By JOSHUA THOMAS

C-S-E Editor

CANAJOHARIE — Last Thursday evening, the Canajoharie-Palatine Chamber of Commerce held a fundraising spaghetti dinner at the Elephant Bistro in Canajoharie, serving approximately 50 meals.

While the money raised last Thursday isn’t earmarked for a specific project, it will help the chamber with their annual mission to beautify Canajoharie and Palatine Bridge. As part of the annual goal to pretty-up the villages, the chamber will install hanging baskets throughout downtown Canajoharie. The spring plants, which hang from downtown light fixtures, will be installed sometime after Memorial Day.

The chamber also has plans to decorate downtown’s White Park, and longterm plans include the installation of signage on the NYS Thruway prior to the Canajoharie exit indicating what types of businesses (gas, food and lodging) are present.

Long term plans also include the installation of Christmas decorations in Palatine Bridge, an extension of an ongoing project wherein new decorations were purchased for Canajoharie over the course of the last two years. In 2012, the chamber purchased 11 more unique metal decorations to adorn village light posts, completing their mission to improve the look of Canajoharie at Christmas.

The chamber is also quite involved with the annual Cycling the Erie Canal event that passes through the village each July. They’ve embarked on the mission of bringing the cyclists — who travel through the village only briefly on their way to their destination, the Canajoharie High School — back to the downtown area to see what Canajoharie has to offer. In 2012, shuttle bus service to a downtown Music on Main Street concert was provided for the cyclists, and the chamber has noted that they’d like to do something similar again this year.

During last Thursday’s fundraising event, three chamber members helped to prepare and serve meals, which were available for dine-in or take-out, with Corresponding Secretary Laurie Weingart stating, “the Bistro really gets a huge credit. They put the whole thing on.”

The Canajoharie-Palatine Chamber of Commerce’s next meeting will take place the second Tuesday of April, at the Arkell Center meeting room, at a time to be announced. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.