Marlinton Mayor’s Corner

Please note: This weekly column is called The Mayor’s Corner for a reason.

The items of interest that I submit to The Pocahontas Times for publication are my own comments about situations or items of interest that I tend agree with and hope are of interest to readers of The Pocahontas Times.

In no case should my views and opinions be considered as a reflection of the views or opinions of any council member or any other person – unless otherwise noted.

It is The Mayor’s Corner.

I understood from the very beginning that the Mayor’s Corner would be: #1. Just more work and #2. An “opportunity on a platter” for others to critique, criticize and/or both.

So, I occasionally ask myself why I began this column and why have I continued it?

Answer: to communicate, to educate and sometimes to entertain.

However, what I did not expect from The Mayor’s Corner, was all the positive feedback. The positive comments, locally and from coast to coast have been at least 50 to 1.

So, as long as I am able, I will continue to share my thoughts about various issues and on-going work. No offense is intended.

Meanwhile, lots of small pieces of a bigger plan for our town and county are gradually coming together. As soon as possible in the New Year, I am anxious to share some of these ideas and plans, as specifics become available. Always, everything comes down to the dollar amounts and available funding, separating smaller project parts, make funding possibilities greater to complement the larger plan.

Piece by piece, each becomes beneficial to an overall design. Some of these cooperative smaller parts, when completed, can provide big results. Imagine a replica of The Marlin Log, a Walking Tour of the Town, locals and visitors using In-Town Loop Trails, a handicapped-accessible fishing pier on Knapps Creek, the wet-lands project along the GBRT with improvements in the area of the refurbished water tank.

When you work for your local government, the challenge is to fix problems with solutions that you can defend on the street.
As people hear about any new thing, they will ask, “Is this a good idea? Because, a good idea – or sometimes an idea that is not important to us personally – that does not bring harm, can be received, as such. Some will say, “I just wanted to hear it from you, because, if you think it’s a good idea, then we can be behind you.”

For those who seek to experience something real and satisfying, go to a small town and try to improve things. You’ll soon understand how every policy change has an impact on a neighbor’s quality of life. You’ll learn rather quickly what is and is not possible and how fragile ideas really are. You’ll learn the negative correlation between leadership and popularity. You’ll discover that every decision you make is readily judged by all the people who know you – and some who don’t.