A Ribbon Cutting of Sorts

As we say when we wrestle from our slumber, put ourselves together, and greet a brand new day – Good Morning! A world of possibility lies ahead for the day – and for this blog! It’s been rolling around in my noggin for quite some time and I’m finally ready to put pencil to paper – or fingers to a keyboard – and get going!

Earlier this week, I attended a trail dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for The Village of Richfield* in partnership with the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. The Village, in part through funding received from the Ohio Public Works Commission and Summit County, constructed 1.25 miles of walking trails on land previously owned by the Carter-Pedigo families.  This trail connects the library, Village Hall and leads to Brecksville Road. It was an exciting day for those who had worked for years to make these new trails a reality. We gathered near the opening, listened to the Mayor of Richfield, Bobbie Beshara, and other key personnel happily discuss the creation of the trail. Mayor Beshara’s predessor** spoke about how the property was acquired and noted that the group had actively engaged in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in order to make their vision a reality. He knew the-time-is-now opportunities when they were presented and he did not delay. Because of his action, Elaine’s Trail, Old Hickory Trail, and Virginia’s Trail are now available for our enjoyment.

 

The trail awaits! Let's cut the ribbon and get going!

I couldn’t help but see the Universe using this event to push me to get my initiatives going, this blog being one of them. The time is now. Let the ribbon to this new path be cut!

You know that Johnny Cash song I’ve Been Everywhere? Sometimes I feel like I could sing that for myself. While my international travel has been sparse (ok, if Mexico and Canada don’t count, it’s non-existent), my domestic travel has been flourishing over the past several years. Through work, professional organizations, and my other “extra-curricular activities,” I’ve been blessed with many occasions for travel. I love going places. I love seeing other variations of American culture. I love seeing new things. But you know what else I love? Akron. I love my home. I think it’s one of the greatest little cities on earth and I feel bad for the Akronites that don’t agree. We’ve got a little of everything and a lot of optimism here. We’re growing well, we’re building, and we’re indulging in the unique qualities we have here.

And I want you to love Akron too. Join me as I live here, love here, and experience everything my favorite city has to offer.

* "I'm no geography whiz, but isn't Richfield in a completely different county than Akron?" I'm glad you asked that. Yes! Richfield is a 20-30 minute drive from downtown. One of the great things about Akron is that it's in driving distance to so many other exciting places and I think that's a valuable quality for a city to have. This blog will be about many things, but they'll all have some relation to Akron. But for the record, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition is based in Akron and that's the reason I was invited to the ceremony.

** Boo on me for not remembering his name. I even tried looking it up, but failed to find anything. How would you google that anyway?