Governments appoint committees, form task forces and assemble research groups.

They dedicate time, meeting space and often dollars to finding solutions to problems, fixes to holes.

A year later, there may be an answer.

But there is another way &8212; do it yourself.

Kathie Blankenstein started her own volunteer committee in 1993 without any help from the powers that be.

She and four others had a goal, rallied the troops, raised the money and, now, are accomplishing the dream.

In this case the dream was a refurbished fountain for Memorial Park.

The existing fountain was dismantled Monday for a trip to an iron works shop in Alabama. When it comes back it will wear more than $50,000 in improvements, making the fountain the centerpiece it should be.

Just think of the things in our area that would start moving and shaking with a little grassroots volunteerism.

If everyone in the community picked a project and saw it to its end, our home could become a centerpiece of its own nearly overnight.

Our government could leave the task forces, committees and research groups to the people, and leaders could focus on governing.

Glistening fountains would spring up everywhere.