Chamber Corner: Thoughts on the Annual Banquet, MAPPING, & BV Referendum
Seems Mother nature cannot make up her mind. We have 30’s one day, and 65 degrees the next day. Day Lilly’s lookin pretty yellow, but they are above the sod! Sure, signs of Spring everywhere. The neighbor kids are playing ball every day in the yard and the street, lots of activity. The fields are starting to come alive with Ammonia going on, and fertilizer trucks moving material as well. With warm rains from the weekend, I am hoping my yard will start to green up soon, and I have killed the grubs that attract the moles. Spring is a great time of year, get outside and enjoy it. Just a few more weeks, and the traffic in the timber will begin as the Mushroom hunters take to the field. All good.
The Chamber completed its annual banquet this past week. A good turnout from membership, and some very deserving awards presented. We also completed our 2nd Mapping meeting on Thursday night. A great group of people came together to start brain storming where we want to be. Some very interesting ideas, that can be good for our town. Most ideas and comments pertain to Main street and that mess, as well as looking for retail sales, value of BVN, as well as entertainment in town. The best exercise came when each team talked about the towns assets. The good news? We have far more assets than challenges. More to come over the next three weeks.
I wanted to wade into the school referendum thing a little. This is rapidly becoming a subject of contention within the district, as well as our village. There are many opinions being thrown around, as well as a great deal of supposed information concerning facts and figures. This is America, and we all have rights to our opinions and ideas as to what we feel is best. In my thoughts, I certainly support the students and teachers of the district. We would not have a school system without either of them. I ask you to study all of the mailings, articles, opinions and information. I say this, because opinions are not always correct information. You as a voter and citizen of the district have to ask questions. Ask your board member, ask an administrator, ask questions of people that will give you information and not necessarily an opinion. Perhaps an opinion that will have a very opposite effect on the district, teachers, your village or students. Perhaps your student. Our students are the most important in the equation. Let’s not only respect how this referendum will affect their school years, but how it can affect them in the adult tax paying years. Fiscal responsibility is very important for all concerned, lets accept the facts of what the ramifications could be if we spend beyond our means. The vote will be done with on April 4th. How you vote, and how the vote comes out will affect all of our students, teachers, and communities for years to come. There is a series of editorials in the Walnut Leader today pertaining to the referendum. I encourage everyone to read and absorb the contents of these editorials. Exercise your rights, and vote. Take responsibility for that vote.
That’s all for this week. Our local Walnut Hardware store is stocking up for all of our Spring needs. Get up town, and buy your lawn seeds, fertilizers and garden seeds. Also, it is really time to paint that porch, yes, it is ugly. They have lots of good paint as well. Thanks for your efforts people, buy a building, shop Walnut whenever you can.
