Weiser is a community that never stops giving

This week is another great week of Thanksgiving. I know the dinner is over and leftovers in the freezer but our community never quits giving and thus we never quit giving thanks.

 This weekend a fire displaced several families in our community. I am thankful for the volunteer and full-time fire fighters that came to knock down a fire that could have been even more devastating.   

 Crews from the Weiser City Fire, Weiser Rural Fire, Ontario, Vale and Payette departments all joined to battle the flames and smoke.  Thank you all.  

 Thank you to our police officers for their immediate response to get residents out of danger and for monitoring traffic and people who wanted to see or help. 

  We are thankful that no one was seriously injured. Thank you too, to the sheriff’s office for the work of their dispatcher on these stressful events and to the ambulance district for their standby and supporting the rest of the team.

 Thank you to the Red Cross and to those who have stepped up to offer help and to coordinate help as these families find new housing and put their lives back together.   

 Christmas is definitely a time of giving and caring in our community and that is what the story of Christmas is about.

 Before the fire, I had planned to write thanks to a couple of other people on behalf of the city so will do so.  

 Thank you to Dr. Bryan Drake for his many years of caring for the residents of Weiser.  Your skill and thoughtfulness have been an asset to Weiser and will be missed but we are blessed to have very skilled and qualified doctors to take up the slack.  

 Doctor, enjoy your retirement and know you are appreciated and I know you and your wife, Linda, will continue to give to our community in other capacities.

 I also want to thank Steve and Melissa Hale for donating the Christmas tree to the Vendome. For those who don’t recognize the names, Steve is the CEO of Weiser Memorial Hospital and his wife, Melissa is part of the medical team at Saint Al’s in Ontario.  

 They have lived in our community for three years and have been involved in many organizations supporting Weiser. 

 Thank you, Hales, for buying the tree at the Festival of Trees and giving it to the community by allowing it to decorate the Vendome.

 Now to the daily work. The street department will continue to work on leaves as soon as the snow allows. On Monday the sander and mag chloride truck were out early to get ahead of the storm a little.  The wastewater crew will continue to work on the storm drains.

 The electric department is working with the contractors from Ridley’s to get the new transformer in place. The pad was poured last week and it should be placed before the end of the week. 

 The crew will return to trimming trees around the power lines.  We do not work on private tree trimming but it you have limbs that may caused damage to the lines, call and let the office know and someone will come out and check them.

 Christmas activities continue this week.  The Weiser Youth Symphony had a great concert last Friday.  This week is the “Living Nativity” at the Nazarene Church on Friday and Saturday nights from 6-8 p.m. 

 Dr. Drake’s retirement party is Thursday, Dec. 20, at the Clinic beginning at 2 p.m. 

 Christmas programs have started in the school so be sure to check with the schools for their schedule. Kids definitely help make Christmas. 

 There are also still names on some of our giving trees so stop in and make someone’s Christmas extra bright. 

 Check with our local media for additional activities going on to celebrate Christmas and this holiday season.

 Be safe in this changing weather and keep an eye on your neighbors particularly our seniors.