Springtime greetings, my friends! As the days get longer and we’re all the closer to the planting season, I look forward to all the creativity and color our local gardeners will bring about in their yards. I can’t wait to get started on our newly scheduled plantings throughout the borough, too.

Working with horticulturist Lori Metz, we’ve been preparing plans to plant a wide variety of foliage and self-seeding vegetation along the entirety of our Canal Street Park, as well as Center Street and other prominent sites throughout town. We’re already behind schedule with the riverfront garden at the Canal Lock behind the Hungarian Hall, so look for that initiative to continue in earnest in late April or early May.

With an ever-growing group of green-thumb volunteers coming forward, these projects will undoubtedly not only help beautiful our parks, but make for fun and enjoyable outdoor projects for all who’d like to get involved. If you have any creative ideas or suggestions on how to further beautiful our parks and landscape, drop me a line at mayortony@rcn.com.

Also, look for further gardening updates, photos and tips on my Mayor Tony - Northampton, Pa Facebook page, too.

Last call! With the overwhelming requests I’ve been receiving for Northampton Hometown Heroes banners, I’ve decided to reopen the application process for the banners one last time. From now until April 26, you may apply for a banner at borough hall or by mail.

You just need to provide a completed application, along with a military-style photograph and payment of $250 by April 26. From there, I plan to have all of the orders processed and back in time and hanging on the light poles by this year’s Memorial Day celebration.

Right now, we have more than 400 banners all around Northampton. I look forward to seeing how many more of our heroes we can honor. Don’t wait to have your request fulfilled.

Continuing on that theme, the success of our Northampton Area High School student volunteer team’s Facebook and Instagram posts has been growing exponentially - to no one’s surprise.

With more than 40 hero interviews completed by team members, I encourage you to go to our social media and enjoy the additional biography and background of our esteemed heroes. To go directly to the site, just type in bit.ly/northamptonhometownheroes. It’s a trip you’ll enjoy taking.

Now, you really know spring is here as the Northampton Police Department’s fourth annual fishing derby is upon us. For anyone who enjoys fishing, this outing is a must. The derby, held in the stretch of Hokendauqua Creek immediately behind borough hall, will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 20.

With an assortment of brook, brown and rainbow trout stocked in the creek, there’ll be plenty of trophy fish to be hooked. Tickets for the event are $15 each for anyone with a valid Pennsylvania fishing license.

For those not interested in fishing but still wanting to get out for some morning activity, the basket raffle, with more than 20 interesting gift baskets on which to bid, is perfect for you. This event has become a springtime staple on the Hokendauqua Creek and a nice fundraiser for the police department. Take some time out and join in, supporting our fine police department.

For now, I’m off to get my gardening tools lined up and ready to go. I hope you’ll be joining me in the great outdoors. Take care, everyone!