In the past week we’ve celebrated Presidents Day where we honor the legacy of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and all the other men who have helped lead our great nation. We also heard the State of the Union address in which President Barack Obama outlined his goals for the coming year. I thought this would be an appropriate time to share some thoughts about citizen involvement in government, especially our local government.
Every year or two we elect people to serve as our city and county commissioners and our township trustees and officers. It’s tempting to think that, once we have those people in place, they will make sure our county and city and townships are run efficiently and in the best interest of the citizens. In fact, there are a multitude of boards and commissions that research issues, gather public input, and provide in-depth advice on topics to the county or the city commissions so they can make well-informed decisions about those issues. Many of these boards and commissions are made up of citizen volunteers – people who care about their county or city and are willing to invest their time and talent to creating a better government for all of us.
Within the cities of Sturgis and Three Rivers there are a number of boards that deal with the parks, airports, cemeteries, the auditorium and Doyle Center in Sturgis, the Library in Three Rivers and many other issues. In both cities, you can contact the City Clerk to learn which boards currently need members and to get an application for board membership. The phone number for Three Rivers City clerk is 269-273-1075 ex. 105. The phone number for the Sturgis City Clerk is 269-659-7229. The County also has boards that include citizen members and you can get information about those from the County Administrator’s office at 269-467-5617. In future columns I will be sharing more information about how you can get involved to help make your town or township a great place to live.
On Saturday, February 23, Community Action will be holding the annual Walk for Warmth which raises funds to help disadvantaged people pay their heating bills. Volunteers are encouraged to come and participate even if you didn’t pre-register. The walk starts at the Three Rivers Community Center at 103 S. Douglas St. Registration begins at 9 am. There will be some opening ceremonies around 9:30 am and the one-mile walk will start around 10 am. You can print a pledge sheet from Community Action’s website at www.caascm.org but, again, if the day dawns bright and nice, just come down to walk and to help however you can. The goal for this year’s walk is $8000 and all will be spent in St. Joseph County to help people here.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to help with their annual Frog and Toad Survey to be held this spring. The purpose of the survey is to document the abundance and distribution of these amphibians in local wetlands. For more information contact Lori Sargent at 517-373-9418.
Other programs in St. Joseph County that are looking for volunteers and would like to be included in this weekly column are encouraged to register with United Way. Contact Margaret Shultz, Volunteer Services Specialist, at 269-467-9099 or at volunteer.sjcuw@gmail.com.