By Khalida Sarwari
Ever felt so much love you were overcome by a desire to shout it out to the world? With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, that feeling may be impossible to hold back, especially for lovers.
And who isn’t a lover on Valentine’s Day? It’s the one day of the year that promotes the expression of love to just about anyone or anything–a husband, a wife, a child, a dog … or even a favorite type of cookie.
As in years past, the Saratoga Village Development Council will collect “Love Notes” from people in the community to display on the windows of businesses in the Village. Many of the notes will come from schoolchildren in the city, particularly those from Foothill Elementary, Sacred Heart Parish, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Argonaut Elementary, as well as preschools and local scout groups.
“I want the kids in schools to love their community,” said Jill Hunter, Saratoga’s new mayor and head of the Saratoga Village Development Council.
The object of affection can be up to the note-writer. It can be addressed to just about anybody–or anything. The mayor said she usually dedicates her notes to her grandchildren and finds that the best part is having them go around the Village looking for the notes. It’s like a scavenger hunt for children and adults alike.
Lisa Gilligan, a parent of two and member of Saratoga Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Association board and school climate committee, has assisted Hunter with the project over the past few years in an effort to get the school more involved in the community.
Last year, about 80 children wrote notes as part of the school’s first year of involvement in the project, including her daughter, Casey, and son, Ryan. This year, the goal is to get more kids involved, she said. The notes are easy to write and “gives them time to reflect on what they are thankful for.”
“It brings that feeling of thankfulness to the forefront more often than just during Thanksgiving,” she said. “You go away thinking, ‘Wow, how fortunate we are and what a great community we live in for so many reasons.’ ”
But, while kids tend to be the focus of the project, the council is seeking submissions from anyone in the community–or even outside it. The point, Hunter said, is to declare your love to the world and come down to the Village to read the notes.
The collection period will run Feb. 1-14, after which the notes will be posted on the windows of Village stores and restaurants and inside the Saratoga City Hall.
The project, now in its fourth year, initially began as a way to honor Susie Nagpal, a councilwoman and a “dear friend” of Hunter’s who died of lung cancer in May 2010.
“We initiated this project in her honor when she was sick,” said Hunter. “We put love notes to Susie all over the Village. Her husband was able to bring her down so she could read them and then we gave them to her.”
Beginning Feb. 1, notes can be dropped off at the following locations: USA Nails, Little Amsterdam, Agnes Women’s Boutique, Skin Prophecy, Big Basin Cafe, Coffee Grounds, Blue Rock Shoot, The Echo Shop, Yolatea, The Barn Owl, Pawsh Pet, The Fat Robin, Bank of America and
Saratoga Eyes.
For more information about the Saratoga Village Development Council, visit saratogavillage.info.
