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Et Cetera …

An inspiration to us all

Fairmont benefactor Mike Garry, who passed away recently at age 95, always seemed happy, engaging, charming.

He liked people. Loved them. He loved life. It wasn’t a chore to him, it was a privilege. His energy and perspective were inspiring. If a person did half the things Mike did and was half as nice, that would be a good person leading a good life. Mike’s life was great.

In August, Mike wrote a letter to the editor about a beautiful sunset in Fairmont. He seamlessly blended it into an observation about the shared humanity of everyone on Earth. We appreciated his writing and his wisdom. He will be missed.

Truman faces challenge

Truman residents, through a public vote, made a decision this year to abolish the city’s Public Utilities Commission. This has turned out to be problematic, at least in the immediate term.

PUC employees have not been thrilled with the change, to say the least. The utility department is now short on workers, and this has resulted in meters going unread, a problem addressed by the City Council this week.

Some rough spots were to be expected in this transition, but they need to be smoothed out. Sooner rather than later.

Welcoming everyone

We encourage those interested in getting involved in local inclusivity to attend the “casual conversation” to be held 5-6 p.m. Tuesday at Graffiti Corner in Fairmont. The concept of the event is a no-pressure gathering of locals, to get to know one another and make sure people feel comfortable living here.

Our nation’s racial and ethnic composition is always changing, but people’s universal goals of wanting to work, play and live in peace do not. We are all human and everyone deserves respect, and we should want to be a welcoming community.

Actions without answers

Fairmont’s City Council meets Monday, and there is still a lot happening in council chambers these days.

One major, ongoing problem is that the majority trio, which have initiated and implemented some rather startling actions, has not done a good job of explaining to the public what it is hoping to accomplish, and how its actions thus far are achieving those unnamed or unknown goals.

Citizens always have the opportunity to weigh in at the start of council meetings, which begin at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. We would think people would be curious to know where the city is heading, and why.

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