On Monday December 20 I attended the memorial service for one of this community’s most exceptional people, Stanley C. Smoyer. Stan died December 15, having celebrated his 98th birthday in August. He has left a bigger-than-life legacy through the people and organizations he touched along the way.

Of the many fascinating things I get to do every day, one that always inspires me is listening to people who come to the Community Foundation to talk with us about their giving. Philanthropy is rich in wonderful stories.

Social capital is a measure of the connections between members of a community. It is a measure not of just do you know your neighbors, but do you hang out with them. Do you bowl alone, or do you bowl in a league?