There are a lot of negative issues just driving down the roads in any town. Closed shops, homeless on the streets, trash everywhere.
I was looking at the river access around Centralia for a place to put in my canoe when I found that Schafer Park was closed. Something about care and funding.
At the gate I saw activity in the park and some cars in the park, and so I decided I would check out the river anyway, only to find a group of boys, well, men, actively cleaning up the park. They already had a truckload of garbage loaded up. I talked to them and they said they just decided to spend some time working in the community. These men were between 20 and 30 and using their own time and money to haul off this garbage.
I was impressed. I asked and got permission to get a few pictures and the boys said to expect more. They plan on doing things around town to make it a better community and hope to find a spot for things like a community garden and helping out with lawns for people who were having trouble keeping up.
It lifted my spirits and I am hoping that hearing about them will lift the spirits of others. There is a good side to our small community that may go unseen but exists.
Jolene Woodruff
Centralia
