……Things are moving along for the sale of the old New Cumberland  Municipal  Building.  Mayor Will White tells me that the online auction is slated for October 17 and a walk through of the building has been slated before then.  Progress is ongoing on the renovation of the new city building on River Avenue.  Mayor White tellse that Project Manager Patrick Arneault reports the shingles are in for the roof.

……Jordan Koski,  New Cumberland Operator in Training,   has resigned.   Council will discuss Koski’s replacement during a special session Monday Oct. 10.

……And just like that Fall arrived.   Those steamy days that teased us into thinking Summer had decided not to give it up, suddenly ended and Fall was unofficially here.  I’m glad because I had had it with my few anemic flowers on my front porch so I tossed them and I had two new fall faux flower arrangements waiting to take their place.  Don’t make fun of me for faux flowers on my porch.   I always put the mums out way too soon; forget to water them; and have to replace them before Fall has even officially begun.  I purchased faux greenery for the urns for Christmas as well.  For that I have no excuse except I dislike being cold and that’s enough for me

…….The windows in the Old Graham’s (what do we call it now) building are wonderful.  Leslie Fields and Diane Wells have done a  superb job with the contribution of Artist Mike Swartzmiller.  If you’re stopped for the red light take a look at Mike’s fall painting. It’s wonderful. I think what would be even more unique is if we had a window that featured Mike with his easel painting. I’m afraid, however, that it would create a traffic jam. But, it might increase the traffic count through town and maybe based on that we could get a coffee shop. Sometimes you just need to think outside the box.

……..During World War II, those same windows were used for a train display. My Grandmother Alice Barton was widowed. She lived in the house on the corner of River Ave. and Jefferson and she turned it into a boarding house. She married a railroad worker, Joe Woods, who stayed there and when he retired he brought the caboose and put it on concrete blocks on the property. I called him “Pap Joe” and he shared his train collection with the town each holiday. He had a town that included buildings and train stations that started with Indians and ended up with World War I soldiers and World War II soldiers. He even had a WAC. The train was under our first Christmas tree in this house. While the train went to my sister, Marsha, I do have one of the Indians on my mantle.

……..I have never written about Shannon’s eating disorder nor have I talked about it publicly.  I felt it was her story to teill if she felt strong enough to recount it.  She’s been through a lot the last three years, but when I awoke to see her article on Facebook, this morning,  I knew she was strong enough to not only talk about it, but concerned enough to rally the forces to do something to help young girls who may fall prey to an eating disorder through peer pressure on social media.