Roses: We’d like to extend a rose to the Town of Bethel for taking the time to look forward and adopt a new comprehensive plan.

Called the “Bethel Moving Forward Plan,” it replaces a two-decade-old document while giving the community a roadmap for decisions involving housing, recreation, development, infrastructure and environmental protection. The plan isn’t approving or rejecting specific projects, nor is it amending the zoning code by itself. Instead, it’s a roadmap telling the town how and where it wants to move forward, which is a crucial first step.

It’s been two years in the making, involving surveys, revisions, public meetings and plenty of work to get to this point. We know that a comprehensive plan can’t address every issue our communities face — hey, even some residents noted issues they wanted the town to focus on, such as short-term rentals — but Bethel actively considering the path of its future?

We think that deserves a rose.

Roses: Another rose goes to the G&D Schoolhouse as it takes the next steps toward a newer and larger facility in Ferndale.

A preschool that serves young children with special needs, the facility currently lends its helping hands to 75 children, while the new campus is expected to accommodate approximately 130 more. Additionally, the $8 million project is expected to usher in new jobs and return the property to the tax rolls.

We strongly believe every family in Sullivan County should have access to quality childcare and educational services, especially families with children who need G&D’s specialized services. It’s certainly worth celebrating not only the further reach of the G&D Schoolhouse, but also the return of an underutilized property to the tax rolls.

Thorns: However, we must give a thorn to whoever took the artifacts from the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation’s museum.

Among the missing items are Native American arrowheads, Civil War artifacts, an 1864 $10 bill and a sword cane dating to 1832. Most concerning is that there was no indication of forced entry, and the items appeared to have been cherry-picked.

These aren’t just any old objects; they represent something. They may have been precious items to those who resided here before us. While the motive for the theft is unclear, it certainly takes a piece of our education and history away from the rest of us.

We truly hope the missing artifacts are found and returned to their rightful home in the museum. We also hope that anyone with information about what happened will come forward.

Roses: Finally, we’d like to extend a rose to Town of Cochecton Supervisor Gary Maas for returning to his seat after a six-month recovery period from an illness.

As the Supervisor gives his deepest gratitude to the Town Board, town departments and Deputy Supervisor for keeping the wheels turning in his absence, we’d like to give Supervisor Maas our sincerest wishes for continued progress as he rebuilds his strength and endurance.