Yes, you, too, can make a difference. What’s more, it doesn’t take much.
 It is easy to sit back and gripe and complain about problems in our community. These problems fester and get perpetuated through coffee conversations, and those with the complaint get angrier and angrier.
Stop, take a deep breath and relax.
Sure, there are those who enjoy being negative and in a constant state of heightened ire. Why? Who knows.
But, most don’t like wallowing in frustration. They may just not know what to do.
The answer may be a simple one. 
Here are some examples that have come about recently.
First, an actuator (the button on a stoplight pole that a pedestrian presses to make the lights change) was found by a Great Bend woman to be out of order. Being a mother, this irked her and she complained to her friends for months.
Then, she got the idea to call the city. One call and two hours later, the problem was solved.
What’s more, the city officials were glad to be made aware of the situation. With so much on their plates, they can’t be everywhere at once.
Second, the Tribune had received some complaints about a rural cemetery where the weeds had gotten out of hand. One call from the Tribune to those who control such matters was all it took. They didn’t realize the cemetery hadn’t been mowed.
Third, the Tribune published several of the Barton County Fair winning recipes. One of the paper’s readers called and made the staff aware that one of the recipes was missing a key ingredient – sugar. The paper contacted those who supplied the information and this led to the publication of the corrected version.
See the common thread? Just call.
Most of the time, that’s all it takes to make a difference.
Dale Hogg