Help New Cities Better Our Community

Due to technical difficulites, this article could not be submitted to the paper on time. Therefore, I'll post it here on the Internet for all to enjoy!

There is no doubt that Morgan County is full of pride. With a rich Appalachian heritage reflected in our annual Sorghum Festival, an air of friendliness from border to border, and a collection of talented people, there is much for us to be proud of.

So why don’t we show it? Looking at our community, there is no indication that we are proud of anything. Underutilized facilities, scarcity of job and career training opportunities, a lackluster educational system, little tourism outside the Sorghum Festival, drug abuse, and a host of other problems are prevalent throughout Morgan County. We deserve better than this, and we have the potential to be better than this.

Then how do we utilize this potential? After all, a mere sense of entitlement will get you nowhere. Change requires hard work, planning, dogged determination, patience, and most importantly, the power of the group. Great things are never accomplished alone. Wars are not won by generals alone, but by the hordes of soldiers he has at his command. These soldiers work together on the battlefield, fulfilling their roles as well as watching each other’s back. As tired and cliché as it is, the power of teamwork is not just some cheesy moral found only in fiction. It a real force acting in the real world. One question still remains, however: How do we get organized?

The answer lies in The New Cities Initiative. New Cities is an interest group run by the community and for the community. We believe that change is possible given the hard work, planning, determination, and patience of a well-organized group. Like soldiers on the battlefield, we will look out for each other and consider the needs of all sections of Morgan County. All we ask is for your input and participation.

On April 23rd at 6 p.m., there will be a New Cities meeting at MSU at West Liberty. Topics will include strategies, priorities, and a number of proposals. Free food will be available. We encourage all citizens who have the time that evening to come out and let their voices be heard!