Editorial June 8, 1992 Issue

Active love in our communities

Russ Gerber

The middle-school principal set aside time in her busy schedule to explain some of her concerns. Not surprisingly, they centered on education. She wanted to see schools do more to empower children to think things through for themselves, to help kids not to be so easily swayed by their friends' opinions or choices. And she had already seen some marked success in a couple of projects she had initiated at the school.

The day before, a local newspaper editor had spoken of her concern that her town was becoming a "bedroom community." People would get up in the morning, drive fifteen miles to work in the nearby city, come home in the evening and shut the door. She said it was as if the town were becoming a hotel! But as a lifelong resident she wanted to offer something that might be helpful, and not just walk away from the problem. She decided to write a series of articles about the town's history, and about some of its other active, lifelong residents who had contributed so much to the town.

These people, and others like them, care a great deal about their community. They're not going it alone, either, in trying to find meaningful ways to address the challenges being faced by many cities and towns.

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