We trust 2021 will be a year of promise and hope in our community. Our time of trial will yet continue a few months longer, but each step we take to recovery (COVID inoculations, measured social gatherings, and long delayed community celebrations) are the “light” yet too far at the end of the tunnel.

We had a productive meeting with Grimes County Commissioner Chad Mallett last Monday morning at the Bedias Pit Stop Cafe regarding DH neighborhood roadway issues in Grimes County.

We knowledgement and Release” form mentioned in our Facebook posts a few days ago. Commissioner Mallett emphasized that the release would have no effect unless the county actually takes over the roadways in a given neighborhood and that it is solely intended to safeguard the county with regard to the proposed work and is required for the county to establish a road district to begin the process.

We talked about the timeline for approval of the work by each DH neighborhood landowner group; we are looking at about a two-year process from approval by the county and landowners to actual road construction. This will include each landowner’s driveway approach and neces-sary culverts and drainage ditches.

We will make wide use of social media and anticipate neighborhood meetings to take place for question-and-answer sessions when it is safe to do so and that estimated costs to individual property owners will be made available as the process advances with direct mailings of all pertinent information and releases to each DH landowner as the project develops.

Please share your questions and concerns and offer your support as we move onto each phase of the proposed project on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FixOurDarrellHallRoad and with Commissioner Mallen at Chad.Mallett@grimescountytexas.gov.

It is likely that many Bedias events and gatherings will still be disrupted into the new year. Please watch for postings and notices on the Bedias community bulletin board at the Bedias Civic Center and at the Bedias Post Office.

The Bedias Museum and Library expects to remain closed for a while longer due to COVID-19 concerns, but Mackie reminds us that free children’s and adult books continue to be available on the front porch of the library at any time. Want to know more about our wonderful library programs? Please go to the library page, www.facebook.com/BediasLibrary or www.facebook.co m/ BediasLibrary Home and please consider becoming a library volunteer and a financial supporter.

Want to know more about the Bedias Civic Club, Bedias Women’s Club, and other civic organizations active in the Bedias area? Please visit the Bedias Civic Club page, www.facebook.com/BediasCivicClubAssoc, visit the Bedias Women’s Club web site, BediasWomensClub.com; visit our Civic Center Events and Activities page, www.facebook. com/BediasCivicCenter, or visit our Bedias News page, www.facebook.com/BediasNews, and please share your thoughts and suggestions. Another useful tool is the bi-monthly Bedias Community Newsletter (the current issue is December/January), which goes to every postal address in the Bedias zip code, for more information contact Mackie Bobo-White, mackiebobo44@gmail. com.

Do you have a community or church event you would like included in our weekly column? We would love to share your news with our readers.

Happy birthday to Laura Collins, Sharon Haefy, Daniel Reider, Betty Jean King and Mike Hance. Happy anniversary to Larry and Jennifer Figley and Roy and Melissa Willis. Congratulations to everyone else celebrating personal and family occasions. Drop us a note if you want to add someone to our birthday, anniversary, or concerns list.

Please take care when driving near our schools and in sharing the road with school busses, and in road construction and repair areas. Please uphold our brave law enforcement officers, volunteer fire fighters and other first responders. Please remember Barbara LaMere, Karen Shiver, Mackie Bobo-White, Peggy Harrison, Joe and Betty Williamson, MaeDell Younts, Gene Stapleton, Philip Upchurch, Richard Taylor, Lew Gears, George Newton, and Aidan Fedor in your hearts and prayers.

Send news to Editor-BUMCNL@msn.corn, and please follow us at www.facebook.com/BediasNews.