Raise your hand if you love living in Parker. Don’t be afraid,
raise it up high and shake it around. If you feel silly, don’t. We all should
be very proud to live in a community as great as Parker. Sure, there might be
things here and there that you don’t like about your community, but on balance
we have all chosen a pretty great place to call home.
Very few of us were born and raised in Parker. My family and I
have called Parker home for about a decade. We have enjoyed raising our family
here and growing with the community. Each of us chose Parker for a variety of
reasons. Perhaps it was the home-town feel that Parker possesses. Maybe it was
proximity for a new job. Possibly your car broke down on Parker road and
Mainstreet and you just decided to stay. No matter what your reason is, Parker
is now your home.
I am routinely asked by local residents "How can I make
Parker better?" My answer is simple…
LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY. There are many
ways to show Parker some love. I would like to challenge all of our readers to
make an extra effort in the month of February to show the town of Parker some
good ole fashioned lovin’. Here are some suggestions:
SHOP IN PARKER – I have had many
instances where people have told me that they shop outside of Parker. Believe it
or not, I have even had people tell me they shop outside of Parker at stores
that we have here in town. When you shop in Parker a small portion of the sales
tax that is collected goes directly to your community. We have incredible parks,
recreation facilities and public servants like police and your tax dollars pay
for them.
BUY FROM LOCALLY OWNED – Many of
the businesses in Parker are owned by fellow residents. We should all go out of
our way to support locally owned businesses. When you buy from someone local,
your money not only supports a neighbor but also supports their employees. A
purchase from a local greatly benefits our community.
VOLUNTEER – Parker is home to
many great non-profit organizations that can always use a helping hand. The
Parker Task Force, The Rotary Clubs, churches and many other local organizations
are here to serve our community in various ways.
GET INVOLVED – The Town of Parker
has many boards and commissions that help run our community. When you attend
their meetings and give input your voice helps mold what the future of our
community will be. By calling Town Hall you will be able to find many ways to
get involved in Parker.
I hope that by the time you read our March issue of Search
Parker Magazine you have made many purchases from locally owned businesses,
volunteered at a Parker civic organization and attended at least one town
meeting. I will guarantee that if you show the Town of Parker a little love, she
will love you back! ◊
