The Pinehurst Village Council made a wise choice Thursday by appointing council veteran Virginia “Ginsey” Fallon as the late George Lane’s successor.

Fallon is eminently qualified for the position — she has served on the council for 17 years and was mayor from 1997 to 1999. A close friend of Lane’s, she is very familiar with his vision for the village, and should be able to build on his strong leadership. Her kind and caring personality is an asset to Pinehurst residents and will go a long way in (we hope) repairing relations with the county, which the council has identified as a priority.

Despite the shock and sadness caused by Lane’s death, this transition has been virtually seamless. All credit must go to the council for its strength and composure during this difficult time. It put the best interest of the village first, which is not unexpected from this group.

Councilman Doug Lapins deserves special praise for selflessly withdrawing his own interest in becoming mayor and supporting Fallon. This allowed the council to avoid a potentially controversial and divisive episode — the absolute last thing it needed right now.

The council now must find a fifth member. Its members will move quickly to do so, because the residents deserve a full contingent of representatives. We hope that the new member, whoever he or she is, has an ethos that complements that of the current members.

While George Lane will never be replaced, we can be sure that he would be proud of Fallon and the manner in which the council conducted the selection process. He often said that he wanted to bring the village together. We expect Fallon to capitalize on that desire.

Best wishes, Madame Mayor.