My husband and I moved to Gardiner in 2006 from southern Maine.

We moved here for the beauty of the town, the potential we saw and for the numerous friendly people we met.

Six years later, we are still happy with our decision. We have opened two small businesses in town, renovated an old building and are involved in Gardiner’s wonderful community. So much has been done to improve our little city during the past few years, including the beautiful waterfront park, and many exciting ideas and projects are in the pipeline.

So why am I writing, if not to complain?

Well, it’s because I want to establish the fact that many Gardiner residents are happy with their city, and grateful to those who perform the thankless job of running city government.

Is everything perfect? Of course not, there is always room for improvement. While some folks want to focus on the negative and exercise their poison pens, we choose to focus on the positive and spend our efforts actively engaged in the process.

My husband is on the Historical Preservation Commission and a member of the Design Committee. I am on the Gardiner Board of Trade and active with the Orton Community Heart & Soul project.

Let this letter serve as an open invitation to those who we so frequently hear (or read) complaining: try getting involved in a positive way instead.

There are numerous opportunities to volunteer on committees and in area organizations (like our wonderful library, the Boys & Girls Club, Gardiner Rotary, Gardiner Main Street etc.), where a person can actually make a difference.

If instead of focusing on the negative, people worked for positive change, they might just find that the results are a lot more rewarding.

Amy Rees

Gardiner