Strong communities are built by the people who live in them. They use their time and talents to address problems faced by the community or work to improve what already exists. Their actions are as simple as helping a sick neighbor or as challenging as pushing us to confront our own prejudice. They inspire us to be better neighbors and better human beings. And as a community, we benefit from the results of their efforts. But mostly, we don’t know who these unsung neighborhood heroes are or what they’ve done.

On Nov. 4, the Northside Planning Council will host the annual North Star Awards (see page 2). We honor people who have worked to make our community a better place to live, whether for the whole Northside or a couple of blocks in one neighborhood. If you know someone who has made your neighborhood a better place, nominate your unsung community hero for one of this year’s North Star Awards. And come to the North Star Awards ceremony to cheer for our community builders. Everyone is invited. Everyone is welcome.