Success Happens

Although I would like to first point out I have not been terribly successful in posting as regularly as first promised. I'll try to get back on track.

Along those lines, there is a comment to a recent post I have not put up. I will put it up in a post of its own and address it in the near future.

Now back to real successes. So many great things are happening in Oil City, it’s hard to get them all down in one blog.

Yet, many fail to see that. I’ve always puzzled a bit at the tendency of some to overlook the positives and accentuate the negatives in Oil City and Venango County as a whole.

Anyone who has doubts about community successes in Oil City should look to the arts revitalization program. It had a lot of doubters, and a lot of critics, and still does. But it has brought new residents to Oil City, it has filled downtown buildings and brought a new vitality to the community. All of this much faster than anyone expected.

That’s success

Think about creation of the Northside Business Association followed by the Southside Business association. These business people got together on their own to promote and improve the respective business districts. The groups have held a number of events, developed streetscape plans, and a whole lot more in just a few months.

That’s success.

A few years ago a handful of individuals decided to combat problems in their neighborhood and formed the North Side Association. We now also have a South Side and Siverly neighborhood associations. These associations are not just holding meetings and talking, they are doing things to improve their neighborhoods and the community as a whole, including putting on last weekends second annual anti-drug rally.

That’s success.

Take Pride in Oil City – another volunteer, community-based group – brought us a trolley bus and is doing so much to promote the community and create new opportunities.

That’s success.

There are many, many other examples. Let's not forget what the the new owners of the Latonia and their renovation of the building and their hosting of events, nor the efforts of all those that resulted in the Polish Heritage Park.

Good things are happening, so for heavens sake let’s recognize it.

That’s not to say we should live in a Pollyanna-ish world and bury our head in the sand ignoring the very difficult times our community faces – we shouldn’t and we can’t. But we also need to recognize and support those efforts that are making for a better community and a brighter future.