John Holman’s letter to the editor (“Community needs to come together in wake of shooting,” Auburn Reporter, May 13) described a situation in our community that is troubling.

He noted an instance of violence in our city and noted that there has been an increase in these situations. He advocated that all of us work together to make our community a safe and welcoming place to live.

Since his letter was published, another instance occurred that reinforces the need for all of us to be vigilant. Our police force works hard to get violence off our streets and out of our community. But this is the last resort, and we must all work together to continue to make Auburn “more than you imagined” in all aspects of our community.

Our city is growing and becoming more diverse. Our city leaders are taking steps to strengthen our community and continue to make this a great place to live, work and shop. We have a new city plaza, many community events and celebrations that contribute to the spirit of Auburn and give us all an opportunity to celebrate our community. However, each us must also be involved.

We strongly agree with Mr. Holman that all of us, old-timers, as well as those who have become a part of our community recently, must work together on a day-to-day and neighbor-to-neighbor basis to continue to make the community of Auburn a great place to live together.

We strongly support John Holman in his efforts to bring strong, positive, collaborative leadership to our city. All of us must recommit to our community and to the opportunities that are ahead of us.

– Jim Blanchard