Play active role

Another new year has rolled around—and so have the annual lists of New Year’s resolutions people invariably make when the calendar flips over to a fresh start.
There are the common ones, of course: quitting smoking, losing weight, cutting back on alcohol consumption, and exercising more. But while most genuinely try to keep their resolutions, most (if not all) will fall by the wayside before the month is out.
These personal resolutions, though noble, often are fleeting. To have one last longer, and make a much bigger impact, why not resolve to be a more engaged citizen in the coming year?
One doesn’t have to look very far to see how one person can make a difference. Just this past year, wanting to help ease the human suffering in a war-torn region, Kathy Mueller took the initiative to raise money to sponsor a refugee family. When all was said and done, the “Families for Families” campaign far exceeded its initial $35,000 goal—topping $60,000 to bring in a family of six instead of five, with possibly enough left over to sponsor a second family.
Long-time airport booster Bruce Caldwell spearheaded the effort to organize a return visit of the “Snowbirds” this past June while 2015 Citizen of the Year Larry Patrick was the driving force behind bringing the Stanley Cup to Fort Frances in August in conjunction with “Duncan Keith Day.”
And the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame came to fruition this past summer because the trio of Terry Ogden, Dave Egan, and Mr. Patrick took it upon themselves to get the ball rolling.
Being an engaged citizen certainly doesn’t mean having to undertake major accomplishments like these. It can mean sitting on a town committee or attending a meeting, whether it’s on the 2016 town budget or the upcoming market square development on the old Rainy Lake Hotel site.
It can mean making a presentation to council. Starting or signing a petition. Writing a letter to the editor or commenting on a news story on Facebook.
It can be as simple as attending and supporting community events to ensure they continue for years to come.
Whatever the form, resolve to play a more active role in your community. Don’t leave it to the same few to get things done or raise an issue.
A community, after all, only is as vibrant as its people.