Well, we all are—and none too soon. Spring is definitely in the air and there are signs all around. I’ve yet to spot a robin, but the birds are singing, the skunks are mating and the sun (it’s that bright yellow ball in the sky) is shining brightly upon the Upper Delaware River region, giving residents and visitors renewed vigor, infusing us with excitement over shedding a layer or two and celebrating the end of what some say was the harshest winter in decades.

One sure sign that the snowfall is drawing to a close is the annual Boys and Girls Clubs (www.bcgorange.org) Celebrity Dinner, which once again drew mobs of revelers to Callicoon, NY (www.villaroma.com) to be wined, dined and entertained by scores of teams comprised of local celebrities, dignitaries and volunteers from every corner of Sullivan County. Each March, this event draws more attention and this year’s theme, “All Tooned Up,” inspired the servers to create costumes, décor and performances based on popular cartoons that had attendees howling with delight as they dug deep and contributed more than $56,000 to support the clubs in Sullivan County. As always, the club’s executive director, Alexis Eggleton, led the way, aided and abetted by her incredible staff, and master of ceremonies Greg Goldstein had the audience in the palm of his outstretched hand as the donations flooded in. Goldstein (www.misneragency.com) is (IMHO) a one-of-a-kind ringmaster, keeping hundreds in check while simultaneously encouraging guests to write checks of their own, in support of this worthy organization. The extensive community support always makes my heart melt and this year was no exception. For the second year in a row, the staff at The River Reporter participated, as characters from the popular TV animated hit “Family Guy,” guided by team leaders Amanda Reed and Tanya Hubbert, supported by TRR’s Isabel Braverman, Michelle Labbatte, myself and (of course) Dharma the Wonder Dog.

I would be remiss in not giving a special shout-out to Reed, who underwent surgery 12 hours before the event, but showed up, never complained (I do enough of that for both of us) and worked incredibly hard in order to make the party a success. Since Eggelton and company host an identical event in Orange County later in the year, all of the dollars raised at this event stay in Sullivan County, assisting hundreds of children who benefit from the many programs the clubs sponsor throughout the year—and your donations are gratefully accepted every day of the week.

Exhausted from the festivities, Dharma and I both rested up a bit before heading out the next day for the Big Sky Production’s presentation of Carol Montana’s “Love or Something Like It” in Hurleyville, NY (www.sullivancountyhistory.org). Featuring Paul Ciliberto, DeLois House, Leif Johansen and Montana herself, Carol’s ongoing series, “Shorts & Sweets,” presented the audience with vignettes comprised of short stories, interspersed with old-fashioned jokes and playwright Mikhail Horowitz’s ‘Café Palindrome,’ where everything on the menu is spelled the same way forwards and backwards. (Think “Madam I’m Adam” regarding food). The audience had fun, and dessert is always a bonus (the pup nibbled on a bone), so a good time was had by all. Observing 16-year-old Johansen mature as a performer is cool and it’s nice to see director Montana fostering young talent on stage with some of her more seasoned performers, like House, who always adds a touch of class to these productions. All in all, it was both short and sweet.

With no snow to shovel, I decided to venture out on Sunday and made my way to the Delaware Youth Center in Callicoon, NY (www.sullivancountyfarmersmarkets.org) to stock up on local delicacies for my own menu, while schmoozing with friends—always a good combination. As we all cheered the melting ice, it was still chilly enough to leave my groceries in the truck and duck into Café Devine to catch Ramona Jan and Andre Turan, who have (hopefully) changed their band’s name (www.facebook.com/janturanband) for the last time, to Janturan. Dharma ordered something from column A, while I made a selection from column B, even though proprietor Patti Devine has yet to come through with her promise to name something on the menu after the pooch. Perhaps she doesn’t relish the idea that folks might think she’s serving dog food. Regardless, the band sounded great and my heart always melts when I see folks light up upon seeing my four-legged friend, so it’s all good. For the first time in months, I don’t actually feel wicked, but I’m happily, joyfully, melting nonetheless.

[For a complete photo album of the Boys & Girls Club Celebrity Dinner, see our Facebook page.]