The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
January 15, 2008
THE REAL PROBLEM WITH PRINCETON
I think I have finally discovered what may actually be wrong with our community. It's not a big thing, but it's something we can fix with a little bit of effort.
I have to credit Stefan Dietz and Dr. John Adams for making the picture a little clearer for me.
You see, both of them display a desire to see Princeton grow and are prepared to put some effort into making our town great by committing to working through the ups and downs over the coming years. Don't get me wrong, they aren't the only ones, but they are the best, most recent examples of people who have not given up on our town.
I have talked to a handful of people in recent months that say they are going to move away as they can't find the right kind of work, or the town just doesn't excite them anymore. While those may be valid reasons, I still think Princeton is going to explode in the next couple of years to become a place where people will want to try to figure out what keeps us here. I think something a lot of us forget is that this is a pretty special place we live in, regardless of what Interior Health, the television news and your neighbour wants you to believe.
Think about this for a momentSwith the exception of a few negative news stories in the past year, the majority of the rumours (we would like to point out until the "Grand Opening" celebration they are still only rumours) circulating in around town in the past six months have all been positive?
Rumours about land development, employment opportunities and the like all point to one thing: progress.
Even if only one of the rumours becomes reality, it means we will see some positive growth in our community and we can thank people like Stefan and 'Ironman' Adams for not giving up on our town and reminding us we have something to be proud of right here, outside our front door. And that is what I think is wrong with this town. A lot of us have lost our sense of community pride. Maybe a few of us didn't realize there was something to be proud of by saying you live in Princeton, but there is. I truly believe that this will be the place to be in the next year with more doctors than we'll need, more jobs, more recreational activities, more businesses to support and more people moving here forcing the need for more services for all.
And best of all, people like Stefan and Dr. Adams keeping us company every step of the way reminding us why we shouldn't give up on a town that truly has so much to offer.
