Hello Everyone…It's Fran DeFilippi Kurpil…with a few words. I'm glad to see the trees getting green and my lilac fully budding. Now it's time to do some work on my flower gardens. My son-in-law, Stephan, and grand-son Rudy, came the other day and planted some green shrubs and two flowering rhododendron by my back porch. It looks beautiful.

A Nice Little Error: I was sending out an e-mail note to my girls about a planned trip, and accidentally sent it to Lesli Halprin instead of my daughter-in-law who is also named Lesli. I got such a nice note back. This unknown girl wanted to go on the trip. We got a good laugh. All I can say is, Lesli Halprin is the friendly manager at Luzon Environmental Services in Woodridge.

Kiwanis: A note from Sheila Lashinsky about this incredible work of community service by local volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. They have given a monetary donation to Begin Again Transitional Services (B.A.T.S.) in Liberty. This program has a very nice, renovated home on Dixon Ave. which provides housing and supportive services for homeless veterans. The Kiwanis Club has other projects and will do whatever they can to aid and support our community. Sincere thanks for these efforts.

B.A.T.S.: My real-estate co-worker, Beverly Nedd, has been working hard for several years by being involved with this home, helping veterans. I asked her today if she could say how many veterans had been helped and she said 130 veterans. This is so heart warming and, hopefully, there will soon be another fund-raising dinner, after covid issues. That was an incredible buffet held at the Methodist Church hall a year or more ago.

John Liddle: Sullivan County Commissioner of Health and Family Services. That sounds like an awesome responsibility, and YES, he is responsible for organizing the whole campus in Liberty under one banner and reaching out to other partners in the community to have better relations in the future. The County team in Liberty is accomplishing a lot right now. Public Health just went over 10,000 vaccines administered and fanning out around the county to help folks who haven't had the ability to get to the mass vaccination clinics.

Family Services: An amazing project! Working with Children's Home of the Wyoming Conference, a Methodist Child Welfare Agency, plans have been made to renovate the Methodist parsonage on North Main Street to accommodate an office and an upper floor residence for up to six foster children. They will give a foster family special training and pay them a salary to provide housing, free of charge, to give these kids a nice family environment that is attentive to the kids' needs. It should be a big win all around because it will help Pastor Bridgett and her parish make renovations to the parsonage that they could not afford on their own. It will also give Family Services more options to keep the kids, who need foster care, closer to their hometown and school. May the Good Lord bless this endeavor, and I pray these young people will thrive and be able to be happy productive kids. These years, for them, are so important.

S&R Accounting: Rhonda Ottino and Sharon Freestone have opened their office in the Mill Street Mall. They specialize in personal and small business income tax preparation as well as bookkeeping, medical billing and consulting. I find it interesting that these two girls love a job that i dislike. They have a God-given talent and ability. Give them a call: (845) 747-9311...or better yet, stop in and welcome them. Then…Stop by Serendipity for a great lunch and include their broccoli-cheese soup. Liberty welcomes and needs these new businesses and our community support. This Mall location is down Mill Street just before the second traffic circle. Maybe BEERWORLD is a big draw there also.

Cindy Nolan, Science Teacher - LCS: Working with Honor Society students, Joshua Abreu, Karla Garcia, Emily Lutz, John Nolan, Abagail Simmons, all Seniors. Two eleventh graders: Dylan Parks, Melana Quick-Lepke and three tenth graders: Boise Sellers, Vandy Vasquez Bamac, and Jackson Wolcott. In line with Clean-Up-Liberty, Cindy Nolan recruited National Honor Society students to participate in a clean up in an area on the hillside by Tractor Supply that she had noticed was littered with debris and needed work. Tractor Supply provided a dumpster and the students spent several hours of work. These hours can be used toward their Community Service commitments for their National Honor Society recognition. I can't tell you how pleased and proud I am of all these students and hugs to teacher Lucinda Nolan. As a Mom of six LCS graduates and Gram to three grands, I have to say their LCS Education set them all to great success. The ten students named above will definitely attain their dreams because of their parents encouragement and loving attention which has been enriched by their education at Liberty High School and teachers like Ms. Nolan. Our best to them all.

My Friend In Canada: A recent chat with Lisa Cronk was a happy connection. Of course she misses her home on Ahrens Road and her kin here in Liberty since selling and moving to Canada where her earlier roots are. Her husband, Bob was a good friend of my husband and I have to remember to ask her if she ever got on the back of his fancy motorcycle that passed here often. With her great sense of humor I know she'll have a good reply.

My Best To Our Graduates: Our dear granddaughter, Megan Burns just graduated from Alfred University and it is sad that, as last year, these young students do not get the usual College graduation ceremony. Meg majored in Childhood Education and already has a position. I think she will be life-guarding at Hanofee Park this summer again. She has such a personality connection with kids' and I remember suggesting to her that working with young people was a perfect fit for her. God bless all our graduates.

Everyone stay safe and enjoy our beautiful Spring weather.

My next column is on Tuesday, May 25th. Send me comments if you like.