A Community of Support

The following is a repost of a blog from June 3, 2009:

Often times, people think of a community as the area where they live, but Webster defines a community as “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society.” So a community is the people, not the location. It is the people who coexist with one another and interact on an everyday basis. It is not the place where the interaction occurs. But what makes a good community? Shared values and reaching common goals while still incorporating diversity. People can live together and not be a community if they do not share the same interests and values. But there is no need for clones, either. Everyone, and every family, is different, but they need to be working towards the same, common goal. And what makes a good community better? The answer- communication. There is no progress without communication. And this is not only true on the neighbor to neighbor level. It also needs to be true for the government to public level. Residents need to feel comfortable bringing concerns to their local governing boards, but that also need to feel like their leaders are listening and share the same concerns. We hear a lot about shopping locally, which helps to support local businesses- large and small alike. This in turn helps the local economy. But we need to show the same kind of support for our local governments. Our towns and county government work hard to support the areas in which they live. We need to show them that they have our support. No, this is done by paying taxes. Yes, paying taxes helps to support the functions of the towns, but it does not support the actions of our leaders. They need to see that people care about the work they do. Each town within the county, as well as our county leaders, meet on a monthly basis. During these meetings, decisions are made that effect our daily lives. Yes, there are concerns that residents have that are not always discussed during these meetings, and it is necessary for these residents to voice their concerns. Often times one of the best places to do that is at these meetings. But that need not be the only reason for attending a meeting. As a newspaper, it is our job to inform the public of what is taking place in the area, and we pride ourselves on being local- on presenting the people of the community with the topics that most influence their lives. But that is not to say that you need not attend the meeting even though we will present the information to you. One reporter writing what occurs does not take the place of a community of people showing their support. So I encourage everyone to check with their local town or city halls and find out when the meetings take place. Then attend the meetings. Show your support. You’ll be amazed at how much of an impact you can have on your local leaders and how much you’ll learn.