By Christopher Harper
The chimes at St. James Episcopal Church resonated with a poignant rendition of America the Beautiful, heralding the start of a significant event-the annual Memorial Day parade.
This solemn occasion, marked by a discordant burst from a fire engine in Muncy, Pennsylvania, is a testament to our community’s unwavering respect and remembrance for our fallen veterans.
Marching in unison along Main Street, a diverse group of individuals came together to honor our veterans. Among them were not just veterans, but also volunteers from local businesses, government, civic groups, and churches, demonstrating our community’s collective support and pride.
Just up the road, residents placed flags near the headstones of fallen veterans in the local cemetery.
Not too far away in Pennsdale, some residents are exercising their Constitutional right to protest a large solar power installation without the rancor of recent nationwide demonstrations.
Solar Renewable Energy seeks to install more than 6,000 panels on nearby farmland. The local zoning board has granted a variance to build the solar field.
However, residents have many concerns, including declining property values in the area following the installation, contamination of existing aquifers that supply wells of homes adjacent to the site, stormwater runoff from the disturbance of existing land, glare, and other safety concerns.
The local taxpayers plan to take the matter to court if the variance is not rescinded.
Moreover, my wife and I enjoyed chatting with neighbors about the upcoming election. That’s a far cry from our discussions with our neighbors in Philadelphia, where we lived until three years ago.
Days like this remind me how lucky I am to live in a part of the country that harkens back to the days of graciousness and civility.
