I noticed a group of young women and girls cleaning out a flowerbed along the south side of the city building Monday evening as I headed home from the food store. I think they might have been Girl Scouts and their leaders, but it was dark enough that I couldn’t see for sure.

Whoever they might have been, good for them. A week or so ago I asked for some help for the Partners of Peabody Parks group, a group of volunteers who commit to helping keep Peabody’s green public areas watered, trimmed, mulched, and generally cared for during the summer.

I hope the group of gals I saw Monday were pulling weeds at the flowerbed as a prelude to keeping it flowering and attractive all summer long. If you see them out there working, be sure to stop and tell them thank you. Volunteers tend to be involved with volunteering because that is a big part of how they roll. However, it behooves the rest of us to let them know we appreciate what they are doing.

There are other areas in the community in need of the same tender loving care, and N.M. and Norma Patton are the folks to contact if you would like to help.

Another thing you should put on your to-do list is a reminder to go to the polls and vote April 7.

The Peabody-Burns school district has four candidates for four seats opening up for the coming school year. Without a write-in candidate, there is not much chance that the four people running will not take their places on the board. However, you still should vote.

Competition for city positions is a little different. The mayoral race has two candidates, and three council seats are being sought by five candidates.

The community-wide garage sale will take place the first Saturday in May, followed by cleanup week. Hopefully Peabody will have lots of sales listed on our map of sales and will draw bargain hunters from around the area.

Cleanup week is a great time to get rid of accumulations of things you no longer need and couldn’t sell. The city and Waste Connections partner twice a year to provide this service. Join in and enjoy a clean garage, a shed able to actually house your garden supplies, or a closet you can fill with new clothes. Watch for notices in your water bill and in this newspaper.

There you go – things you can do for our parks, our schools and city, and yourself. Make a plan to move forward. I bet it will make you smile.

— SUSAN MARSHALL