{"id":13750,"date":"2026-01-22T23:51:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T06:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/catching-people-doing-whats-right\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:40:58","slug":"catching-people-doing-whats-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/catching-people-doing-whats-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching people doing what\u2019s right"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ron
Ron Price<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Most of you probably don\u2019t know that I serve on the City of Farmington\u2019s Community Relations Commission, commonly known as the CRC. Sadly, many people don\u2019t even know such a commission exists, despite the fact that it has been around since 2007.<\/p>\n

According to the CRC\u2019s mission statement, our role is \u201cto promote ways in which the community provides and safeguards equal opportunities for all.\u201d In practical terms, our work focuses on education and outreach through programs, events and community partnerships. We also facilitate mediation services for incidents involving alleged discrimination.<\/p>\n

To be honest, we don\u2019t receive a large number of complaints. I\u2019d like to believe that\u2019s because everyone in our city, without exception, practices civility and that people are always treated fairly, honestly and respectfully. Unfortunately, I\u2019m tempted to place that belief in the same category as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s true that some parts of our country struggle far more with incivility and discrimination than we do, I think most of us would agree there\u2019s still room for improvement. To help move us in the right direction, the CRC promotes 10 traits of civility that, if practiced consistently, would make a noticeable difference in how we live and interact. I outlined those traits in my June 18, 2025, column, and they\u2019re also available on the CRC section of the City of Farmington website.<\/p>\n

Today, though, I want to highlight a newer effort aimed at making civility the norm rather than the exception.<\/p>\n

Last year, the CRC launched the Community Recognition Program. The idea is simple: when a local business or nonprofit provides exceptional service \u2013 service that goes beyond what is merely expected \u2013 we want to know about it. Even more, we want to acknowledge it publicly.<\/p>\n

Each quarter of the year, the CRC will spotlight specific traits of civility. Between January and March, we are especially interested in recognizing organizations that demonstrate sincerity and courtesy in noticeable ways.<\/p>\n

We define sincerity as being earnest and genuine. In everyday terms, that means you can expect the same level of care, respect and quality every time you interact with them. Their service isn\u2019t dependent on mood or convenience. Rather, it flows from a clear sense of who they are and how they do business.<\/p>\n

Courtesy, on the other hand, is simply polite behavior. In a healthy society, courtesy shouldn\u2019t stand out; it should be standard. Sadly, that\u2019s often not the case. While we may not always notice courteous behavior when it\u2019s present, we almost always notice when it\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n

As a side note, in my relationship-coaching work, I frequently see people withhold basic courtesies like \u201cplease\u201d and \u201cthank you\u201d from those closest to them. That\u2019s a costly mistake, but a topic for another column.<\/p>\n