Happy New Year greetings to all our Chinese friends and neighbors. It’s the Year of the Dragon.

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Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone. Happy Galentine’s Day to friends everywhere.

Celebrate by doing something nice for someone and eat chocolate!

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The coincidence of the calendar: Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for Christians, share the same date.

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Dennis Picard presented a splendid program with a plethora of information on ice harvesting as part of WinterFest. For example, ice was the second largest export after cotton. In addition, tubes were created in the center of ice bales in ships to hold barrels of apples that were shipped to India beginning in the 1830. Frederick Tudor of Massachusetts is credited with developing the industry. He collected ice from Massachusetts ponds. He was a millionaire in 19th-century dollars, which translates to a lot of money.

Another tidbit: Water from the Hudson River was quickly rejected for ice-making with the discovery of human and animal waste. Surprise?!

The Amherst Historical Society sponsored the talk and will host another Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Munson Memorial Library as part of Founders Day. Julie Dobrow will speak on “The Transcendentalists’ Call: Mabel Loomis Todd, the Thoreaus, and Emily Dickinson.” She is very good and has presented other programs for the society.

It’s free.

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Orchard Valley neighbor Gina Kaufmann sent me an email noting that she will be singing in “Love Revolution Cabaret” the Silverthorne Theater Company season opener benefit.

The program will be held Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 and 7 p.m. in the Blue Room at CitySpace in Easthampton. Consistent with the cabaret concept, refreshments and dessert will be served. For tickets visit the website: Silverthorne theater.com.

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Send items for the Lehrer Report to phyllehrer@gmail.com.