The first month of this calendar year certainly gave us good reason to remember it as full-blown winter! Now that Punxsutawney Phil has made his forecast for six more weeks of winter (a length of time that will bring us, coincidentally, to the equinox) we can all probably expect to get more use from our winter clothing and gear. It seems that the groundhog isn’t alone in expecting cold weather into March, so I’ll keep my earmuffs and mittens handy!

There seem to have been several water line breaks in the borough lately, and I learned recently that the water authority is making plans for replacement of many of the mains. I expect that specific information will be available as the weather warms up and the ground thaws.

Having the streets excavated won’t be pleasant, but we will all benefit from the improvements, and will hopefully avoid leaks and breakage in coming years.

Much of Hughesville borough is outside of the official floodplain area and so the recent flood insurance rate explosion has minimal effect on property owners. However, I’m sure that the impacts of this issue will be felt throughout our area, as well as across the state. So many of Pennsylvania’s towns and cities were established precisely because they were close to waterways, so the preponderance of development over the past centuries has been in the river and creek valleys. I hope that a good balance can be found so that people pay a reasonable amount to be protected from unusual flood events. I also think that we need to be sure that development is restricted in areas that are prone to flooding, so that taxpayers are not expected to pay to rebuild structures in questionable locations. Whatever your opinion, please help make sure that our legislators have all the facts so they can make decisions that will be best for our region.?Have you noticed that we are getting more hours of daylight? It’s encouraging, isn’t it? Have a great week!

Hughesville Events:

Feb. 7 & 14 raisin filled cookie time at Bethany United Methodist Church. To order, call 570-584-2044 or 584-2301.

Saturday, Feb. 8, 1:30 3:30 p.m. Valentine’s Day Crafts for kids in grades K-6, Hughesville Area Public Library.

Friday, Feb. 14, 10:30- 11:30 a.m. Pre-school Story Hour for children ages 3-5, Hughesville Area Public Library, 146 South 5th Street

As everyone looks forward to this year’s warmer seasons, one activity that is a favorite for many people is boating. State law requires that people who want to operate jet skis or other personal watercraft, and anyone born after January 1, 1982 who wants to operate a boat with a 25 horsepower or larger motor must successfully complete a recognized boating course. The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Williamsport, Flotilla 15-01, is offering a 1 day boating safety course at the Hughesville Area Public Library on Saturday, February 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be a fee to cover the cost of materials. For more information, or to enroll, call Flotilla Commander Robert Brown at 570-368-1884 or email him at psp501@aol.com