You know what time of year it is when you see the signs posted as you enter West Pittston.

If Valentine’s Day is approaching, signs for the West Pittston Fire Department’s annual rose sale sprout up all over town.

It’s a novel idea that probably doesn’t make local floral shops happy but, for the firefighters in West Pittston, it’s money that helps keep the department alive.

According to Ron Foy, WPFD treasurer, outside of the annual mailer that goes to West Pittston residents and businesses, the rose sale is the second largest fundraiser for the borough.

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“We get a great response,” Foy said. “People actually come looking for us.”

And why not? You get two-dozen pastel roses for $25 or one dozen red roses for $30. For most men looking to buy their sweetheart a Valentine’s gift, it’s a pretty easy sale.

After 12 or 13 years (Foy isn’t sure of the exact amount of years), everyone knows the tent is located at Driscoll’s Hardware parking lot off Wyoming Avenue across from Gerrity’s in West Pittston.

The big tent is set up a few days earlier and tables are lined up with dozens and dozens of bouquets. Over 1,000 dozens are selected each year by patrons. If you get there early, you get the pick of the litter. That’s right, you get to choose your own flowers to whatever taste your loved one enjoys.

You don’t have to buy by the dozens, either. According to Foy, there are other combinations available and you can even purchase baby’s breath to add a little flair to your bouquet.

After your purchase, firefighter volunteers wrap your flowers to present to your honey.

It’s a win-win. The fire department makes money and you end up looking like a champ to your wife, girlfriend or that special person in your life.

You can make your purchase from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, 13 and 14 or until the flowers are gone.

Valentine’s Day memories

Valentine’s Day conjures up such wonderful memories of childhood, grade school to be exact, when your teacher would decorate the room with both Valentine hearts, cupids and red all over the room, but still have the silhouette heads of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on the walls.

I’m not sure how you did it in your school but, during my elementary school days, the teacher would have the students decorate a small brown paper bag with our names on it and some kind of Valentine theme.

Some teachers had a craft project where we made mailboxes for our Valentines.

On Valentine’s Day, you would bring in the Valentine cards you painstakingly picked out at the store a few days earlier after bugging your mom and dad that you had to buy them for school.

The Valentine’s cards were not cards, but tiny little, one-sided Valentines that you wrote to a classmate and signed.

When it was time, each student would go up to the chalk holder where the teacher had taped the bags and place the Valentine in its designated spot.

If you had 25 children in your class, you would go home with 24 Valentines, excluding yourself, of course.

Two things come to mind. You always saved the nicest and best card for that special someone in your class and the second thing is, you couldn’t wait to go home and see if you found a card from your crush.

Even in elementary school, I felt nervous about letting know that I liked a girl in the class. It was a pressure-filled day to say the least. Just knowing someone liked you was a pretty cool feeling and it would be 10 times better if it were someone you liked, as well.

Teachers always made the day special for us. One year, I recall our teacher making cupcakes with pink icing for a snack.

Speaking of teachers, they have such an impact on early development that, even as you go through life, you can remember the smallest details from elementary school.

As Sidney Hook said, “Everyone remembers his own education, remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.”

Can you remember Valentine’s Day in elementary school?

Valentine history

We know we celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, but why do we? After all, shouldn’t every day be Valentine’s Day with our significant others?

Valentine’s Day is also known as St. Valentine’s Day or the Feast of St. Valentine. The day is actually a Christian feast day celebrating two saints named Valentinus: St. Valentine of Rome and St. Valentine of Terni.

It’s a day celebrating romance and love in many areas all over the world.

Valentinus was a priest from Rome who ministered persecuted Christians. He was martyred and buried in a cemetery on Feb. 14, 269.

Every Feb. 14 since 496 A.D. has been observed as the Feast of St. Valentine.

Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches recognizes St. Valentine on Feb. 14 while the Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes St. Valentine on July 6 and July 30.

Quote of the week

“To me, music is an extension of my expressivity, the amplification of my language. The score is predetermined, but I am the interpreter. It is like acting – like the work of an actress who follows a script.” – Olga Scheps, German-Russian pianist

Thought of the week

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he gives up.” – John Burroughs, American author

Bumper sticker

“Joy is the feeling grinning on the inside.” – Melba Colgrove, Ph.D, American author

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My Corner,

Your Corner

Tony Callaio

Reach the Sunday Dispatch newsroom at 570-655-1418 or by email at sd@psdispatch.com.