Happy Easter! I wish you and your family a very peaceful and blessed Easter celebration, with the promise of all the joy Easter brings throughout the year.

Last call! The success of the Hometown Heroes program has far exceeded my expectations - with more than 285 banners already purchased.

That said, I want to remind everyone the deadline to order banners is April 28.

Be it a military, police, fire or EMT honoree, be sure you have your application into borough hall by the deadline. I want to be sure everyone has their request satisfied to the best of my ability and available sites, so don’t wait to complete your application.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have participated in this initiative, as it’s certainly grown into a true borough asset, honoring those family members and friends who have given so much for our freedoms.

With spring on our doorsteps, it’s time to turn our attention to the great outdoors. I want to assure everyone borough Manager LeRoy Brobst and Public Works Supervisor Greg Morey are aggressively working to get our parks, pool and lawns to midseason form.

The R & R Campaign of 2023 - Refresh & Refurbish - is thankfully underway. You’ll see our crews now focusing their efforts, cleaning debris, painting, seeding, mowing and performing all the post-winter activities needed to spruce up our parks and recreation facilities.

Take the time to drive around town and see all of the outdoor attractions for you and your family to enjoy. We are truly blessed, as a community, to have these sites right in our backyard. I know our public works crews take great pride in maintaining and enhancing these sites, too. Thank you, public works!

For the record, there are still choice dates available for renting any of the pavilions at our town parks - be it at Municipal Park, Canal Street Park, Fourth Street Park or 26th Street Park. Just stop by the borough hall office and our fine staff will be happy to assist you in reserving space for your special event.

Also, borough pool passes will be available to purchase May 1 at the Recreation Center. I know crews are working diligently to get the pool painted and ready for enjoyable, refreshing, summertime fun.

As I mentioned in previous articles, beautifying our Canal Street Park and D&L Trail will be a highlight this spring season. Shortly, we will be breaking ground on the proposed monarch butterfly gardens, which will certainly enhance one’s walk along the trail, physically and educationally.

As mayor, I’ve been touting these projects throughout my travels, letting everyone know my goal is to have “the most picturesque 1.4 miles (Northampton’s portion) on the entire 164-mile D&L Trail.” With these colorful, environmentally beneficial projects, we are well on our way to making that happen.

If you are interested in assisting in the gardening and upkeep of these sites, contact the Rev. Jerry Mraz at 610-442-8156. You’ll be glad you did.

You’ll also see plenty of activity on the south end of the park with the groundbreaking and development of the riverfront garden. I’ll be sure to keep you informed of the progress, with plenty of photos and updates, on my Facebook page, Mayor Tony – Northampton, Pa. Check it out!

As these days get longer and warmer, my bike is ready for some D&L Trail and Nor-Bath Trail riding. I hope you’ll join me out and about, celebrating and enjoying Northampton’s great outdoors!