Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a former editor of the Windham Journal, Sidonia Palace, celebrated her 100th birthday November 12 at her home in Westborough, Massachusetts. Palace worked for the paper for 28 years, until 1997. Palace first became interested in journalism because is presented the opportunity to meet people, interact with the community and to get involved in social and political events. “It was very rewarding,” she said. “I liked the idea of being able to send a message and possibly cause change, and, of course, my love for writing, all have helped make this job the most rewarding.” Palace was born in the Czech Republic the day after Armistice Day, in 1918. She earned her degree in the Czech Republic, and her first job was with a 150-year-old publishing house where she stayed until the Germans invaded. Palace eventually took positions in Frankfurt and Berlin before she and her husband emigrated to the U.S. in 1948. “It was a tragic life in some ways, but we were among the fortunate ones. We got out,” Palace said in an interview with the Mountain Top Historical Society in 2015. She and her family lived in Jewett for 40 years. Palace served as a 4-H leader and was a volunteer at the Hunter Library and logged more than 4,000 hours as a chauffeur for the Department of Aging. Palace's trick for staying energetic: “Connect with people and it keeps you mentally younger,” she said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.