The Glass Is Half Full.

Happy New Year.

I ended 2019 on a bit of a downer. The commentary pointed out the negative side of Fairfield as we head into the New Year. Let’s flip the coin…

The Fairfield City Council appears to be on track towards restoring the Lakeside reservoir in concert with the Park Board. That would be a win-win and get rid of an eyesore. They also appear to be looking at a municipal court which would make it easier to deal with some of the horrible dilapidated  structures throughout the community.

Downtown got a gift in the form of a mural that screams Fairfield and our place in a free nation. It catches the eye and makes a positive statement…

The hospital and the college continue to be valuable employers and drivers of economic improvement. Fairfield Memorial broke ground on a $19-million dollar addition and FCC announced a new federal grant which will give birth to a new Med Lab Tech program. I’d hate to think where the town would be without the hospital and the college.

Our youth continue to shine on the fields and courts of competition. Fairfield’s athletic teams are among the most successful in Southern Illinois. They have been really rather remarkable.

And we are promised that a new employer is waiting for the state to make environmental concerns at the former Airtex Plant 2 go away, or at least be mediated. That news, if it becomes a reality, would be the shot-in-the-arm this town needs.

It is not all negative. There are reasons to be optimistic. Honest.