Editor:
I would like to commend the people of Sweet Home for their courage, strength of vision, energy, and ability to come together across generational and economic lines.
I attended last week’s “What’s up with downtown” event held at the Community Center and was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the efforts put forth to remake and revitalize the city. I don’t believe I’ve ever attended an event where I was able to meet – under one roof and during a single meeting – the current mayor, a past mayor, the city manager, the superintendent of schools, business leaders, artists, teachers, long-standing community members, students, and those new to the Sweet Home area.
Such a diverse gathering speaks well of the chance for success in your current efforts. And success is what we all hope for – for the town, her people, her history already lived and that yet to come, for those living close and for those of us who watch from a distance.
You see, the successful revitalization of Downtown and, by extension, the entire area, is being anticipated and cheered on by those of us who, for one reason or another, have had to leave the Sweet Home area.
Some left relatively recently, others decades ago. But we still have a place in our heart for our town where we took our first steps, started school, went fishing, met so many friends, fell in love, buried family members, and where our hearts jump when we see the eastern mountain skyline as we enter the town from the west.
And don’t think we’re not watching! I myself live in Vancouver, Wash., and learned about Sweet Home’s process of transformation through the Sweet Home News Web site. Fortunately, I learned of the community meeting a few days before it was scheduled so I made the drive to see just what level of commitment was present in the people.
As is typical for the residents of Sweet Home, I was not disappointed! I was made to feel welcome, saw the level of dedication the attendees had for grappling with all the work that lies ahead, and experienced that trademark honesty and inquisitiveness when my questions revealed a level of unfamiliarity that only a non-resident would have.
But after a relatively short explanation (after all, who really has the time to listen as I explain that my family’s presence in the Sweet Home area goes back to around the 1870’s??) and a little conversation, we realized we had more in common than not. Ahhh…, the feeling of belonging once again!
Please keep up the great work and level of excitement. It will be a long, rewarding journey with a destination well worth the effort!
Byron Care
Vancouver, Wash.