Where We Live: Spring is just around the corner

We’re not out of the woods yet, but there are a few sure signs of spring beginning to surface.

For starters, the weather warmed up a little bit, but I also just saw my first Peeps-flavored Oreo advertisement of the year.

It seems this year’s edition has chocolate cookies with a purple marshmallow Peeps-flavored creme inside. My daughter will love it, or at least the Peep on the packaging, but me, not so much.

They’ll cost $3.33 and be in stores shortly.

Another sure sign that we’re turning the corner into February is that the Patriots are in the Super Bowl. The other day, I asked my Alexa speaker for a prediction.

“I’m going with anybody but the Patriots,” it responded.

I have to disagree. This is pretty much a miserable Super Bowl matchup for me, but I’ve been on the anybody but the Eagles train all postseason. I prefer to keep it that way.

With the grass visible again, it’s time to start thinking about getting out to chase the little white ball.

On the professional level, Tiger Woods is making his return this weekend and, like him or not, I think it’s good for the game to have him back. Much like the Patriots in the NFL, he’ll bring with him viewers whether you’re cheering for him to win or grab his fused-together back in pain by the third hole.

Taking a turn to local news, it appears we’re inching closer to a teachers’ contract in Palmerton. Both sides expressed optimism this week that a settlement could be reached in the near future.

We also got a look this week at Palmerton’s new band uniforms. It’s great to see another big step in the resurgence of the district’s band program.

In a bit of positive financial news, the uniforms were originally projected to cost $60,000, but the final bill showed a total under $45,000. Showing that times may not really be changing all that munch, at least for the economy, the last time Palmerton purchased band uniforms, around 20 years ago, they cost $35,000.

We’ll be taking a closer look at the band as they prepare for a trip to Walt Disney World, following in the footsteps of a few other local schools that have made the trip in recent years.

Palmerton is making progress on an addition to its junior high school, which among other improvements, will add a cafeteria of its own for the building.

Superintendent Scot Engler said he recently walked through the site and was amazed at the progress.

“From the outside, it seems like it’s taking forever, but then you walk through it and you see the walls and the plumbing and realize that in a snap, it’s really coming together,” he said.

In Lehighton, meanwhile, the four elementary schools are working on farewell events as they prepare to close their doors in June.

Look for stories to continue to roll in on those events as they get closer.