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A group of citizens met Friday afternoon to discuss a planning a day-long picnic for Coulee Dam and Elmer City residents to get together, probably sometime in June. And one person announced she would run for a town council seat this year.

“I think it’s been a long time since there’s been an air of ‘Let’s get together and figure it out,’” commented Glo Carroll, at whose Coulee Dam home the meeting was held. “We want to foster an air of people just talking to each other.”

The picnic could serve as an informal candidates forum for town council positions and a place for folks to discuss issues, “over fried chicken.”

Other ideas for the picnic included an inter-town horseshoes contest with a “truly atrocious trophy” that would travel back and forth between the winners annually. Harvest Foods has been approached about making “picnic packages.” The location of the event could also migrate between the two towns annually.

Gayle Swagerty said she will file her intention to run for the town council, and some in the group said they have been actively approaching other possible candidates.

During a discussion of current controversies in the community, “I think the major problem we have here is we don’t have leadership,” Swagerty said. “I honestly, truly feel if we get a new leader who reaches out to the people … I think you’ll see the whole attitude of this town change.”