The Mayor’s Corner 12/20/2023

Mayor Randy Hibberd

Ho Ho Ho! I Ho Ho Hope your Christmas season is full of joy and cheer this year!
With that being said, this week, I am going to jump right into the City business first.
The City has received the final word on the $2,000,000 grant to repair E. Commercial Street. I would like to say a great big THANK YOU to Mike Campbell and Keller and Associates, the City’s engineering partner, for writing the grant and moving it through the Idaho Transportation Department.
There were 107 applicants with Weiser being one of the 37 entries awarded with funds. Without these funds, within a few years, the bridge over Monroe Creek would have been weight restricted due to structural issues. This would have stopped commercial traffic over the bridge and sent semi-trucks down Main and Idaho Streets. This project will ensure that Commercial Street will remain the east-west truck route through town. So again, THANK YOU Mike and Justin!
Also, the first round of leaf pickup is just about complete. As soon as the first round is finished, the crew will be back around to pick up the remaining leaves. Ron McDaniel would again like to remind you not to park on top of the leaf piles. (I had to reluctantly say no when he asked if he could use the loader to move cars.) If the crew is unable to pick up the leaves, the leaves create dams in the gutters which can cause rainwater to build up behind the pile and push water into the street. If the water then freezes, the ice creates an additional traffic hazard to deal with.
And now, on to what I would really like to say.
This time of year can be very hectic. Cathy had three Christmas Parties to go to last weekend. I had two. Plus, we were invited to a Thankmas (Think Thanksgiving near Christmas) dinner at our daughter’s in-laws with turkey, dressing, potatoes, green beans, cranberries, pomegranates, etc.
I am still in the middle of making Christmas gifts. We will see if they are ready in time. We are baking cookies for family, neighbors, and co-workers. Also, if you read my article in last week’s paper, you will be pleased to know that I can now confidently play my one note on the cornettina for the renaissance concert. So, as you can see, we are terribly busy.
I am letting you know that I understand how hectic the holidays can be. Whatever you have going this Christmas, in the rush to make sure the presents are wrapped, the house cleaned, the meals are prepared, and the stockings are “hung by the chimney with care,” please do not lose site of what makes this holiday important to YOU.
If family and friends give Christmas its meaning, please take the time to cherish those around you. If giving to others is meaningful, please be as generous as Charles Dickens’ “Ghost of Christmas Present” in “A Christmas Carol.” And if celebrating the birth of Christ what gives the season meaning, take time to go to Church and a Christmas Eve Service with fellow believers.
In other words, whatever your way to celebrate Christmas is, please take the time, even if it is a few minutes at a time, to slow down, relax, and savor this special, precious time of year.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope YOU have a very Merry Christmas!