As we all dealt with the loss of power and the excessive heat over the weekend, some went out of their way to make life just a little better.

I want to specifically thank the management of the Safeway supermarket in Countryside. When my wife and I went to buy ice Sunday morning, we found they had set up tables and chairs with power strips, so people could charge up their phones, iPads, etc. That was a great relief. Plus as I sat there—enjoying the electricity, the store’s air conditioning and the bottled water they also supplied for free— I got to meet and share power outage experiences with neighbors I’d never met before. It turned a tough morning into an almost pleasant one.

That was a great contribution to the community. So was the great job done by the Loudoun County Sheriff officers directing traffic at dark intersections. Hot as it was, that was a difficult assignment, but they pulled it off and kept traffic moving.

I’m sure others helped out as well, but these were two I felt merited some recognition.

Dennis M. Lyons

Potoamc Falls