Due to the snow storm and snow removal there will be no parking on Main Street Until Further Notice
From the Mayor’s Office
May 6, 2024
The Whirl
Spring is always shockingly beautiful in our Valley. The shift from bare trees and bare ground to the visually verdant in a matter of weeks is extraordinary – breathtaking. It is also the time of year filled with activities. If you have a family engaged in sports, music, or theatre performance, or if you’re an avid gardener or helping with a cause, your head is spinning. It can be overwhelming – keeping up, getting done. I call it Mile a Minute May! The days are longer, and activities increase incrementally. I know I’m grateful for days end when we are finally still, share a meal and revisit the day’s experiences. To put those activities into words and to share them is a way of drawing closer to friends and to family. It is a rich part of the season and as a community it seems there is communal exhale at the end of each day.
If you drive by Village Hall, you will notice large green bows on the exterior columns. Yes, St. Patty’s Day is long gone but the green ribbons are a reminder that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This past Saturday, the Warwick Cares event took place with the support of the Village’s and Town of Warwick and the Warwick Community Center. It was an event held at Railroad Green to help de-stigmatize and support the many facets of mental health awareness. The event ran from 12 – 4 pm and the park was overflowing with booths set up by organizations that are doing their part to address mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention.
Warwick Cares, organized by Judy Batista, has defined itself as a powerful force, spreading the message and showing the need for greater awareness. What was the common thread of Saturday’s event was community and our ability to share. This was a moment to celebrate heroes but also to recount stories and to pass on valuable information to each other. The Warwick Police Department was on hand offering free hot dogs, the Fire Department had their newest truck on display for a “touch a truck” and the Warwick EMS was giving away first aid kits. It was clear that the message is supported by all and had resonance to those that came.
None of us are immune to mental health issues and this was a celebration and recognition of a very serious subject. Thank you, Warwick Cares and its volunteers, and to all the organizations who attended and made it such a successful event that shows our priorities and the hard work yet to be done.
