (food purchases not included).

Eggstra-special Egg Hunt Get your basket ready and hop on over to The DCs Annual Eggstra-special Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28 for an

eggciting day of fun! Our recipe for fun? Lots and lots of eggs! Build a structure for the Humpty Dumpty Egg Drop,

visit with guest artists demonstrating egg decorating techniques from around the world and decorate an egg of your

own! Visit with live bunnies then hop on over to the Bunny Hop Dance Party from 1-2:30pm while Peter Rabbit hides

the eggs in the gallery for the indoor egg hunt beginning at 2:30pm. All activities begin at 11am and are free with mu-

seum admission. Healthy food sales 11:30am-1:30pm. So put on your bonnet, bring your basket and join the bunny

hop as you hunt for eggs! Members price $4, not-yet members $8.

Spring Break Activities Were BUZZING with fun during Spring Break at The DC! All activities are from 11am to 2pm and are free with museum admission. Mon, Mar 30 The bees are buzzing and the birds are singing to let us know that spring is here! Learn how to be a

friend to natures pollinators.

Tues, Mar 31 - Join WSKG Public Media for a Season 3 sneak peek of the Emmy award winning PBS show, SciGirls.

Learn about citizen science and how you can get involved through hands on activities and take home STEM resources.

Wed, Apr 1 Its April Fools Day and the fairies have come out to play. Come dressed as your favorite fairie and see

what pranks they are playing on us. Try some Noodles in Honey Butter their favorite dish and learn how to make

your own fairie house. Perhaps you may catch one! Take a chance to win a custom, Jen OBrien Fidgety Fairie House!

Thurs, Apr 2- is Farm Animal Day at The DC. Get a close up look at baby chicks and bunnies and learn about life on a

farm. Visit with live animal friends and activities!

Fri, Apr 3 Opening Day is almost here and its time to welcome the BMets back to town! Buddy the Bee and Ballwin-

kle will be here to celebrate the Eastern League Champion Binghamton Mets and their trophy will be on display. Make

a souvenir autograph book for this seasons players. Lets play ball!

A Girls American Adventure in Paris! Ooh La La! Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 18, 9am to noon for our newest

workshop as we pack our bags and travel to France. Begin your adventure with a clas-

sic breakfast of crepes and croissants and then were off to visit the Eiffel Tower, the

Arc De Triomphe, the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles. Then well put on our

aprons and learn to make some French pastries and learn about French cuisine. Bring

your favorite doll along for this exciting adventure!. Pre-registration required call 773-

8661 x201. $25 members, $30 not-yet-members.

SPECIAL EVENTS & SCHOOL HOLIDAYS Medieval May Day Celebration -Friday, May 1st

Here ye, hear ye, all ye young lads and lasses! Children across the land preschool through first grade are invited to The Kingdom of Discovery for a most splendid day of merriment as we celebrate May Day in the medieval style! The spirit of the Middle Ages will come to life with the making of May Day baskets, a dance around the Maypole and an explora-tion of Medieval customs and crafting both inside the museum and in our magical Story Garden. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to register early and enjoy our discounted group rate of $5 per person. Special member price: $2 per person. Call (607) 773-8661 x201 to register.

Honk, honk! Beep, beep! Its Truck Day Vroom! Vroom! The trucks are arriving at Ross Park for a Horn Honkin Truck Day on

Saturday, May 2nd. Plan to spend the day with the grand re-opening of The Discovery

Centers Story Garden and get ready to explore big trucks, small trucks, construction

vehicles and more. Exploration and activities begin at 11am through 3pm. Food sales

will be available. Members free, Not-Yet-Members - $7.

Mommy and Me Spa Day Spend a special day with mom on Saturday, May 9th kicking off a weekend dedicated to all mothers with workshops

designed to create memories of a lifetime. The Discovery Center would like to thank all the mothers, grandmothers

and special ladies that have given the gift of love to a child through acts of caring and patience. Stir up some fun in

our nutrition kitchen mixing up something sweet with your favorite little helper, pamper yourself with a manicure and

hair styling compliments of the Cosmetology students from BOCES or be cool as a cucumber with a care free facial.

Then spend the afternoon-or take the afternoon off- and have dad or that special male figure in your childs life make

spa themed gifts for Mom with round robin crafting tables available from 12-3p.m. All workshops and activities are

free with admission. Food sales will be available so stay for lunch! Activities and workshops begin at 11:00am. Call

607-773-8661 ext201 for more information.

Good Things Happen But You Must Show Up!

Les Julian, award-winning recording artist, professional singer/songwriter/ guitarist/

family entertainer will perform a FREE Family Concert at 2pm on Saturday, May 16th at

The DC. The concert will feature popular favorites, Flamenco, Island, Jazz as well as

songs from Les Family CDs with imaginative songs like Good Things Happen!, Col-

or Outside The Lines, Donkey In A Ditch, Invisible Hands, and Chocolate Is My Favorite

Vegetable. For his all-original-song recordings, Les has won four Parents Choice

Awards, two NAPPA-National Association of Parenting Publications Awards and The

American Library Assn. Notable Recording, and can most recently be heard on the

GRAMMY winning compilation CD, All About Bullies Big and Small. With the goal of em-

phasizing the imagination and creating community through music, Les brings his songs

to life with his rubbery storytellers face, elastic voice, guitar pyrotechnics, chameleon

wit and joy. From the New York Times, Songs to make you laugh and think. His audi-

ence laughed, giggled, chuckled and smiled...their heads bobbed...it was like magic!

And it will be! Les Julian is coming to town! Show Up on Saturday May 16 at 2pm in our Story Garden. You will be

so glad you did!! Thanks to our friends at Acco Brands for underwriting this free fabulous family event. In the event

of rain, the concert will be held in our Ahearn Playhouse. Doors will open at 1:30 for seating.

FREE PROGRAMS Conscious Discipline Free Parent Workshop Series

Tuesdays in April, April 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th, 5:30-7:30

The Discovery Center will be hosting a free Conscious Discipline parent workshop series conducted by The Early Intervention/Prevention Committee of The Children and Youth Services Coun-cil of Broome County. Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive social- emotional and classroom management program that uses everyday life

events to teach children and adults self-control, conflict resolution, character development and social skills. Each workshop will include a different video viewing by Conscious Discipline founder, Dr. Becky Bailey and a follow up open discussion lead by a Children and Youth Services councilmember. Check out www.ConsciousDiscipline.com for more information on this renowned program built on the premise of developing discipline within children rather than apply-ing discipline to them. Please note, the museum galleries will be closed and there will not be child care provided.

LITTLE HANDS! - Early childhood programs at the museum The Discovery Center is pleased to introduce our new Early Childhood Educator, Christina, to our DC team! Meet Christina at 11am every Monday through Thursday for educational and entertaining classes for children ages birth-5 years of age FREE with your admission. Daily Little Hands programs will bring BIG fun to our smallest visitors! During school holidays Tot programming is suspended. Funday Mondays Toddler Days - Only children birth-5 years of age are admitted to enjoy their own special day at the museum. Make friends and play without the big kids around. Join us at 11am for Little Hands Art: Messy Master-pieces - sensory-based art activities that explore color, texture and creative expression. Dress for a mess and let us do the clean up! (on school holidays the museum is open to all from 10-4) Little Hands A Tale of Tails Tuesdays - Stories and guest animals will have tails a-wagging! Little Hands Science Wednesdays - Hands-on activities and exciting science demonstrations designed to challenge young minds, stimulate their senses and make learning fun! Monthly Thematic Science Units: March - Egg-Science, April - Frog Physics, May - Bugmania. Little Hands Art: Color Outside The Lines Thursdays - Process based arts activities to develop small motor skills and BIG size fun! By Design Fridays - ask us about our 45 minute by design group program offerings for toddlers and preschoolers! Pre-registration only call Christina at 607-773-8661 x 205

Explore & More Theres something special going on every weekend at The DC! Stop by this spring and visit the Explore & More Station for crafts, science experiments and all sorts of fun. Saturdays from 11am to 1pm, and Sundays from 1-3pm. Mar. 7th & 8th Boogie Woogie with Piet Mondrian color and line. Learn about the famous Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian. Learn how music influenced Mondrians artwork and create your own artwork using geometric shapes and primary colors. Mar. 14th & 15th "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun. But, you have to know how." Join us as we celebrate Dr. Seusss 111 th birthday. Mar. 21st & 22nd Splash into fun as we celebrate World Water Day! Explore how water moves and follow our rivers to the ocean Mar. 28th & 29th Wonder what a raw egg looks like without its shell? Can you make an eggshell disappear without cracking it? Learn how and see what our scientists are doing in the lab. April 4th Knock, knock? Whos there? These are the phrases of some of the most famous jokes. Come get a good laugh as we

celebrate World Humor Day and write your own humor book. April 11th & 12th If youre looking for something a little bit sweet, visit on National Licorice Day and awaken your taste buds to a sampling a variety of delicious licorice treats. April 18th & 19th Its time to learn all about our feather friends and their habitats. Make a treat for your feathery friends. April 25th & 26th Trash, Trash, Trash! Come and learn how trash can be turned into treasure and how recycling is good for the environment as we Celebrate Earth Day! May 2nd & 3rd Honk! Honk! Do you love trucks? Come and ex-plore the world of trucks and the simple machines inside them and make your very own moveable truck. May 9th Pamper your Mom on Mothers Day by coming to our Explore and More station and making your very own hand scrub to give her May 16th & 17th Taylor Swift says its time to Shake- It-Up and discover the magical world of music as you take ordinary items and create your very own instruments. May 23rd & 24th All of the flowers of tomorrow are the seeds of today. Learn the life cycle of a plant from seed to flowers and plant your own seeds to take home.

SCOUT PROGRAMS Complete Your Service Project at The Discovery Center! Are you interested in the inner workings of a childrens museum? How

about early childhood education? If so, The DC wants you! Contact us for Girl Scout Gold or Boy Scout Eagle award project ideas

and get involved. Were looking for hard-working Scouts who are interested in childhood development and the importance of play

to help us develop new and exciting programs and materials for our museum guests. Younger Scouts can get involved, too! Make

your award project something to be treasured for years at The DC.

Contact Julia at (607) 773-8661 x205 or edu@thediscoverycenter.org for information or registration for all scout programs.

GIRL SCOUT BADGES Sister Sister -Be a sister to every Girl Scout! Travel around the world with Vi as we look at girls in other countries and learn that even though we may look different, eat different foods, and speak different languages, we are all the same inside. Well read postcards from five countries and try a special activity; a food, craft, or game from each one. Earn your Vi petal with us and explore sisterhood around the world. Sat, Mar 21, 10 to 11 am $8/ Daisy scout. Water Rescuers -Were going to explore the wet and wonderful world of water. Learn about the importance of water, water conservation, and make a clay sea creature to take home. Com-pletes certain requirements for the WOW! Wonders of Water Brownie Journey. Sat, Mar 21, 12 to 1 pm $8/ Brownie Scout. . Junior Detective Academy-Where can scouts spend a morning flexing their deductive muscles? Its elementary, my dear Wat-sonThe DC! Well be testing our powers of observation, mak-ing invisible ink, becoming fingerprint experts and even learning how to extract DNA. Well go on a black light scavenger hunt throughout the museum! Sat, Mar 21, 2-3pm $8/Junior Scout. Flower Garden Surprise Party - Earn your Gloria petal at our fun tea party as we learn about respecting ourselves and oth-ers. Well make each other party crowns, make a fruit salad as a group, and enjoy a fun morning tea with games and crafts. Sat, Apr 11, 10 -11am $8/Daisy scout. Pampered Pets - Keeping a pet is a big responsibility! Our furry friends are cute and cuddly, but they have important needs, and its your job to take care of them. Well meet The DC pets and learn all about how we can make our pets feel loved. Well even make dog toys to donate to the Front Street Dog Shelter! Sat, Apr 11, 12-1pm $8/Brownie scout. Health, Happiness and Hula! Eating right is only a part of keep-ing your body fithealthy habits are about living a thoughtful lifestyle. With this workshop, well learn how to be a food-label detective, how to stress less and more. Participate in a fun hula-hooping workshop. Earn your Staying Fit badge with us and bring the fun of hooping home! Be sure to bring a healthy lunch or snack. Sat, April 11, 2-3 pm $8/ Junior scout. . Seeds in the Garden - Join us in our Story Garden as we learn about the role of seeds, the many shapes and sizes they come in, and have fun with planting, then decorate your own fairy pot to take home! Sat, Apr 25, 10 -11 am $8/Daisy scout.. Going Buggy - Were going on a Bug Safari at The DC, so come prepared for a day of fun! What bugs will we encounter with our magnifying glasses, bug catchers and viewing containers? Explore the secrets of beehives, learn all about bug anatomy and make a fun bug viewer to take home. Meets requirements for Bugs badge. Sat, Apr 25, 12-1pm $8/Brownie scout.

Phenomenal Flowers - Dig up some flower secrets with this badge workshop in our award-winning Story Garden! Well be botanists for a day learning about the secret meaning of flow-ers everywhere. Well learn about aromatherapy and make scented soaps for you to take home! Meets requirements for Flowers badge. Sat, Apr 25, 2-3pm $8/Junior scout.

CUB SCOUT BADGES The Great Outdoors - Bring a water bottle and your hiking shoes for a fun day exploring the beauty of Ross Park. Learn about weather patterns, make great nature-themed art and go on a Nature Colors Scavenger Hunt while hiking The Discovery Center trails. Earn your Lets Go Outdoors achievement and complete the Fun Outdoors elective, then let loose and enjoy play time in the museum! Sun, Apr 26, 12-1pm. $8/scout.

SCOUT SNOOZES Spend a night in the museum! Sign up for a Discovery Center Scout Snooze for an evening of fun workshops and private mu-seum playtime, then set up your sleeping bag in your favorite exhibit for the best kind of sleepover there is. Snoozes include dinner, a workshop and plenty of museum play! Fee for all snoozes is $28/Scout and $6/adult. Troop leaders are always free! Snoozes which do not meet the minimum of 20 registra-tions are subject to cancellation at the discretion of DC staff. Flashlight Hunt - Its lights out at The DC as we make smores together and go on a flashlight scavenger hunt through the mu-seum! Many of us are familiar with the exhibits during the day, but what will we find when nighttime falls? Sat, Mar 7, 6pm 8:30am Sun. For Cub and Boy Scouts. A Seussical Slumber Party - Spend the evening with The DC as we have tons of zany Dr. Seuss fun with this great museum snooze. Wear your striped socks! Sat, Mar 14, 6pm 8:30am Sunday. For Girl Scouts. Zoo Safari - Bring your flashlights and sneakerswere going on an after-hours Night Hike of the Ross Park Zoo! See the ani-mals as never before, and speak with zoo educators about what its like to be responsible for so many different types of crea-tures. Sat, May 2, 6pm 8:30am Sat for Girl Scouts. Sat, May 30, 6pm 8:30am Sun for Cub and Boy Scouts. THE DC JOURNEY PATCHES - Earn pieces of The DC Journey Fun Patch by attending our special events this spring! Simply check in at the Front Desk and ask to purchase the days special square to add to your DC base patch. Come to four events, and youll have a colorful Discovery Center fun patch to show off to all your friends! Base patch $3, each additional square $1. Yellow Square The DC Birthday Party in a Seussical Way, Sat, Mar 14. Red Square Natures Pollinators, Sat, Mar 30. Blue Square Come Dressed as your favorite fairie Wed, Apr 1. Green Square Mommy Spa Day, Sat, May 9.

PRESCHOOL & AFTERSCHOOL Discovery Kids Club The Place to be After 3! Discovery Kids Club is so excited that spring is just around the corner and is anxious to get outside again! Our

friends will get things started searching for that elusive lepre-chaun; is he in the Story Garden, on our nature trails or maybe hes hiding right under their noses in the museum? Then it will be time to lace up their basketball sneakers and jump out of their seats for a DC slam dunk while learning a new set of bas-ketball skills.

In April we will be celebrating Earth Day all month long! Discov-ery Kids Club will learn about recycling, composting and taking some long nature walks along The Discovery Centers trails. They will continue enjoying the great outdoors right into May by rolling up their sleeves to plan and plant in Peter Rabbits Garden. The bounty from this garden goes to CHOW!

Discovery Kids Club has so much to offer your child! Discovery Kids Club hours are Monday-Friday 3-6pm plus full days on most Binghamton City Schools holiday breaks.

Discovery Kids Preschool All the A,B,Cs and 1,2,3s of Learning Fun! This March, Discovery Kids Preschoolers will seek to find the lucky pot of gold as we cele-brate St. Patricks Day. Our little friends are ready to enjoy some outdoor fun after keep-ing all of that energy stored up during the long winter season! This spring Discovery Kids Preschool will get out their digging tools and working gloves to enjoy learning about planting and harvesting. In May, theyll pamper their Moms at their annual Mommy Spa Day for Mothers Day. They just love doing Mommys hair and nails and are so proud of their work!

Discovery Kids Preschool is where your child will learn all of their A, B, Cs and 1, 2, 3s. Our hands-on interactive preschool program allows children to learn through play and take ad-vantage of everything The Discovery Center has to offer. Chil-dren will utilize the Discovery Centers museum and explore our Story Garden. The fun and learning never stops at Discovery Kids Preschool!

Discovery Kids Preschool families have the option of registering for morning sessions only (8:30am-11:30am Mon.-Fri.), after-noon sessions only (12:15pm-2:45pm, Mon.-Fri.), full day ses-sions (8:30am-2:45pm, Mon.-Fri.) or all day sessions (8:30am-5:15pm.) Please make sure to send a bagged lunch for full day and all day sessions.

NOW REGISTERING FOR BOTH PROGRAMS FOR 2015-16

Contact Cary Swartz, Director of Education, 607-773-8661 x

208 or cswartz@thediscoverycenter.org for information on

tuition, program availability or to arrange a tour.

Parent Tips for Toddlers and Preschoolers As the nicer weather approaches and you and your children spend more time outdoors, make sure you give a safety check on out-door toys and make sure your childs helmet still fits. Spring Travel Tips: When traveling, make a recognition game of letters or words. You can play the alphabet game by having your child find a word on a billboard, storefront or sign that begins with the letter A, then the letter B, and so on. For older children, ask them to find a new word every time you go on an outing. The early years are critical to develop a lifelong love of reading. Read to your child every day!

DISCOVERY KIDS SUMMER CAMPS 2015 8 weeks of summer Ed-Venture camps to choose from Mon-Fri, July 6 - August 28, 2015

Galumpha Gang Two Week Performing Arts Camp, July 20 31 (7-13 yr. olds - separate fees apply).

Camper Ages: 3-4 year olds, 5-6 (5 yr. olds must be registered for fall 2015 kindergarten), 7-8 and 9-12. Internship program for 13-15 year olds. Intern candidates must apply and interviewcall 607-773-661 x 208 for application. Hours: Half-day sessions 9am-12pm and 1-4pm with the option for a full day of fun with our back-to-back campsjust bring a lunch! Supervised lunch with exploration of our interactive exhibits from 12-1pm for campers registered for both morning and afternoon sessions. Early drop off (includes Breakfast Club) and late pick-up available. Children registered for early drop off will enjoy a nutritious breakfast from 8-9am at $20/session, and late pick-up from 4-5:30pm is $20/session - must sign up for extended camp hours at time of registration. Camp fees: All camp fees are due at time of registration including before and after care fees. Members $70, Not-yet members $75 per weekly half day session. One time $12 registration fee per camper for summer 2015 includes a Discovery Kids Summer Camp T-shirt. Full Camp Catalog will be available in early April

Non-Profit Org. US Postage

PAID Binghamton, NY

Permit #192

60 Morgan Road Binghamton, NY 13903

SPRING FLING DINNER DANCE Join us on Friday, April 17, 2015 at Terra Cotta for our annual Spring Fling from 6:30-11pm! Take a trip down our red

carpet and have your picture taken with your friends then nosh on hors doeuvres. Enjoy a fabulous gourmet buffet

dinner with table wine and dessert then dance the night away to the sounds of Brotherhood. So, call your friends,

make your plans and buy your tickets today! Tickets are $50/person. Purchase a table for 10 for $400! To purchase

your tickets/table visit TheDiscoveryCenter.org. Proceeds from this fundraiser benefits our FREE outdoor exhibit

space, the award winning Story Garden!

Thank you! Thank you! You put the hippity in our hop! Felix Staconni, David Hogan, Ron Crawford - Lockeed Martin, Nancy & Jim Hargrave, David Dutko, Judy Dennis, Joan Hunt, Nikki Corgel, Mr. Doug, Michele Swartz, Dee Shaw, Tessa Contreo, Jen Chudacik - Johnson City High School So-phisticats, John Yurka & Santas Elves from Sidney High School, Cortese Restaurant, Party City, Gary Hart, Hillcrest Subway, JP Hood, Binghamton Universitys APO, Decker School of Nursing, Watson School of Engineering, School of Management and Athletic Department, Vestal High School Peace Club, Tonys Italian Grill, American Red Cross, George Cummings (SEED), Binghamton Fire Department, Binghamton City School District, J & K Plumbing & Heating, the Jones Family, David & Pokey Crocker, Star LaTronica, Linda Griffen. Thank you to all of our Gingerbread partici-pants, our friends at WSKG Public Media, Dave Williams & Beyond the Print, Jennifer OBrien, our storyteller Mr. Doug, Binghamton Universitys Institute for Asia and Asian Diasporas, the Southern Tier Chinese Cultural Association, St. Michaels Church, Senator Libous and BOOKS, City of Binghamton DPW.