For Jenny Lovering, running for a seat on the Columbia Falls City Council is a matter of practicing what she preaches.

“I always tell students the only way government will continue is if everybody participates,” she said. “It’s practicing what I’ve been teaching.”

Lovering said she has no agenda in seeking one of the three open council seats. And as for hot-button issues in Columbia Falls — there aren’t any she can think of.

But there is the matter of guiding development for the long term, she said.

“Columbia Falls is at a crossroads,” Lovering said. “We need to figure out a plan for long-term stability without losing the small-town community feel.”

Although Columbia Falls may not view itself as primarily a tourist town, the community nevertheless needs to capitalize on visitor traffic, she said. The city also needs to keep striving to bring in more industry and business, she added.

The city should continue to capitalize on its proximity to Glacier National Park and its location as a gateway to outdoor recreation, Lovering said.

“I’d love to see Nucleus Avenue (the town’s main street) thriving,” she said. “I think the city manager has been doing a good job of trying to promote Columbia Falls and making it an attractive place to live. I support her in what she’s been doing.”

Lovering said she chose to live in Columbia Falls because of the sense of connectedness. She grew up in Western Michigan and moved to Columbia Falls 16 years ago.

“Now I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said. “We have a vibrant population of all ages. We all want Columbia Falls to be the Columbia Falls we moved into.

“I don’t want to change Columbia Falls, but I want to see it grow and become a place where my children and students can return to live and work,” she said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.