Sarah Nigbor

I admire many character traits in people, especially ambition, perseverance and tenacity. I myself have always enjoyed doing things that people said I couldn’t. I’ve come across a few of those people too in Pierce County. Maybe they weren’t necessarily told no, you can’t do this, but obstacles were sometimes in their way. It’s always a joy for me to be able to highlight their accomplishments.

For example, take Donna Constant of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Beldenville. As you’ll read in Sports, she and members of the church celebrated the completion of their long-awaited ballpark concession stand/pavilion. The project has taken years of fundraising, has overcome a setback or two, and came to fruition because of the vision of a woman who refused to give up. At the celebration, attendees were joking that she should sell bumper stickers that say, “Donna did it, so you can too.”

Another person in the Ellsworth community who has seen big dreams come true through hard work and more than a little tenacity is Angie Whelan. If you haven’t already, please check out her shop YB Urban? on Ellsworth’s Broadway Street. When other people saw East End as a depressed relic of years gone by, Whelan saw the potential for a bustling, thriving arts district. All it takes is one business to believe, she said, something she heard from the Ellsworth Chamber. And believe she did. She took a flying leap and never looked back, which has resulted in a successful small business which has become an inspiration for others in reviving the East End. This weekend during Cheese Curd Festival when the area is packed with visitors, it’s awesome to see others enjoy this unique community space.

Another person who struck a chord with me this spring was River Falls High School graduating senior Claire John. When she learned that her beloved safe place, Lost Creek Ranch, was losing much of its funding, she took it upon herself to reach out to local media outlets and share a deeply personal story on why this place is worth saving. She told of her struggles with mental health and how LCR helped her through those tough times. Not many people would have the courage to share their story the way Claire did, which helped bring awareness to not only teen mental health issues, but LCR’s funding plight. What a brave young woman she is.

Another person I admire is Samantha Fisher, who lives on a farm in the town of Union. She and other members of the People Protecting Pierce group kept fighting and continue to fight to keep Pierce County’s groundwater safe from contaminants. Fisher’s family suffered nitrate poisoning thanks to a contaminated well. Through her efforts and the determination of others such as Doug and Nancy Weiss and many others, Pierce County now has a Groundwater Advisory Committee, which is dedicated to a common goal of protecting groundwater resources. Look at what can happen when people work together!

There are many other people with inspiring stories in our county. I certainly don’t mean to overlook anyone but this column can only be so long. I love that we have been focusing on telling the stories of these inspiring individuals who do great things, even when circumstances are tough. Just think of what we could accomplish if people spent less time complaining on the community social media pages and put their ideas to work. After all, Donna did it.