Central- There Is a First Time for Everything

By Dave Freneaux

Some of the most controversial issues literally dividing the City of Central of the past months all have one theme in common…."It is the first time it has been done here in Central."  When the City of Central privatized City Services, it was the first time that had been done in Central.  When the City formed a committee to determine what our permit fees should be, it was the first time that had been done in Central.  When that committee’s recommendations were discussed, adjusted, and voted on and approved in a Council meeting open to the public, it was the first time that had been done in Central.   When a $50 million school renovation and construction project began the process of applying for permits, it was the first time that had been done in Central.  When Blackwater United Methodist Church applied for a permit for a “Prayer Garden” which included the construction of a “Bell Tower”, it was the first time that had been done in Central.

The measure of this community and the people’s willingness and ability to work together for common good does not occur when everything is going along as expected.  How those people react toward one another when there are unexpected events, unforeseen challenges and differences of opinion is the true measure of the fabric of a community.  All of these concepts come into play when something happens for the first time.  This country's Founding Fathers overcame their differences in the spirit of cooperation in the infancy of this nation to create a government that has lasted almost 250 years.  Certainly Central can do the same in our small 66 square miles of that same country.

CentralSpeaks.com endeavors not to take an official stance for or against a fee, a permit, a rezoning, or a political race.  We do, however, take the stance that people, when they have a disagreement or complaint or question, need to go directly to the source and try to resolve the issue first.  Failing that, we encourage people to participate in the process to correct the issue.  Rarely is an issue so terrible and so time-sensitive that it MUST be made into a crisis in order to be handled correctly.  Be especially careful in these formative years of the City of Central that we do not mistake something that is happening for the first time to be an indication of the direction of this City or the ultimate will of the people.  Working together in a spirit of cooperation each of these issues can be resolved with minimal divisiveness.