February 16 - Hello, it's Fran! We will start out being up-beat, thinking of love and Valentines Day. As a Mom of four daughters, you can imagine this was always a happy day here: roses, chocolates, cards with red hearts. Now we have four great son-in-laws, and wonderful memories.

Turn Off Television: The nonsense will go on without us for a while. It seems like the County is in the same frame of mind as the Country. Where is peace and love?

Words From A Pastor: Frank DeMayo sent me a very fitting thought from Pastor James of Vine & Branch Church. The Pastor says social distancing might suggest no contact at all, when what we need is physical distancing. At times like these, we need social contacts more than ever, a phone call, a little note or a little neighbor child bringing your mail on a snowy day. Thank you Carol Kelly and your adorable Alex. I'm loving seeing the kids enjoying our old-fashioned snow banks.

Please Be Careful: Long stretches of upper Dwyer Avenue have no sidewalks and it is frightening to see people walking their dogs at night with their backs to traffic, dressed in dark clothes. My daughter told me she was driving there when a car's headlights came in the opposite direction, of course momentarily affecting her vision, and someone was walking. She is a very careful, slow driver but other drivers might not be.

Action and Hope: Good news! Parksville Priorities Group is off and running. Their virtual meeting was held on Feb. 10th. They are looking for folks to identify areas of expertise to sign up for committees so they can get started. First order will be to sign up for multiple Renaissance Grants. The Dead End restaurant has been sold and we wish the new owners the great success that I remember Tom and Michelle Caltabelotta had. I also heard that the former synagogue has been sold for a private home. What else does Parksville need to get summer traffic to come off the highway? When my husband was teaching, we traveled in summers with our six kids, and a playground with ice cream would do it. I know all that is right there off the exit also with the rail trail.

Liberty Village: Prior to covid, an organizational meeting was held to address applying for the Downtown Revitalization Grant, so this group will go forward assembling our presentation materials for the grant application and to work on any other initiatives. They will look to solidify working committees and start assigning tasks. Since that first meeting, last Spring, our real-estate market had drastically changed for the better, so we'll see how it all goes.

A Lot Of Upbeat Chatter: Our Supervisor, Frank DeMayo says there is great interest in new businesses in some key areas of town, a few in early planning stages and yet to be announced. One very exciting project is at the Sullivan County Golf and Country Club. Sims Foster is heading up a group for a planned unit development resort to eventually include a hotel, housing, glamping sites and rental units along with recreational amenities. This project has been approved by the Town and Planning Boards and will move forward. I have been missing that gathering place at the Golf Course, Oscar Browns where many great parties were held. For me, rushing to real-estate appointments, on week days I needed a quiet booth at lunch time and loved Michael Stoddard's mandarin salad. Some summer days I ate on the back deck watching the golfers on the greens. Can't beat that scene. A nice thought as we deal with our great snow banks.

Liberty Library: I'm really appreciating that circle driveway to the back of the library and I thank Hope, the librarian, for bringing my book to the back door. I have to finish it fast to change thoughts to our precious American holidays and then the beginning of Lent. God bless us all in these troubled times. Prayers for our teachers and their students. I know first-hand it is very unsettling for all, especially college students working for their degrees.

We'll be back in March. Stay safe.