Garrettsville – And a fine display it was, of all sorts of things, including—this being an event that takes place before Election Day on November 3—various individuals running for various offices, people on the ballot, people hoping to be written in, supporters of ballot issues for townships, county services to the developmentally disabled, long-deserved support for the county district library, that kind of thing. Presidential election years, unfortunately, get most of the attention but “where the rubber meets the road”, so to speak, is local stuff like this which has a pretty direct impact on our everyday existence. Get out and vote on the people and issues that you can see out your front door. Get a library branch in every school district in Portage County. Renew funding for the county services to enable our developmentally disabled citizens to be all that they can be—not an increase in taxes, a renewal. Give your township the funding it needs to provide the amenities that you want—snowplowing, anyone? This is the real thing; this is what you live here for. Vote…or don’t complain.
And the rest of the showcase was great too. One tends to forget how fortunate we all are in this community to have all of the goods and services that we do which are not necessarily available in larger towns, three medical facilities, for instance, a bowling alley, a skating rink a movie theater, a hardware, two grocery stores, a resale shop, catering businesses, a fitness club, hair salons and a day-spa, a local newspaper, a bookstore, a full-service drug store, a family pharmacy, restaurants, auto dealerships, computer services, two banks, dentists, electricians, plumbers, optometrists and opticians, auto repair and maintenance establishments, variety stores and local-business-focused emporiums, printing and promotional goods suppliers. And pizza; we’ve got pizza of just about every type and description.
Let’s hear it for local businesses which are always supporting our schools and organizations. They donated the prizes being offered for holding the door prize tickets announced over the public address system. Their participation in this event helps fund the scholarships given by the Chamber of Commerce.
And don’t forget about the service organizations like Rotary and the Lions and the Eagles—there when we need them. The James A. Garfield Historical Society keeps tabs on all of this as well as who and what led up to it—digital, even! The book by local authoress, Pam Montgomery, is just one example of such tabs-keeping; there are plenty more.
So…if you missed it, start planning to take it all in next time — but until then, get out and make it a point to patronize these local establishments!
