Time to start waking up

Can you feel it? Spring gets closer every day, and we’ve almost got another Wyoming winter in the books.

But as spring acts as time of awakening for Mother Nature, take as a chance to open your own eyes to problems you might otherwise pass by. Our state is facing some drastic budgetary cuts, particularly with regard to our schools. That means budgets have to be cut at the local level as well, and our students are having to pay the penalties.

Sure, there’s plenty of great things happening in the school district as well. Teachers and students are winning awards and making great strides academically and athletically, but if these cuts keep happening our schools may no longer be able to maintain the quality staff and programs to keep those successes happening.

School budgetary issues are currently a big topic in the Legislature, and if you want to help make a difference contact our local representatives to let them know how important education is. We rallied tons of support for the Wyoming Pioneer Home. Let’s do the same for our school district.

If you’re not one to get involved with politics on the state level, maybe the local scene is more up your alley. It’s easy to talk down to our locally elected officials — and, truthfully, sometimes it’s warranted — but unless you’ve sat in their position you don’t get the full story of what they have to deal with.

Go ahead and throw your name in the election rings. You just might find yourself voted in to a position where you can make a difference.

Outside of politics, there are plenty other ways to get involved in addressing local issues. Many people still have water with high concentrations of total trihalomethenes (TTHM), our annual Gift of the Waters Pageant is in danger of being lost and we’ve had quite a rash of missing youth the past few months.

I know I don’t have all the answers, and fixing some of the issues will take some time and expertise beyond mine, but that first important step is waking up and facing those issues rather than turning a blind eye.