Mark’s Musings – January 30, 2019

Mark Fortune

Hopefully you were able to snatch this week’s edition of The Beacon out of your mailbox without your hand sticking to the steel – if that’s what you have. Folks with plastic just need to use caution so your mailbox does not shatter! Wednesday is going to bring some bitter and intense bone chilling cold. Okay, I thought about throwing in some more words about the cold but figured that was enough as you are living it right now. I am writing this column on Monday in anticipation of the cold – well, not really. That did not come out quite right for some reason. I am not anticipating it!

Maybe we should just move on and here’s wishing that you stayed warm, no pipes froze, your vehicle is running fine and we can enjoy a slight respite over the weekend with the forecasted rain. Yuck.

At least the partial federal government shutdown is over – for now. Since 1976 the federal government has shut down 17 times for a total of 117 days with this recent spat being the longest ever. Federal workers that were furloughed will receive back pay – and they should. Everyone knows that working for the government – particularly on the federal side – carries with it some sense of political drama but should the employees bear the brunt of this political bickering? Did any members of Congress have any trouble with their pay? I doubt it.

Did you watch the Pro Bowl? Me neither. Okay, I know some of you did – it was an indoor kind of weekend unless you are a sled riding aficionado – and your kids and or grandkids weren’t down with some ailment that seems to be hanging around with the youngsters. Ahhh, winter.

So, let’s talk about that for a moment – we are basically through the month of January and headed into February. The days are slowly getting longer but because so many of them are gray you really can’t tell – but then comes March and – you guessed it, spring! It’s not too early to think about spring because soon – if not this week – those catalogs will start coming from the nurseries for trees and all that spring stuff. Okay, so speaking of trees – check out the Coshocton Soil & Water Conservation District website for some great deals on all kinds of tree seedlings! This is an annual offering and is just a super way to support a local organization, help the environment and add beauty to the landscape. Here is a link to what you need: https://www.coshoctoncounty.net/swcd/2019/01/24/2019-tree-sale/

I had the pleasure of attending the quarterly Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at The Lock Landing in Roscoe Village last Thursday. Three community improvement awards were presented – to well deserving members of our community. You can read more about that in this issue.

I walked away from that meeting feeling energized from the positivity in the room and the overall feeling that things are improving in our community. They are improving because a lot of people are working hard – most often behind the scenes – to make things happen on behalf of all of us. Here’s the point – I realize that your situation may be difficult – going through a job loss or needing to work two jobs just to make ends meet is not enjoyable. But there are people that are really trying to improve our lot in life here in Coshocton County. It will not happen at the pace we might want it to – but things are happening and have confidence that community leaders are doing all they can to make Coshocton County a better place to live, work and raise a family. They need your support – not criticism. We can all help lift this boat called Coshocton County together. A positive attitude goes a long way.

Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion