Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2026 and all the opportunities we’ll have to make it a profoundly memorable year, in all the best ways.

Given the wonderful, family-oriented events the borough added this past year, such as the movies in the park and the Hometown Holiday Festival, it’s obvious we’re moving in the right direction, focused on improving the quality of life for our residents.

I know there’s more to come in the upcoming year, too. We have a new bridge over the Lehigh River with a springtime completion date, along with plans for major upgrades and improvements at the Fourth Street Playground and the Canal Street Park macadam trail, for starters.

As for some of my 2026 initiatives, I’ll start by letting you know that I’m continuing to actively work with local artists and donors, bringing together ideas for my mural project throughout town.

We’re focusing on historical Northampton imagery first and foremost, especially since we’ll be celebrating the 250th birthday of our great country this July. With our colorful history centered around the cement industry and the worldwide fame it’s brought our town, we have a solid foundation of images from which to start, no pun intended. It’s certain to be a dynamic and visually poignant series of paintings once all of the ideas and images are brought together.

Next on my list is continuing to populate Canal Street Park with the widest array of colorful flowers and vegetation possible. As I am a huge fan of the park and all the recreational offerings we have at our disposal there along the river, I want to be sure our 1.4 miles of the 165-mile-long Delaware and Lehigh Trail is the most picturesque of all. We already have a great start with four monarch butterfly waystations completed, along with more plantings coming alive this spring. All of this foliage, combined with the new, smooth asphalt paving will certainly make the park all the more attractive a destination site for outdoor fans.

If you remember back a little while, I did an informal survey of all the people I met while biking on the trail. I found that of the 57 people I spoke with, 36 were from out of town, just here to enjoy the walk and scenery. That trend continued in my further encounters and conversations with our trail users. The park and associated trail were an underrated asset here in town, but that’s certainly changing for the better.

I’m still focused on “Building a Better Northampton,” and given the adventure it continues to be, I’m always open to hear your thoughts and ideas and how you’d build a better Northampton. Be it a relatively small, but significant, neighborhood project or a major boroughwide initiative, I’d like to hear from you.

I can be easily reached at my email address, mayortony@rcn.com, or just drop me a line at 484-239-7426. So, for your homework, dig deep, open your minds, come up with great ideas, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and join me in continuing to build our great community.

Now it comes to the popular mark your calendar portion of this message. This will be a good one you won’t want to miss. I was asked to be on the WFMZ show “Business Matters with Tony Iannelli” 7 p.m. Jan. 26. The show is titled “Small But Mighty Communities — Mayors Edition.” I’m appearing with my good friend Hellertown Mayor David Heintzelman, Roseto Mayor Ilene Tillman and North Whitehall Township Manager Randy Cope, discussing mayoral issues and how our role as mayor serves our citizens. I’ll be the one with the orange shirt and black and orange tie!

Needless to say, it was a very entertaining, fast-moving and enjoyable experience, as I was proud to represent this fantastic town. Though the show only runs for a half hour, I did my best to get in as many highlights and plugs for us as possible. Always the consummate host and friend of Northampton, even Tony gave an assist and mentioned the Roxy Theatre. I hope you tune in, as entertaining and informational this experience will be.

On a public service note, as winter is well underway with all the snow, ice and problems they bring, remember to keep your sidewalks as clear as possible when snow arrives. If there’s a fire hydrant on your block, be sure to clear the snow there, too. Throwing snow into the street is still a no-no!

Though early, I’m going to say a big thank you to our public works department for the job they’ll be undertaking, keeping our streets safe and passable during future snowfalls. I understand we have some 29 miles of roadway within the borough, so be patient and understanding, given the scope of this task.

To close this message, know that my simplest wish for 2026 is that we’re all the more neighborly and helpful, on any level, in making this fine community one to be admired. Let’s start today!