Mark’s Musings – May 02, 2012

Mark Fortune

Please allow me to thank this community for four wonderful years of continuously publishing The Coshocton County Beacon. Our first issue hit the streets of Coshocton County on May 1, 2008 – and here we are four years later producing a regularly distributed weekly newspaper. This is thanks to our readers, supporters and certainly, our advertisers. Without their support, none of this is possible.

I also need to thank our team here at The Beacon for their efforts in producing this newspaper and the many specialty titles that we publish; Homes & More of Coshocton County real estate magazine, Portrait Magazine, the CVB Visitor’s Guide, Boomer Times, Fair Premium Book, River View calendar and many others. These projects have all helped us be able to celebrate our fourth anniversary and begin our fifth year of publishing The Beacon for Coshocton County.

We have overcome many challenges along the way – not unlike any small business – gasoline reaching $4.00 per gallon in our first month of publishing way back in 2008 – the economy turning sour in the fall of 2008 – and others. Now, it seems that our community is poised for growth with the impending Utica Shale project. There will be many businesses that will realize some spinoff from this industry – and The Beacon is sharing in that to some degree.

To thank our readers and this community, we will be celebrating throughout the year and our very first effort at appreciation is giving out five $50 gas cards to some lucky person(s) in May. See page 13 of this week’s issue of The Beacon and enter the drawing to win a $50 gas card. You must be 18 or older to enter and please, only one winner per household during the contest. Good luck and thanks!

I had the pleasure of attending the township trustees association dinner on Friday evening – and can tell you that it would be nice if sometimes the folks in Washington (D.C. of course) would see how local governments work hard to stretch a dollar to fix a road, patch a hole, mow, plow snowy roads, keep old vehicles running and so on. The township form of government is our oldest form of government (to my knowledge) and represents the very essence of the ideals set forth by our founding fathers. I have, of course, written about this in past columns, because the ever burgeoning federal government should – frankly – have everyone just a little bit concerned. Or our children, and their children – will reap what is being sown now. And don’t say it couldn’t happen here. Remember the depression – well, most don’t (including me naturally) so maybe that . . .

Okay, I digress. Thus the nature of this column. Thank you for continuing to read, advertise in, and support The Coshocton County Beacon. Your words of encouragement, advice, notes, cards and phone calls keep us moving in a positive direction for our community. And I am grateful. Thank you for four great years and here’s looking forward with eager anticipation to year number five – Volume 5 – Number 1 is what you are reading this week.

Category: Mark's Musings