The Town of St. Paul and the St. Paul and District Chamber of Commerce are asking if more names deserve to be on the two welcome signs on the east and west end of town. It’s a good question, for the criteria currently set – that of being a world champion – is an extremely narrow one for which few qualify.
While sports figures such as Jamie Sadlowski and Marcel Rocque – who currently grace the signs – bring distinction to their community, they are not the only ones who do so.
St. Paul is home to talented artists and musicians, such as Herman Poulin and Calvin Vollrath. St. Paul is home to people that go above and beyond volunteering for causes dear to their heart, like Corinne Lotoski, who received a Volunteer of the Year award this past weekend for her work in fundraising for MS.
St. Paul is home to everyday heroes, who, when they hear of someone such as the Boscombe family that lost their home in a fire, come out with donations and a hand to support people in need.
Rather than singling out any individuals, in keeping with the Town of St. Paul’s motto of “A People Kind of Place,” there are a few possibilities readers have suggested to broaden the criteria – by recognizing different people each month or by expanding the signs to say all the different things that distinguish St. Paul as a great place, for volunteerism, for music, for arts, for sports, etc.
While the signs’ aim to recognize greatness is laudable, one has to ask, “What defines greatness?” It is not always by an international award or title, or by fame, but character, hard work, talent, dedication and strength of spirit.
