Hope springs eternal; the hopeful are wise to bring hammers and nails

Above: Prattsville depicted in the days of Zadock Pratt on an 1844 postcard, when Pratt's tannery was the biggest business in town. From Wikimedia Commons.

Thanks to Irene, the picture the country has of Prattsville in its collective consciousness is, most likely, of Anastasia Rikard's yellow house leaning precariously to one side on the cover of the New York Times. Or perhaps it's of the Great American supermarket, roof folded in with shin-high mud thick on the floor. Perhaps it's the Reformed Church, with pews and piano herded to one side by the rush of the floodwater.

But that's not the picture the people trying to rebuild their homes in the historic village want the world to envision when they think of their hard-hit town.  Because it's a town moving forward, not one that is stuck in time. A more relevant visual: the Great American, rebuilt, a green banner hanging on its side that reads: REBUILD PRATTSVILLE: One neighbor at a time.

This Saturday, the Prattsville Housing Committee has organized a Housing Expo and Home Improvement Show at the firehouse in Prattsville. It looks to be as much about the community as about the building, with food, door prizes and vendor giveaways planned. The show, according to organizers, is not just for Prattsville residents, but anyone in the area that may like to come and have a look at what's new and available. Admission is free, and the event will run from 10 am - 6 pm. For more information, see the listing in our calendar. -- Andrea Girolamo