Text Box: about these ordinances.) Regardless of these accomplishments, Dunes City struggles to reach consensus. As one notorious newsmaker once lamented, “Can’t we all just get along?” The newsletter staff has sought the input of each councilor to find out how they envision our community coming together. Mayor Sheldon Meyer believes that “for our community to come together it will require more involvement and input from our citizens.” Meyer said he believes in listening to concerns “from any and all citizens of Dunes City.” He doesn’t promise that every idea will be implemented, but he encourages citizen “input and dialogue.” Meyer also believes having the council meetings televised allows anyone to “see and hear the progress that we are making.” Raise community spirit According to Councilor Susie Navetta, events like the community potluck and the Festival of the Lakes “are helping to get some spirit back into the city.” Navetta said that this year’s festival is “bigger and better than ever.” It will have more booths, more informational demonstrations, festival t-shirts, a bake sale, other food and entertainment. Text Box: Coming together... (Continued from page 1) Text Box: “For our community to come together it will require more involvement and input from our citizens.” — Sheldon Meyer DC Mayor

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Dunes City Newsletter July 2007

Cynthia and Mark Chandler won the grand prize at the Dunes City picnic in April. They decided to donate the gorgeous Rhody to Florence’s proposed senior center.

Councilor David Bellemore reminded us that Woahink and Siltcoos lakes bring more than one and a half million visitors to our community each year. These lakes also are magnets for sportsmen.

“The folks who voted last fall clearly indicated they want these treasures preserved and protected,” said Bellemore.

Find solutions

Bellemore believes that for the whole community to understand the problems and come up with cooperative solutions that everyone can live with “requires ongoing constructive conversation.”

 He said the Festival of the Lakes is a “great time to come together face-to-face with mutual respect” and have these conversations.

“Just as it takes a whole village to raise a child, it takes a whole community working together to preserve our lakes,” said Bellemore.

“Community has at its core ‘difference,’” said Councilor Richard Koehler. “Groups,” said Koehler, “find security in common ends.

We need to discuss things in open dialogue so that facts and interpretation are not so far apart.”

“The sense of community forms as circum-

stances demand,” said Koehler. “Community is citizens taking an active role for the benefit of the whole.”

“Despite differing perspectives,” said Council President Dr. Peter Howison, “more people are involved in the democratic process when we have difficult issues to address.”

Howison said that in his role as president of the Council he “can help prioritize the issues that need to be addressed” to keep our city moving towards solutions.

As chair of the community center, Howison also has “responsibility to provide an environment where staff and citizens engage one another and work together toward solutions.”

Preserve our homeland

There is one thing that every Dunes City resident has in common: our love of this beautiful place we call home.

We may disagree about what needs to be done or differ in our approach to doing it. But at our core, each of us loves our homeland and wants to preserve its beauty for our children and grandchildren.

If we can keep this truth in mind, we truly will be a community coming together.

 

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