Community pride on display

Community pride shows itself in a variety of ways.

The places where we work and live are good indicators.

Our activities and how we choose to spend our time are others.

Our towns often show their community pride in their schools and their athletic teams.

It's also demonstrated by volunteer efforts like the various parks and events hosted by civic and community clubs, churches and the chambers of commerce.

While it is true that community pride can be found in all these areas and more, it's also nice to see that pride manifest itself in our public buildings and in our own neighborhoods.

City halls, courthouses, schools, libraries, and more all reflect our commitment and our attitudes. It's important that our citizens who live here and those who visit us see the care that many of these buildings elicit.

As our public entities, elected officials, and non-profit organizations grapple every year to maintain funding and avoid the t word, let's not forget that "extra" services like janitorial and maintenance are key components of just what we present to others and what we say about ourselves.

While it's important to remember the people aspect in the budgeting process, it's also important to remember that how we take care of our public structures influences our perceptions and attitudes.

That approach is also true in our neighborhoods. Trash, litter, and an overgrown yard also say a lot about us and our town.

Towns must grapple with ways to combat such eyesores. Fortunately, citizen cleanups, focusing on those who aren't able or can't afford to help themselves, have a positive impact.

It takes all of us to make a difference in showing an appreciation and a care of what we have.

By doing so, we put our community pride on display for all to see, not only for our visitors, but also for ourselves.