I love small town living.  I like being a part of the community being in community. Being connected to community connected with community causes me feel connected.

Community being in community is one of the special things about the Upper Delaware River Valley.

And that was happening, for some of us in Narrowsburg, NY on Saturday, October 14,

Simultaneously, the Narrowsburg Fire Department was hosting an open house, in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week and the Tusten Town Board was feting volunteers in a Volunteer Appreciation Day.

It was exciting stuff at the fire department.  They had a fire simulator and once the unit was lit (we're talking flames!) participants had to 1) Pull the pin; 2) Aim the fire extinguisher; 3) Squeeze the trigger, and 4) Sweep the base of the fire.  The simulator, that the department was able to borrow from White Sulphur Springs Fire Department, has four sensors on its base that once hit with water will put the flame out.  But it wasn't as easy as it looked because if you didn't hit the button straight on, the fire springs back.  It's a great tool for teaching use of a fire extinguisher!

The thing that was so amazing about the Open House is that it was follow up to Fire Prevention Program at the school on the day before, Friday.  The kids came and knew what to do in an emergency.  

"Feel the door," five-year-old Hannah Tyler said to me.  "If it's hot, go to a safe window. You have to crawl under the smoke to a safe window, one that is close to the ground." 

She knew what she knew and that safety message was re-enforced by the message at the Fire Department the next day.

I later saw her at the Town Hall, later, where she joined her grandmother Linda Gill (who recently returned, upon her retirement to town), her mom Stacy, her father Dewey, and her aunt Nicole at the Volunteer Appreciation Lunch.

There, volunteers, actually all of us, were treated to a lovely lunch and were awarded certificates and pins of appreciation. Sponsored by the Tusten Town Board (all members were all in attendance!), the lunch recognized the unique and vibrant gifts that volunteers give.

"Volunteers are vitally important to this town. I'm happy to celebrate and thank them today. This lunch is long overdue," said Tusten Councilman Tony Ritter, who championed the idea.

I was delighted to see Nicole, who was up for the weekend from her life as a school teacher, now administrator, in West Harlem.  Nicole was the newspaper's copyeditor while in high school and took the job with her when she first entered college.  It was lovely to see her and to let her know what a blessing her work had been for the paper.  

We all have our angels, those people who assisted at a time when assistance was needed.

We're fortunate to have this human foundational structure in the valley.  I am delighted that The River Reporter can be a partner in this community connection.

And I join the Tusten Town Board in extending appreciation for all of the volunteers in the Town of Tusten.