Letter to the Editor

The Beautiful Places
When we first moved to Marshfield, I noticed that names were everywhere; donor names could be found in most public spaces. To be honest, I wondered why people wanted public recognition for giving money. My perspective changed after more than two years on the City Council. As we grapple with dreams that exceed city budgets, it’s become obvious that Marshfield is only Marshfield because regular people give generously to public projects.
Functional cities need all sorts of services- roads, public safety, communication, building inspections, election oversight, and utilities, to name a few. But the part of cities we enjoy, the parts we are most proud of, are the beautiful places. It’s like my home, I don’t think much about the wiring and plumbing (unless there’s a problem), but I spend time and money on my garden. In Marshfield, the beautiful places, the places we show our visitors, are the zoo, parks, playgrounds, pool, trails, library, YMCA and Wenzel plaza. These are places that promote physical and mental health. These are the places that make Marshfield a livable city.
Our location forces us to be self-sufficient. We’ve developed a “gosh darn it, we’d better do it ourselves because no one will do it for us,” type of culture. Whether the gifts are big or small, whether from an individual or business, seeing names tells us that Marshfield is their home. It’s like we are planting a flag saying, “this is my community and I will make it good.”
Now I look at these names with gratitude. To all who have donated to Marshfield public projects, thank you for investing in places where community is built, health is encouraged and joy is fostered.
Natasha Tompkins
District 3 Alderperson