Day 3 - Today I am Thankful For My Community

So many things go on behind the scenes, and often in plain sight, to keep a community going.  You may see the trash trucks going around, maybe even are annoyed if they come early enough to wake you up.  Your mail appears day after day, you turn on the faucet and there is clean water, the waste water all goes off to be treated and sent safely back into the environment.  You have streets and maybe sidewalks to use, there are traffic signals so you can be safer on the road, there are public buildings (like your library!) that you can use, and if you have an emergency, you know you can count on help from firefighters, police officers and/or ambulance crews.
There are legions of people, some visible, some not so visible that make all these things we take for granted possible.  I am very grateful to all those who work so hard so that the rest of us can have a pleasant community to live in.
Equally important are the  people who keep the whole thing running by being responsible to make the decisions on how tax dollars are spent, by voting on behalf of us to determine the best way to keep the community going.  These people are our elected officials, and in some cases, government employees.  We often forget about our city council members, our mayor, our state representatives, even our federal representatives when elections are over.  (Or unless something happens that makes us angry)  I try to let my elected officials know that I appreciate the job they are doing.  Especially our Mayor, Council, and City manager here in Moore.  They have done a LOT for this community in the last few years.
So for today, let me say thanks to a few of them I know: 
From our City Council:  Kathy McMillan,  our city manager, Steve Eddy, Our Mayor Glen Lewis, Our Building Maintenance folks:  Greg, Mark and Callie.  Our sanitation workers- We seem to have a different crew all the time lately, but they all do a good job.
From our police department:  Ted, Jerry, and Daniel. 
Thanks to our postal carriers, both the regular route person out here, and our library route person.
 Thanks to the firefighters- guys, we will miss having you hang out next door at the community center now that they are building you your own gym...
Thanks to all the city crews who keep the sewers running, the water flowing, and the traffic signals working.  Thanks to the road crews who keep an eye on street problems.
And thanks to all the store clerks, newspaper carriers, UPS and FedEx drivers who contribute to the working of the community.
I feel very fortunate to live in a major metropolitan area that still feels like a small town.  This is due in part to the professionalism and attention to detail of our city government and its employees.   It is also due to the overall kindness and good nature of most folks around here. 

If you see me out around town, and think I look familiar, smile and say hi, you've probably seen me in the library!