Sometimes. The answer to this song lyric by Huey Lewis and the News depends on the changes made. Certainly, Forks is looking toward positive change with growing tourism, advancing the education and recreation opportunities for our children, and complementing the beautiful scenery with the relationships that make this a nice place to live.

In less than twenty-four hours this week, I heard one prayer group voice concern over the continuing saga of Twilight and another prayer group share excitement for the visitors and fun events. Both spoke of the need for more tourism and centers to benefit the community. Making Forks an artist colony as well as creating a clean and sober house for local rehabilitation topped their lists.

Me, I vote for doing whatever it takes to stop drug abuse in this community. How many people would come here to see the first city in America to wipe out dangerous drugs?

A smart man learns from his own mistakes while a wise man learns from others, said Otto von Bismarck, founder of the German empire. We can definitely learn from other places about effecting important change in the problem of drug abuse and take it to a whole new level.

Community change is a topic that came up on a website dedicated to preventing drug abuse (preventmedabuse.org). They said there is no silver bullet or one single strategy to prevent teen drug use or misuse. No one program can eliminate drug abuse in this or any other community. Changing specific behaviors takes many coordinated tactics. Most importantly it takes dedicated people, those who care enough about the town and townspeople to take this seriously and do several somethings because only one is not enough. Let’s find some things to do.

Janet Schade

Forks