Get ready to go and stay positive
I think that I could use the same headline from week to week for this column and it would still be appropriate for our circumstances and our situation. And I am not just talking about the COVID-19 pandemic nor the re-opening – as it is called – of our state.
Our community is faced with several real situations right now on top of everything else. The administration at River View is faced with a loss of real dollars – not imaginary as some might think. This reduction makes a tough job even harder. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. I would be so bold to say that every decision they now make regarding cuts affects kids. It might be your kids, your neighbors’ kids, your grandkids or just someone that you know attends River View schools.
Next, the real reason for the necessity of the income tax levy – the Conesville AEP plant, has, to the best of my knowledge, burned the last coal that it will ever burn. On the bright side of things, the demolition and clean-up will result in jobs and opportunities for local people to find employment. This will be a multi-year project and will provide monies for local vendors and much, much more.
I, like many of you, continue to seek out the positives and the bright spots amidst all of this. There are many and there are many right here in Coshocton County. Our news team has done an admirable job of providing coverage of these positive happenings. Can we get to all of them? That would be difficult simply because there are so many.
I am also not trying to be naïve. A drive down Main Street in Coshocton or through one of our smaller towns or villages leaves one wondering if we are living in another era. Many people are discouraged, downcast, depressed or all of the above. This was totally unexpected as we all know but it is something that we really can’t do much about . . . and perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all. How we have handled ourselves during the past month and a half, and the next several weeks and months may well determine how we bounce back from this as a community. It will take ALL of us to make this happen!
As a community Coshocton County shines brightest when things are tough. As Americans we shine brightest when things are tough. And things are tough in many ways – when the government is reporting unemployment in the millions, and possible as high as during the depression, things are tough. But as we start to re-open the nation, states and local communities the bounce back could be rapid. Will it be as rapid of a recovery as the folks in Washington (the district not the state) want it to be? Doubtful.
But we will overcome just as we always have. There may be some belt tightening along the way but let’s look at another positive – the price of gas is cheap! So, plan that trip and get ready. Things are looking up and that is how we need to think.
Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion
