OUR RESPONSE to the Letter to the Editor

OUR RESPONSE:

What are you doing about it?

By Tabatha Goodwin

Special Projects Manager

The Nevada Daily Mail

The Fort Scott Tribune

I hear it time and time again. "Why are people doing this to the community? Why don't they do this instead? This is more important."

The point is -- some people are doing something! And the people who are usually asking the above questions or complaining are not doing anything. If they were, they would not have time to complain.

I commend the Phoenix Downtown Development Committee for its efforts. I seem to remember hearing a lot of complaining from people that the Phoenix Committee was not doing enough for some time. All of the people that I know who are on this and other committees are just about running themselves ragged trying to make improvements to Fort Scott.

The buildings in Downtown Fort Scott do need to be brought up to code. I believe that the building owners should take that responsibility. There are resources available to them as stated in the story, "Downtown work expected to begin after Good Ol' Days." The city may be able to help, but I do not believe it is fully the city's responsibility. I would expect business owners to install their own fire and burglar systems. I would also be careful about "bringing buildings up to the 21st century." These are historic buildings that, while they could use some improvement, should never lose their historic charm.

I definitely would not belittle the impact that new streetscaping and infrastructure will have on downtown. Upon reading the story, I do not see all the grant money being spent on lights and streets at all. The project involves installing new lighting, landscaping, and infrastructure to make improvements in water pressure, wastewater, drainage and sewer services -- all needed things -- and I am sure aspects important to downtown businessowners.

A well-supported infrastructure downtown will be attractive to new businesses. I wish people would understand the connection between the appeal of an attractive community and economic development. A business looking to relocate to a town would be able to bring a building it purchases up to code, but would they be likely to completely revamp the infrastructure and look of the entire downtown?

Businesses that are looking to relocate to a town will look at certain aspects such as schools, churches, activities, and the overall look and feel of the town, just to name a few. I would anticipate that a business would be impressed with a community that took the time to care for its downtown in such a way -- not to mention built a park on pennies, picked up trash, painted over graffiti and took pride in helping itself grow on positive efforts. If people want businesses to come to Fort Scott, then they need to stop complaining and do their part. We ALL have to make Fort Scott a place people want to visit, work in and live in. I have asked it before and I will ask it until I am blue in the face -- "What are you doing to make a difference in Fort Scott?"

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Editor's note: As someone who has been personally involved in community improvement efforts, Tabatha Goodwin possesses considerable knowledge about this issue.