OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Mayor Jeff Hornburg announced a Christmas light contest in the village of Silver Creek at the most recent Village Board meeting.

SILVER CREEK — Christmas is just around the corner, and the village of Silver Creek is already gearing up for the holiday season. A Christmas light contest will be held throughout the village of Silver Creek again this winter, just as it was a year ago.

Last year’s contest had prizes for first place, second place, and third place homes as judged by the organizers of the event. The Village expects to have similar prizes this year, with solicitation of other prizes underway.

“It’s a little something to hopefully brighten up the village for the holiday season,” Mayor Jeff Hornburg said.

More information will be posted online at silvercreekny.gov in the coming weeks.

While Christmas was on the minds of the Village Board, they treated the most recent meeting more like Thanksgiving, as Hornburg and the Board gave thanks all throughout the meeting.

The Board thanked the Garden Club for their efforts with the Victory Garden downtown, next to the Silver Creek AMVETS building, as well as decorating the Village Square. The Board also thanked Dave’s Wonderland Outlet Store for a donation of lights for the Village Square.

“The Village Square looks absolutely beautiful,” Trustee Sandra Lindstrom said. She added that the Garden Club does “an awful lot for us.”

Members of the Board also thanked residents for voting in the recent election, in which Kathy Tampio was elected as Mayor, while Hornburg and Lindstrom were elected as Trustees. Village resident Anna Frederickson was also thanked for her persistence in highlighting code enforcement issues throughout the village.

More than just giving thanks, the Board was also in the spirit of delivering a gift. The Board approved the purchase of a 2026 Chevy Silverado 2500 Heavy Duty Work Truck with a plow for the Village Department of Public Works (DPW) in the state bid amount of $61,160. The Village saved $30,000 of funds in last year’s DPW budget and $35,000 in this year’s DPW budget in anticipation of the purchase. Hornburg also noted that the Village is in discussions with the DPW for the addition of an overnight shift this year.

The Village also approved the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 28, as a paid holiday for office staff, as well as DPW and water/sewer employees.

Also of note, the next Mobile Food Pantry event, sponsored by the Silver Creek Food Pantry, the Village of Silver Creek, and Feedmore WNY, will be on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., at the village municipal parking lot. The event is free of charge to residents of Silver Creek and other nearby communities. The Village appreciates and welcomes all volunteers.

The Village Board also reminded residents that winter parking restrictions are in effect through April 1. No on-street parking will be permitted from the hours of 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. Additionally, there is no brush pickup or drop-off until next spring, but the DPW will continue to pick up leaves, with no brush, as weather permits. The final day for heavy metal pickup is Wednesday, Nov. 26.

The next Silver Creek Village Board meeting is Monday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.