There are so many ways to be active in the community.

Whether it’s volunteering with local groups or attending city council and school board meetings, there are plenty of ways for locals to get involved.

That can also include being active on social media.

Following local businesses, joining community groups, keeping up with posts from The News and other outlets, and more all are ways to show support and stay up-to-date on the goings-on around us.

It’s also a way to make your voice heard.

This week, The News collected input from its Facebook post asking what members of the community would like to see developed in the area. Hundreds of people commented.

Some comments were generic, mentioning they’d like to see a better variety of restaurants like Thai, Japanese, French, etc., while others were more specific, seeking things like Panera Bread, Target, Trader Joe’s, and more.

We’re glad to see the community so passionate about how to better the area. It’s good to see that people are taking the time to not only consider new developments but suggest them, as well.

On Page 1A of today’s paper, News staff writer Steve Schulwitz reported on the comments mentioned in the post and talked to Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Mike Mahler about how some of those ideas could be a possibility.

Mahler said many strides have been made in adding more brands to Alpena and he suspects more will come down the road.

We hope developers in the area — or those looking to come to the area — take into consideration what locals have to say, perhaps taking a peek on social media to know what’s popular among the residents in a given area.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)