We were thrilled to see the turnout at the “For the Love of Kenmore” and Volunteer Fair events in early April. The positive energy and enthusiasm in the room were palpable as citizens participated in a fun-filled workshop that got at the heart of what makes our community so great. Author of “For the Love of Cities” and “Love Where You Live Peter Kageyama” was the speaker for the event, and he taught us important concepts and led us through some fun-filled activities aimed at empowering all of us engage with Kenmore emotionally and make Kenmore even more interesting, lovable and yes, fun!

There are many things city government can do to improve quality of life in Kenmore. Parks, trails, sidewalks, undergrounding utilities, well-kept roads, well-run police force, good customer service, environmental protection and many other things are under the city’s responsibility. But there are many things that you, the citizens can do as individuals and groups that will take Kenmore to that next level. This concept of empowering citizens—knowing that you have the city’s support—to make wonderful things happen was at the core of “For the Love of Kenmore” event.

To drive home this point, Peter Kageyema taught us the concept of the “love note.” According to Peter, a love note is something “that endears a place to its residents, something that makes them smile or feel at ease, something that provides them with an emotional connection to their place.” For a practical Love Note exercise, Peter offered a $500 grant funded by businesses and individuals in Kenmore for a project idea that would make Kenmore even better. People at each table in the room developed a proposal, presented the proposal to the larger audience, and then the audience voted. The winning idea received the $500 grant—once they accept the grant, they are committed to go and do! All of the ideas were delightfully outstanding and were a testament to the creativity and great things our citizens are capable of. To find out what the project ideas were, go to www.facebook.com/kenmorewa.

So please know you have our permission (not that you need it!) and support to create your own love notes to uplift Kenmore and surprise and delight us all. If you have a creative idea that brings fun and delight to those around you—go for it! Make it happen. What’s your idea?

David Baker is the mayor of Kenmore.