I want to begin this week with a happy Saint Patrick’s Day; whether you’re Irish for the day or Irish for a lifetime, please get out and about and enjoy all our area has to offer. I must also add that if you’re partaking in adult beverages, please do so responsibly. Don’t allow a little sharing of the Irish spirit, or maybe I should say spirits, to get your spring off to the wrong start.
As on most days or seasons of celebration, I always look forward to the food. This is the case with St. Paddy’s Day, which, this year, coincides with the beginning of the Lenten season. I have been a beyond healthy eater since I faced some health issues about a year ago. I have eaten way too much spring mix, and I’m surprised there were any leftovers to use in my title. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to my mother-in-law Theresa’s corned beef and cabbage to celebrate the green and some of those wonderful fried fish dinners on Lenten Fridays. A note to Theresa: please hold the salt level down. I know this is a problem for you, like many Italian ladies, and I must avoid it.
As far as the Friday fish dinners, many can be found in the pages ahead. What a great way to support the fire department or church of your choosing. Yes, I’m not supposed to have fried food either; please don’t tell my doctors. The truth is, I need a little fix since the fire at Long John Silver’s; it is one of those things I have treated myself to once in a great while. Don’t worry, I’ll be using their malt vinegar on my takeout fish dinner. There will be no spring mix found on that plate. Depending on where I get it — hopefully, there’s some macaroni and cheese and maybe some stewed tomatoes and coleslaw.
As our cover says, our annual Spring Home Improvement Guide can be found within our pages this week. A tip of my Webb Weekly cap with the American flag on the side to your friendly neighborhood postal carrier. They take care of the heavy lifting of getting this to your mailbox. This is one of our largest issues of the year, and we appreciate the effort required to deliver 58,000 copies. I thank all the businesses that are found within our Spring Home Improvement Guide for putting their trust in our direct mail publication to get their word out. It is something we look forward to doing at my office — and even mark the calendar by — along with our Fall Home Improvement and Holiday gift guides. The working together with local businesses to provide the best services and products only strengthens the community. As you know, I’m a big believer in buying locally and using the services of those who are the foundation of the area’s economy.
There are 40 pages of professionals to help you with the spring mix of projects that lie ahead. If you’re old school like me, it always finds its way into my junk drawer in case of emergency. Like every issue of the Webb Weekly, the guide can be found and archived at webbweekly.com.
I’ll finish up this week with a spring mix of reminders. The Raise the Region fundraiser takes place March 12th and 13th. Thank you to the Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships and the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania for their efforts and generosity regarding this amazing project. It may be taking place as you read this; for more information, visit http://www.fcfpartnership.org, http://www.raisetheregion.org, or call 570-321-1500.
It is that time of year — whether it’s St. John Neumann Regional Academy or your local school district — to register your child for kindergarten and to start thinking about the 2025-26 school year. Please don’t wait till the last minute to accomplish this. I wonder how many show up on the first day of school to register? Please help to avoid that stress.
I’ll close with something I have seen a lot lately: four-legged creatures of God that need a good home. Spring is a good time to adopt that fur baby of your choosing. Editor Steph does a great job working with LAPS and the SPCA each week, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many cats needing a home. I understand cats aren’t for everybody, nor are dogs for that matter. But if you’re looking for the pitter-pat of little paws and don’t have the room for a canine, a cat can make a great family member. This especially holds true for a person who lives alone and can use a little love in their life.
We currently have three four-legged family members who came via the rescue route. Leia, the long-haired calico cat; Finn, the big yellow lab from Franklin Street; and granddog Buck from the SPCA, also known as Stinky. All have different stories and have added nothing but love and joy to our home. Maybe it’s time for another addition? Hope you all have a great week.
God Bless America.
