A Community Of Continuity

One thing about living in a close-knit community is that its members gather to support each other.

We've noticed at the Digest how much people are beginning to take ownership of our community paper. Boundary County Commissioner, Ron Smith, supports the Badger Boosters not because he feels it will make him look better as a commissioner, but because he believes in our children and our sports programs. Similarly, members of this community take part in their locally owned and operated newspaper. They come to the office to bring news and events, call with ideas they'd like to see us cover and even submit articles and information. Advertisers advertise not because they need to, but because they want to show their support for a newspaper they believe in.

Many people in this county (and beyond its bounds) tell us that we have created a community newspaper that our people need, want and of which we can all be proud. We strive to cover the "feel good" qualities about our community, talk about the people and businesses that make this community great. We express an interest in community events. We avoid the doom and gloom of the outside world, and strive to produce a paper parents can feel safe leaving around their homes or something kids can read at school.

Of course there are the stories of tragedy where our community pulls together to help those less fortunate. People gather to attend events like the County Fair and the Farmers Market as Lon described a couple weeks ago. Community members donate to annual fundraisers to build a foundation for community-based organizations working toward a better cause.

However, there are other ways of being a community, which Boundary County has mastered as well. Ways that enhance the cohesiveness and stability that are often not thought of.

In Boundary County, we have diverse groups that gather for collaborative community efforts. For example, the Phoenix Project holds functions each month to allow a safe place for our teenagers to get together for an evening of connectedness and fun. The Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative gathers monthly, allowing multiple agencies to work together in an unprecedented effort with the county, city and tribe to coordinate community involvement in natural resource issues. The Boundary County Coalition of Families ensures non-duplication of efforts and provides networking opportunities for social services in the county. The Health and Wellness Committee is a similar effort of diverse agencies coordinating efforts on issues pertaining to health throughout the county. This short list isn't by any means the only groups in our county that make an impact on our community, but they are groups that we have that other communities don't have.

At the Digest, we are committed to our community. We will continue to support and take ownership of our community the way the community has taken ownership in our newspaper.