Goodbye, February — hello, March! Hopefully, Mother Nature has left the snow behind and is preparing us for a sunny spring.

I can’t wait to get moving on our Canal Street Park beautification initiatives and trail improvement projects. It’ll be a busy time, but once completed, I know you’ll be impressed.

The word for this month is “engagement.” No, not the one where the man gets on one knee and presents his girlfriend with a ring and proposes while she holds her head in her hands and cries. I’m referring to the level of interest and involvement a person has in an activity or task, encompassing emotional, cognitive and behavioral components.

I know, that’s a lot to take in. All the same, for much of my public service time, especially as your mayor, I’ve always enjoyed striking up conversations with residents, asking how they view our town, our initiatives and — most importantly — how we can work together to build a better Northampton.

Engaging! As a result of those engagements, I’ve added a few hundred “new best friends” to my contact list. It’s very rewarding to know I have this extensive catalog where I can always reach out at a moment’s notice, calling them to share their knowledge by assisting me with my initiatives and ideas.

Now, there’s this one engagement that has really worked out well, bringing a good deal of recognition and excitement to Northampton — and to me, a lifelong friendship.

Three years back, as I was walking the concourse at halftime of a Phantoms hockey game, I recognized this gentleman coming toward me, so naturally, I stopped him, introduced myself and inquired how he came to be in the Lehigh Valley, given that he lives on the other side of the country. He told me he was looking for sites for his new movies and asked if I’d be able to help him. Of course, I could!

He took my number, with me thinking I’d probably not hear from him for a while. That “while” was 8 a.m. the next morning. So naturally, I took him to see sites around the borough, touring the bars and restaurants that would fit his needs.

That man was actor and director Daniel Roebuck, and the sites he chose were our Alliance Fire Hall and the Northampton Diner. He also chose the Roxy Theatre for the world premiere of his movies. It’s been quite the honor.

As I had a front-row seat (and a cameo appearance) to the production of two of Dan’s movies — “Saint Nick of Bethlehem” and the new “The Hail Mary” — I saw how cognizant Dan was in featuring as much of Northampton and our people as possible. If you’ve seen the movies, you’ll know how much he succeeded in that endeavor.

With that in mind, I had the great honor to award my good friend Daniel Roebuck with the esteemed Key to Northampton during the Feb. 21 premiere of his movie “The Hail Mary” at the Roxy. As Dan’s entourage has boosted our local economy, strengthened civic pride and introduced Northampton to Hollywood, it was only fitting to honor him with our most prestigious award.

The inscription I wrote on the plaque reads as follows: “To Daniel James Roebuck, In recognition of your valued contributions to the Borough of Northampton; utilizing our community to enhance your films and introducing ‘Hollywood’ to Northampton — bringing joy and civic pride to our community and citizens. Presented this 21st day of February, 2026.”

To say Dan was elated at receiving this recognition in front of a sold-out Roxy Theatre crowd is a great understatement.

Looking ahead, Dan’s already lining up sites for his upcoming movie, “Men of Granite,” recognizing our veterans and the sacrifices they made. And yes, I’ve already given him our local sites for his consideration, mentioning that we have more than 500 men and women “of granite” embodied in our Hometown Heroes banners.

And to all our Northampton residents of Irish descent, I wish you a very happy St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll be putting aside the black and orange for the day to wear the green — hoping many of you will join me. I look forward to the celebration.

Take care, my friends!