FeedsA demonstrated sense of community pride
From Inkster to Wayne to Plymouth, there are plenty of things going on this weekend.
In Inkster, the Summer Jazz Festival will be in full swing. In Wayne, Westland and points beyond, hundreds of classic cars will take part in the Michigan Avenue Cruise. In Plymouth, Art in the Park, the second largest art fair in the state, will bring thousands to town.
At a time when more and more of us are opting for ‘staycations’ instead of vacations, events like these are even more important to families looking for fun without spending a lot of money.
That means the people behind them are even more important, too.
We urge everyone to check out what is going on in their respective community and to take another minute to find an information booth, volunteer or organizer and thank them for what they’re doing for the community.
It’s not an easy job, no matter how popular the event is, or how long it’s been going on. It requires a lot of effort, a lot of patience and a lot of grace under pressure.
So to the members of the festival commission in Inkster, to Don Nicholson, organizer of the Michigan Avenue Cruise, to Dianne Quinn and Raychel Rork, who put together the Art in the Park, to Ken Mehl and the committee in Westland who organized the summer festival last weekend, we offer you a hearty thank you.
We appreciate Fred Hill, too, who leads the early morning 4th of July parade that put Plymouth in the national spotlight and Shari Peters and her volunteers who organize the Fourth of July Parade sponsored by the Northville Community Foundation.
This also gives us the opportunity for a belated thank you to Ron Edwards, the treasurer in Plymouth Township. Edwards spearheaded a community effort to fund the fireworks display that took place in Plymouth Township last weekend. Like Westland, it is one of the last surviving shows in the area and it probably wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the community fundraising effort. Thanks again, Mr. Edwards.
Anyone who has paid attention to the news lately understands that most communities are in the same boat. They’re looking to do more with less. They’re looking at cutbacks. Events like these are often the first things on the chopping block, so the importance of the community-minded people behind them can’t be overlooked, nor can the sense of community pride and involvement they imbue throughout the area.
Keep up the good work, everyone.
