PARKSVILLE –– With the help of a $2,400 Neighborhood Beautification Grant from Sullivan Renaissance, a seasonal menorah will soon have a presence at the entrance of the Parksville Rail Trail.

The 8-foot tall, 6-8-foot wide menorah will be powered by a solar battery, and there will be a small ceremony in December to light it up. 

Hope Blecher, who along with Harriet Dorfman and Sarah Litwin will assist in the painting of the menorah, explained the community effort. Ray Croney and Colin Sass will be constructing the menorah, while Mountain Bear Crafts’ Van Morrow will make various symbols for each candlestick of the menorah, that are representative of the hamlet’s history. 

Some of these symbols include a train car (which will be on the shamash), a turtle representing the Lenni-Lenape tribe, the numbers 1904 to represent the founding of Parksville, and more.

The Liberty Town Board unanimously voted to assist with the Renaissance application for the project.

Liberty Town Supervisor Frank DeMayo said the menorah will help the Town celebrate its diversity and Hanukkah. He added that he is a firm believer in understanding different cultures and this project helps to accomplish that. 

“We love seeing people in the community take a project and run with it,” said DeMayo. “It gives us the opportunity as a government agency to work with the public.”  

Blecher said the Town and a group of Parksville Priorities Committee volunteers are seeking input from the community regarding what other symbols should be a part of the chanukiah. They can be reached at parksvilleprojects@gmail.com.