Opinion : Around the town

There are times that I look at the things our little town has created. I don't even notice them sometimes because I'm just used to seeing them.

We are used to our awesome play areas for our kids, courtesy of the Vinton Parks and Rec Department, the pickleball courts, parks, the splash pad and pool. There are benches, new pavilions, water fountains and I'm sure other things I'm not even thinking about. If you notice the beautifully painted garbage cans at the park, well, those are courtesy of the Vinton Guild of Fine Arts.

Speaking of the VGFA, have you noticed the ears of corn around town? If you pull up to City Hall, you might notice the butterfly on the back wall of the Sherman Building. Take a drive a few blocks down the street to the iVinton wall, and you'll find another interactive park scene mural. Now this group is busy all over town. They have a full-scale Under the Sea mural at the library and a mini Under the Sea mural at Kiwanis Park. A mini butterfly also landed in Cobb Alley. The group is working on yet another mural that will arrive soon, keep an eye out for that one!

Speaking of Cobb Alley, The Palace is taking a formerly dark alley and turning it into a class act with lighting, a bench, a mural and other features will be arriving in the alley.

And of course, we now have the new mural on the back wall of Pourville, featured in another story from this week.

Today I shared a story about a young man who saw a different area that needed some help, and that was to organize tools for the fire department. So he used his talents and created a holder for the tools.

There are all kinds of people in the area who find a need and do what they can to meet it. Sometimes it's to just brighten an area in town and sometimes someone sees a physical need and meets it.

Wesley United Methodist Church has provided tons of food, literally, to help feed those in the area. Each month, they quietly unload and organize the food and then hand it out to anyone in need. There isn't any fanfare for what they do, yet there should be.

Downtown there is the ECHO Ministries to help you if you need assistance with household items. If you need clothing, stop across from the post office at "Showers of Blessing", on Tuesdays, at 507 1st Avenue.

Then there is The Well. Located at 417 1st Ave, the building and its staff provide a bit of food and fun for kids and teenagers during the week. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

I'm not sure but it feels like there's a competition going on in town to find a need and meet it. I'm SURE there are several other areas that I have forgotten here, but PLEASE feel free to drop a comment about others in town. Tell us about more places that you see, that perhaps the rest of us have just gotten used to seeing around town. Tell us where people are doing something good, and feel free to brag on them!