By DAVID N. DUNKLE
Public opinion Staff writer

What's so great about living in the Cumberland Valley?

Is it the beautiful scenery, with bright green farm fields shining against a sunlit backdrop of umber mountains and azure skies?

Is it the people, rock-solid, friendly and always willing to help a neighbor?

Or is it the feeling you get as the seasons roll past and spring returns, that this is a place where you can put down roots, raise a family and grow old in peace? It's a place that seeps into your soul.

Kimberly Bender of Fort Loudon, a Public Opinion reader who contributed an essay to this year's magazine, said it as well as anyone could. She wrote: "Fort Loudon's mountains are beautiful, feeling like my own personal security blanket. There is always plenty of wildlife to enjoy, especially deer and turkey, plus a few species to get your adrenalin flowing, like copperheads and rattlesnakes.

"Fort Loudon had been, is now, and always will be home to me."

Pam's essay is just one of many we received from readers. You'll find them sprinkled through the Municipalities section. While they were all about different towns and family histories, there was a common thread: All were written by people who love the place where they live.

You hear the complaint from time to time that "there's nothing to do here," but I wonder how many people in culture-rich New York City would write an essay titled "Why I love living in this roach-infested, third-floor walkup for $1,200 a month."

The truth is, there is plenty to do here. Check out the Culture section, which contains page after page of arts and crafts groups, theaters, singing groups, bands, fairs, festivals, libraries and nightclubs. Whether your tastes run to the classical or the popular, chances are you'll find what you like somewhere in the valley.

The purpose of this annual magazine is to give our readers a handy reference guide to darn near everything in the Cumberland Valley. It's all here: schools, restaurants, fire departments, parks, golf courses, social groups, hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, churches, government offices, job services, major employers, polling places, day trips, utilities and basic services, meeting times and places, sports teams and health clubs.

The entire Public Opinion news staff contributes to this effort. Keep this magazine during the coming year, and refer to it when you need help.

This year's Living in the Valley is bigger than ever. Ifs 12 pages larger than last year, needed to accommodate information about our growing valley.

We try to be comprehensive in gathering and sharing this information, but we are not perfect. If you see an error or an omission, please let us know. We'll be back with a new version of Living in the Valley next year, and we welcome your help in making it as complete as possible.

Have a great year, and the next time you are watching the sun set over the valley in a melange of orange, red and yellow, ask yourself whether this might not just be a pretty fine place to call home.