I wonder how many readers saw Bob Padecky’s Press Democrat article (3-11-13): “Petaluma steps up to the plate for a fallen son?” This blog won’t repeat his story about how a “village” (Petaluma) responded to a community need; but, I do want to highlight how countless hours of volunteer time over a two month period, obtained the funds and donated materials needed to honor the memory of one of its children who lost his life due to an accident with scholarships, as well as a scoreboard for one of its athletic fields.

Pedecky’s articles emphasizes the connections that exist in Small Town America and how concerned neighbors can come together and raise money in order to “do something to make sure that a child does not pass into the ether of time, becoming an empty shell of a memory.