Taking Pride in Your Village - 5-27-09 Editorial

Everyone is proud of something in life. In the village of Mahomet, pride can often be found in many things throughout the village itself, such as the schools, the parks, the hometown feel and the friendly nature of the village residents.

Still, when it comes to businesses and visitors to our town, are the schools, parks and friendly smiles going to be what leaves a lasting impression? Or is it going to be the cleanliness and healthy infrastructure of the village that leaves people recalling Mahomet with a smile?

Upon first glance, the village is a pretty clean place that glows with beautiful foliage and unique architecture that often includes Victorian-era homes and a classic downtown look. However, if you take a closer look around, you’ll find that there are several ways in which residents could easily show the pride they have in their village.

One example that was brought to my attention are the streets themselves. While many of the residents likely don’t pay much mind to the roads throughout the village, visitors driving on roads like Main Street might have a different view of things.

After all, what should they think about the downtown area when the road to get there is littered with crumbling edges and potholes, a sign that would point to no significant work in a number of years?

Granted, much of this work has to be contracted out before it can be done, but why shouldn’t it be brought up by the citizens of the town as a need?

Another area that can be affected more directly by residents is the necessity for a town cleanup. A perfect example of this need are the different cross streets throughout the village that have unnecessary clutter in them. One need only drive through the ally way by the Citizen office to see automotive parts and garbage that would best serve the village by being disposed of properly.

The only village cleanup efforts that can be spoken of to this point in the village of Mahomet are conducted by the Mahomet Rotary Club each year and small group efforts that are too sporadic to be called annual or otherwise.

Imagine how proud you would be driving down the streets that you helped get the ball rolling on for repairs. Consider the message you would send to visitors, potential businesses and fellow residents when they see and hear that you and others like you were responsible for a village-wide cleanup effort.

There’s nothing wrong with taking pride in the village that you live in. Nor is there anything wrong with extending that pride to areas that others would simply say “someone else will do it.” All it takes is some initiative and a desire to see your village live up to its potential.