For years, Michele Carmack has felt both sad and angry while driving past Chief Garry Park on East Mission in Spokane. A statue in honor of Chief Spokane Garry – a 19th-century tribal and community leader – is in disrepair. Vandals have chipped away most of his fingers. To those who drive by the park, it appears the statue is making an obscene gesture. Its nose is gone, and sometimes vandals use chalk to draw genitals on the statue.

“To see this statue mutilated is so disrespectful,” Carmack said.

The 32-year-old woman would like to do something. But she isn’t sure exactly how to go about it. This summer, as citizens walk through parks and neighborhoods and other public places, they might notice things in need of fixing. Vandalism and disrepair in public spaces send a negative message about neighborhoods and the people living in them.

So, using Carmack’s case as an example, here’s a primer for citizen involvement.

First, Carmack needs to identify the primary stakeholders who might also care about the statue’s condition. The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department is a big one, of course. And Carmack should also attend a meeting of the Chief Garry Park Neighborhood Council. The next meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m. at Stevens School Library, 1717 E. Sinto Ave. In years past, the council has repaired the statue, including the replacement of the missing fingers.

Second, Carmack should identify other stakeholders who might also care, once they learn about the statue’s condition. These could include Native American groups, arts organizations and perhaps some youth groups. It’s always good to include young people in civic tasks because it grows the seed of involvement early in life.

Third, Carmack should be willing to stay involved. She is. The small business owner, who cleans homes and businesses for a living, has already asked some of her clients if they’d be willing to donate money for the renovation of the statue – or a new statue entirely. For projects to succeed, one person needs to care the most and keep momentum going when projects bog down.

Fourth, Carmack should take heart that she won’t be in this alone. Once a project starts rolling, volunteers often join in.

Finally, the media can play a role. Though newspaper and broadcast reporters won’t cover every story of this kind, they can sometimes help citizens identify the stakeholders.

A community changes for the better through the willingness of people to stop, pay attention and believe they can help fix what is broken. They can.