We have towns and cities, and we have communities. Understanding the difference may unlock the difficult consolidation puzzle. Later this year many of you will be asked to vote on a plan to consolidate the school districts in your area. The pressure of high property taxes is also driving an effort to regionalize many town services, and some have even suggested that small towns ought to merge.

As one who has always favored smallness -- "Small is Beautiful" was one of my favorite books -- I resist these efforts to force me into larger alliances. My identity for 30 years was wrapped up in my hometown of Winthrop, and when Lin and I moved to Mount Vernon 28 years ago, my allegiance shifted to this wonderful small community -- oops, I mean small town. Well, what is the difference between a town and a community?

Is our community defined by geographical boundaries? Our town dump? Town office? Road commissioner? Code enforcement officer? Fire department? Selectmen? Town meeting? Elementary school? This is an important question. As we consider merging services including schools with neighboring towns, many will feel threatened with the loss of identity.

The 10th edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines community as "a unified body of individuals" or "the people with common interests living in a particular area."  Town is defined as "a cluster or aggregation of houses recognized as a distinct place with a place-name."

Town is the distinct named place. Community is the people with common interests without geographical boundaries. I would contend that if you don't participate in your town's activities and chores, you can't be counted as a member of the community. In other words, you can live in Mount Vernon, but if you do not in some way participate in town activities, you are not really a member of the community. You just live here.

And if we are able to maintain communities while merging services with neighboring towns, this riddle will be solved. Of course, there is the argument that keeping services close to the people gives them a better sense of ownership and responsibility. Big is not always (and in my book almost never) most efficient. If we can set aside the worry about losing our identity, we can seek the most efficient and effective ways to deliver services -- including education -- with at least one difficult issue resolved.

So just what does it take to build and maintain a community? I'll use my day-to-day month-to-month year-to-year experiences here in Mount Vernon to try to answer this question. Participation in town government is one way I've chosen to be a part of this community. Serving as a selectman, a member of the planning board and comprehensive planning committee, and a trustee of the town library, allow me the privilege of serving our community.

Others serve the community center, rescue squad, fire department, and turn out to work at every community event. Shopping at the country store, eating at the café, working at and attending suppers that benefit those in our town who have suffered hardships, getting involved with the food bank, helping a neighbor with a project -- those are acts of community too. And the conversations that occur in each of these venues may cement community ties more than the activity itself.

I walk a five-mile circuit when time allows. I like to walk briskly and get it done in about 75 minutes. One day a couple of weeks ago, I got as far as Hall's dairy farm and stopped to talk with Dick Hall about turkey hunting. When I got to the town beach on Minnehonk Lake, a couple of guys eating lunch called out to me to talk about fishing. A quick stop to purchase bread at the country store led to an invitation by a new resident to see the renovations he'd made to his home, which I did immediately. My walk took 21/2 hours. That's community too.

There is no way one can insist that the most efficient method of delivering services is based on the often-times odd geographical boundaries of our towns.

The town of Mount Vernon -- from its history to its amazing natural resources -- anchors me here. But it is the people and our shared experiences that make my community. And community is the critical element in living the good life.

We need not fear consolidation or the merger of services as long as our communities remain vibrant and intact. And that is entirely up to you.  George Smith is executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine. He lives in Mount Vernon and can be reached at george@samcef.org.