The Coshocton County Beacon January 17, 2018 - Page 4

4 THE BEACON
www.coshoctonbeacontoday.com
JANUARY 17, 2018
|  OPINION |  Lett er to the Editor
id you get what you
Drew Brees out and he
wished for? No, I
lived up to the hype of a six
am not referring to
foot quarterback that was
your Christmas list
told back in the day that he
or your New Year’s reso-
could not be successful in
lutions. We have covered
the NFL due to his height.
those topics already and
He has proven them wrong
are now halfway through
MARK’S MUSINGS time and time again.
the fi rst month of the year.
But enter the fourth quar-
I am making a reference to the blast
ter, lots of lead changes and a superb
of old fashioned winter that has swept
last gasp pass in the closing seconds
through Coshocton County like a fl ock
of the game that turned into the most
of elves putting together a last minute
unlikely touchdown pass - perhaps -
toy on Christmas Eve.
ever. Most certainly in a playoff game.
We know that some of you enjoy
If you missed it, you can catch it on the
these little bouts of winter nastiness -
highlight reels for the rest of your life.
probably from your warm bungalow in
Th ey say that timing is everything and
Florida. You get to watch Th e Weather
this catch and resulting victory for the
Channel from afar and grin with a
Vikings sure sums that up.
knowing smile that you don’t have to get
Th is weekend’s championship game
out the shovel, boots, gloves, mittens,
picks - Eagles and Patriots. An east coast
scarves or any of the other garb that we
Super Bowl held in Minnesota. Th e
who are left here in Coshocton need to
Vikings, if they pull off the upset, would
don just to head to work or school or any be the fi rst of eight possible teams that
of the other dozens of locations that we
would have played a home Super Bowl.
think we need to get to on a snowy day.
Th e other seven all lost in the divisional
Who knows, maybe it’s to stock up
round.
on water, food supplies for human and
So now we’re faced with another
animal or, of course, some sweets. Ev-
round of bitter cold temperatures head-
eryone knows that you need a generous ing into the third week of January with
supply of bagels, donuts, muffi ns or pas- lots of winter yet to come. But every day
tries to get through a weekend of winter is another day closer to spring. Take that
weather. Th en toss in some quality NFL groundhog. You can’t stop the inevi-
football games for good measure. Th is
table march toward that date on the
past weekend certainly had those de-
calendar when we at least know - re-
pending on your favorite team. A tough
gardless of what’s on the ground or the
loss for the Steelers.
degree of temperature - that warmer
Th e highlight reel as everyone that fol- days are indeed, headed our way.
lows football knows - and probably lots
of folks that don’t - was the New Orleans
Saints versus the Minnesota Vikings. It
seemed almost certain in the fi rst half
that the Vikings were going to plunder
the Saints like the Vikings of old and
send them to Valhalla. But never count To Th e Editor,
As a Coshocton, OH, native and former
Lake Park resident, I was recently in
town and went for a gorgeous hike on the
Scarr Loop trail, overlooking the canal
boat path. After observing multiple,
mature growth trees of maples, oaks,
beeches, and sycamores marked with
blue paint, apparently indicating their
imminent demise, I became dismayed
and disappointed. I can not fathom a
reason to bring these magnifi cent trees
down. No amount of money could ever
equal the value that Coshocton County
has in those trees standing majestically
and proudly over the canal, some for over
a hundred years.
Tourism has long been a key
component to the livelihood of
Coshocton. Roscoe Village, with its
distinctive and unique history, and its
sister attraction, the Monticello III, can
not be underestimated as contributing
assetsto the past and ongoing
economical narrative of the area. Th e
natural beauty of Coshocton County,
including the environment surrounding
the tow path, are also key elements that
attract people to come to the region,
and spend time and money in local
businesses and establishments.
Tourism and trees are partners in
every aspect. Annually, thousands of
people drive to Hocking County in the
fall to take in the views of gold, orange
and red foliage. Th e leaves encourage
travel down the roads and highways
surrounded by forests, leading to small
communities. I venture that the people
making the pilgrimage are mostly from
cities o