Mayor Newhard : April Glory

  The long yawn, the winter nap, and Spring emerges everywhere. That is the beauty of living in a community such as Warwick – we are surrounded by nature.

  This is a great time to explore the valley you live in! On these warm days, it’s perfect for enjoying and discovering something new. As we still grapple with COVID-19 this is a good way if you’ve been vaccinated, alone or with close family to possibly let your mask down. A drive at this time of year is a way to see your community anew from the mountains that shelter us to the open meadows and woods to the broad expanse of earth as dark as the night – it is all here waiting to be seen and enjoyed. 

  We are working on an expanded outdoor dining program similar to last Summer and Fall. This year’s program will be Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 12 noon to 4 pm. The program will be for restaurants on Spring St., Railroad Ave., and Main St. As I write this, we are still waiting for DOT approval to close off streets and to detour traffic. Please watch for more information in the coming days. This has been a great success and defines a new and interesting way to use our downtown and to patronize our local restaurants safely. 

  The roster of Spring events and activities is growing. A stark difference from last year when most events were diminished or cancelled. Public safety is the key and the guidelines we receive from the CDC and the Governor’s Office is critical to our decision to allow events to occur. Most importantly, it is our personal responsibility especially during this transition period. The mask requirement and social distancing continue to be very important. Getting vaccinated is of course the most important. 

I urge anyone over 16 to get vaccinated as soon as possible. There are many places and outlets to receive a vaccine – the Orange County Health Department, St. Anthony Community Hospital, CVS, and Walgreens to name a few. The ability to beat this is in our hands and each one of us can have an impact. If there has been a lesson that we have learned in this period of time it is the connections we have to each other and the value and strength of community that works together to conquer what ails us.

  The next Village Board meeting will take place on Mon., Apr. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and will be held through Zoom video conference and may be viewed live by the public on the Village of Warwick, NY YouTube Channel.