June 16 , 2022 The Beacon • 11

Positive momentum is everywhere you look in and around Coshocton County . It ’ s an almost frantic pace of improvements , purchases , infrastructure investment and much more . And Intel is still several years away from full reality , but the impact will be felt — and is being felt — now .

The coordination and cooperation among groups , organizations , government and the private sector has been sluggish at times , but it is here in a big way now . And the impact is not only being felt , but also being seen up and down Main Street and throughout our community . That cooperation is moving Coshocton County forward .

Obviously , the biggest project right now is the Selby Building — the former home of J . J . Newberry to us “ older folks .” Ah yes , the lunch counter and the stairway going into the basement . If I recall , and I may have this wrong , didn ’ t they have toys down there ? Those were moments of wonder to a 10-year-old kid .

Seeing these historic buildings restored is not only an investment in our community , but also it brings back some nostalgia and fond memories of when Main Street was the place to be . The Saturday morning trips to Sycks Bakery and getting a couple of those iced maple rolls . Oh my , I can taste them now ! No wonder I had so many pimples as a kid .

The Main Street restaurants that served up a mean plate of mashed potatoes , a roll , Swiss steak and green beans or corn for a couple of bucks — To a hungry teenager that was heaven after a morning of shining shoes at the boot shop . Those were the days .

Forgive me , I must have been wanting to take a stroll down memory lane this morning .

Let ’ s return to the present . The important

thing is people are making quality investments in our community — on Main Street , Second Street , Roscoe Village , West Lafayette , Warsaw and beyond . Let ’ s shop local and support them .

The community event schedule is quite full with the Hot Air Balloon Festival just concluded and the Indian Mud Run coming up at the end of June . The summer concert series downtown , community band concerts and more are all geared up .

This might be the ideal summer for staying close to home — with gas prices at the $ 5 per gallon level — and enjoying everything Coshocton County and the surrounding region has to offer . If you enjoy camping , the great outdoors , swimming or maybe just hanging around with family and friends , you can save some gas money and learn more about our community this summer .

Instead of hanging around the house on a rainy summer day , visit the Johnson Humrickhouse Museum and take a tour of Roscoe Village . Learn how our ancestors lived and worked in our very own restored canal era town . Then after a day of learning , you can relax and have dinner in the village or come across the bridge . We have much to offer right here in Coshocton County .