To the Editor:

When asked, lots of people will say “Parishville…is that even on the map?”

For others you’ll get a much different response, for these folks know what North Country living is all about and appreciate their friends and neighbors in good times and bad.

I’d like to share a story of some extraordinary ladies in the Town of Parishville. These ladies get together once a week to make some of the most beautiful quilts I’ve ever seen. Although I may be partial, because I see how much time and effort goes in, I can’t give enough credit to this group for the dedication, caring and thoughtfulness that goes in to each quilt.

You see, these ladies aren’t just making quilts because they have nothing better to do; they make their quilts for people in the community that are going through rough times. Often times these folks have been diagnosed with a severe medical condition, some have been placed in nursing homes, need assisted living care or hospitalized due to health conditions.

Too often the recipients of this kind quilting gesture have not been successful with medical treatment, but for a brief moment in their existence they were able to know that friends and quite possibly even strangers were thinking of their well-being through the thoughtful efforts of these quilting phenoms.

To date these quilting caregivers have provided 26 quilts to people in need of uplifting through a kind act. At least that’s how many they could remember. My guess is there’s a few they missed, after all I had to stop production of the quilt they were working on to get them to answer my questions and pose for a picture.

As supervisor, of this little North Country town, I’d like to give a huge shout out to these ladies for their generosity. It makes me proud to be part of this community and know these individuals.

The ladies currently involved include Gert Forrest, Audrey Groebler, Lori Witherell, Sherry Remington, Jane Daby, Jean Farr, Janet Binan, Mary Witherell, Madeline Pennington, Bev Austin, Donna Smith, JoAnn Sevey and Francis Hazelton.

If you see any of these ladies when you’re out and about, let them know you’re aware of their kind acts, and thank them for caring for our friends and neighbors.

Rodney Votra

Parishville Town Supervisor