This is the time of year when I urge everyone to take pride in our community. I remind you to get ready to welcome several thousand visitors on the Fourth of July. It’s time to get gussied up. Just a few more weeks and we will be all about the 95th annual event.

The monthly Peabody Dreamers cleanup is Saturday. Peabody Dreamers established a once-a-month cleanup day the third Saturday of each month, hoping to reach out to people who need help making things right and proper in their yards and around their homes.

Initially, they worked with Peabody United Methodist Church to clean up ice storm debris and winter leftovers. After that, they branched out on their own and began a monthly effort to do more. A stalwart bunch, I would say.

If you can spare a Saturday morning to help, this Saturday morning would be a good one. Meet at Santa Fe Park at 9 a.m. with shovels, rakes, trash bags or buckets, pickups or trailers, and a willing heart. Their aim has been to get all the way up Walnut to 9th St. before the big celebration so the community’s entrance will look good to visitors.

If you are a Walnut St. resident, it would be great if you could rake or sweep the winter detritus into small piles in the storm gutter in front of your house. It would make their job move along more quickly and help them make the route into our community look better.

Young volunteers attacking this part of the project between now and Saturday would really be appreciated. Are there any youth leaders out there who could encourage community service from young people between now and Saturday morning?

It also is time to start thinking about putting a family float in the July Fourth parade — or how about a “block float”? Gather your neighbors, borrow a hayrack or a trailer, and wrap it up in red, white, and blue. Be the most patriotic block in town.

There will likely be another bike-decorating contest for the kids. Help your child or grandchild make plans to decorate a bike or scooter and take part in the annual event. Many youngsters never get a chance to be in a parade. However, here kids are a huge part of our July 4 tradition, and it is fun. How cool is that?

Buy admission buttons; send the Fourth Fest committee a donation, and sign up to work at a gate. Enter your dog in the dog show, buy some candy and toss it from a float in the parade. Be a part of it all. You will have some fun, guaranteed.

—Susan marshall