In the past, I’ve been critical of the town’s support of Moffat County athletics. When nobody showed up for the football team’s quarterfinal playoff game against Florence in 2004, I wrote a column that may have been the nastiest I’ve written.

Now it’s my turn to give some love.

If you attended the football game Friday night or any volleyball match this fall, you may have noticed a new look. That’s because both facilities received new scoreboards this year.

So you are thinking, “Well whoop-de-doo, a new scoreboard. Couldn’t the tax payers’ money have gone to something more important like oh, books or computers or a raise for the staff.”

Hold on fiscally responsible watchdog, the scoreboards weren’t purchased from the school district. The more than $20,000 needed to replace the archaic scoreboards was raised privately from the community.

Athletics Director Jim Loug-hran recognized most of the businesses and people who made it possible at halftime of the game last night, but I would like to give a double serving of love.

Loughran said that there was $24,000 to $25,000 raised from individuals and businesses.

In addition individuals and companies volunteered time to help install the scoreboards.

This all came about last year when Mayor Dave DeRose and Loughran had a conversation about the need for scoreboards.

“The scoreboards were the top priority for us because they were more than 20 years old,” Loughran said. “We had one go out in a football game last year, and we didn’t want that to happen again. I talked to Dave about it, and he spearheaded the fundraising.”

School board member Steve Hafey also helped to find the funds and other assistance.

“There were just so many people who came forward to help,” Loughran said. “It’s kind of like ‘it takes a village’ but for us, it took a community.”

The companies who helped sponsor the new additions have their names displayed on the scoreboard. Although I had nothing directly to do with it, I’m glad to see my employer up there.

I agree with Loughran in that it takes some sacrifice and selflessness to make a community function well. But maybe a scoreboard isn’t your idea of what makes a community function well.

That’s the beauty of a nation such as America. The people who are willing to make the effort to get things done are going to get it done. In Craig, the go-getters wanted to help the district with a new scoreboard, and they did it.

Maybe we should make Go-Getter bumpers stickers for adults, as well.

In the past year, I’ve witnessed some outstanding efforts to support our youths. Just last night, the parents of the football players and Young Life offered a tailgate barbecue free for everybody. A lot of the Fraternal Organizations do some great work for the community all the time. Those are just a couple of additional positive examples I’ve seen.

The only criticism I have is that it seems as if there are about 40 or 50 people who are on all the boards and in all the organizations in Craig. They are all focused on helping the community, but there are also others who refuse to take a roll. Did you read some of the quotes in our story about helping with Katrina? Some people didn’t think the people should be helped.

My challenge is for there to be more go-getters. If you need something to rally together for I know a sports writer who could use a new house. OK, maybe that shouldn’t be the top priority, but I do appreciate the work of you who have stepped up.

Like Loughran said, “It takes a community…”

Sometimes people aren’t happy they live in the (insert negative adjective here) town of Craig.

Well I’m glad to see there are people who are out there that do something to make it better.