Let's keep the momentum going!

Momentum.

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word as “the impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events.”

I think that’s the perfect way to describe what we have going on in downtown Manchester right now.

Two eyesore buildings have been demolished and an announcement is coming next week from 1 Clay County, the group spearheading these changes, created by Senate President Robert Stivers.

Some aren’t happy with how things are being done. That’s a story for another day and as I always say, opinions are like…well you know…and everybody has one.

I love seeing the changes coming to town. Since we relocated our office to downtown Manchester last year, we absolutely love being here.

It’s made things much easier for us in many ways. It’s kept us better connected to many community events. Before, we were kind of on an island sitting over in East Manchester. Now, more than ever, we feel like a bigger part of our community.

With that said, I see the need for changes in downtown. It has potential. It just needs some work.

That work can come from property owners, IF, and this is a big IF, city building codes are enforced.

Or negotiations can begin and property needing work can be purchased through 1CC, like the building they recently demolished.

Our town has some momentum, probably for the first time in many of our lives. I’ve never seen this before and I’m 51.

Some may think beautification isn’t important, to those that feel this way I say, do you want an ugly vehicle? Do you want an ugly home, wear ugly clothes, or have an ugly spouse?

I would think not. In the grand scheme of our vanities, I think we all like ‘pretty’ things.

I know I do. I like going places that has attractive things and is clean. Why shouldn’t we want the same thing for our city?

Work is being done all over our county. School facility upgrades, hospital upgrades, road upgrades and downtown upgrades.

If that’s not momentum, then I don’t know what is.

I’m not going to give an opinion on how to make downtown more attractive, but I fully support and agree, changes need made and let’s strike while the iron is hot!

This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we have here. Let’s not make the same mistakes our forefathers did and hold our town back.

We should learn from the past, keep an open mind, and be progressive in improvements.

But, most of all, we need to find a way to put our disagreements aside, work as one, and make our town and county better. Until we do that, we will never change.