THE CITIZENS of Candia has set an example for every small town in America. With the completion of the new half-million-dollar sports complex, Candia residents have shown what good planning, hard work and a lot of selfless dedication can accomplish. Last week children played the first full-court basketball game in Candia’s history. This game wasn’t played because of a federal grant or a state program. It was made possible by the labor of Candia residents who understood the value of a place where kids could play sports year-round, and who were willing to work to get it. Over almost five years, members of the Candia Youth Athletics Association pursued their goal with diligence and persistence. They held fund-raisers, they talked local and national businesses into making donations, and they got the Army Reserve 388th Engineers Battalion of Londonderry to do site work and help build fields. for free. In this age when government is the first place virtually everyone goes to get funding for children’s projects, it is a joy to see citizens band together and do something big for the kids without getting a large handout from the taxpayers. The Candia Youth Athletics Association, and indeed all of Candia, ought to be very proud of the volunteers who dedicated so much time, money and work to make this dream a reality. The effort to build this sports complex harkens back to the days when “community” meant your friends and neighbors, not the local government, and “volunteerism” meant sacrificing your time and effort for others, not getting paid to work for a federal program. If every community in America were as vibrant and generous as Candia, our nation would be a better place.