A dream that became a reality

Columns

Discussion

November 18, 2012

A dream that became a reality

Our Opinion

Anonymous Washington Times Herald The Washington Times-Herald Sun Nov 18, 2012, 09:10 AM EST

WASHINGTON — Come Monday, the dream will be a reality.

What has been a dream for many will be realized when the ribbons are cut for the first three sections of Interstate 69 extension in Indiana. The general public will be driving on the road that evening, around 6 p.m.

Although they might not like the spotlight, this moment and the promise it brings would not be possible without the work of David Graham, David Cox and the late James Newland.

Without these three men, and others along the way like Jo Arthur, David Reed, John Caruthers and Tom Baumert, we would not be driving 67 miles of new highway this Thanksgiving holiday.

We ask the public to join us in thanking these people who had the foresight to see more for Daviess County and the city of Washington. These folks saw what was happening in regards to our local economy and went out to make it better.

We should also be grateful to Gov. Mitch Daniels, who decided to use $700 million from the Major Moves sale of the Indiana Toll Road to build I-69. He was the only political figure to put real dollars to the project. This road will be his lasting legacy, long after we all have passed and we owe him gratitude.

Also deserving recognition are the engineers and designers from the Indiana Department of Transportation and the construction workers from various companies. Without their hard work, the vision of so many would not be realized.

For some, the dream of the interstate is a nightmare, as they have lost land and even their homesteads. Some have moved on with their lives and some are still bitter for losing the homes they have lived in for years.

We donÕt forget them. Their loss has been a sacrifice for the betterment of our community, and while we honor the government and the workers on the road, we should also take time to remember all those who gave up as well. Local and state leaders should also thank them.

The road is only the start of our renaissance. City and county leaders must take this opportunity and aggressively bring commerce to our home. It is not the time for partisan bickering or pandering to interests. We, at the Times Herald are not the only ones watching. The rest of the state and others with interests along the I-69 corridor are watching as well. This moment cannot be wasted.

We donÕt want to see this road stop in Bloomington when that section opens in 2014. We want to see I-69 continue to Indianapolis and beyond. We encourage Governor-elect Mike Pence to follow the foresight of his predecessor Daniels and get the road finished.

On Monday, we will be a witness to history. We thank those who worked in the past to make that day possible and look foward to the future.

Text Only

Columns

SeaPerch sets bar high for WHS
It may seem uninteresting, even trivial to some, of the accomplishments of the Washington High School SeaPerch teams as they won in national competition over the weekend.

May 23, 2013
Stop acting like sports are life and death
I’ve followed sports for much of my 27 years on earth, but one inescapable fact has caught my attention lately - sports make people crazy. You can't get around the fact that rooting for your favorite team can enrage you and turn you into a ravenous sports junkie. Passion isn’t always a bad thing, but combined with hatred for the rival of your favorite team can turn into something ugly and disgusting.

May 13, 2013
A confession directly from Genoa City, Wis.
I am a confessed hopeless addict. And, after a conversation this week, even my co-workers know the ugly truth. I rarely go an entire week without catching up on my soap opera - The Young and the Restless.

May 4, 2013
Quite simply less is more
Money can’t buy happiness, or at least that’s what you have been told. In Major League Baseball there has been a hot debate on when and how much should a team spend to improve the team on the field.

April 26, 2013
Daviess County talent runs deep
Oakland City University head men’s basketball coach Dr. Mike Sandifar has a long and successful career.
He has a combined high school and college mark of 631-383 and is 427-234 at Oakland City in a career that covers 1987-1999 and 2003-2013.

April 25, 2013
The thrill of the grass
In the spring, they say a young man’s fancy turns to — baseball.

April 20, 2013
Jackie still a hero after all these years
Too often in our society we put elite athletes on a pedestal so high that they are referred to as heroes and we talk about the so-called adversity they face. This, of course, is laughable on every level.

April 19, 2013
A lifelong love of golf
It was an unusually cold, snowy day in April as I looked out the window at the clubhouse nearly 20 years ago.
Winter was hanging on, and golf on that particular Monday was not going to happen.

April 18, 2013
All she needs is GPS, notebook
Lately some residents may have seen an out-of-county car driving aimlessly around town in search of some destination that even the youngest kiddo could find in a matter of seconds. That car would be mine, and the driver, who on occasion has nearly turned the wrong way down one way streets would be me, Lindsay Owens. Fear not though. I have GPS and a collection of maps Columbus would have envied.

April 13, 2013
At home - at Last
Today, on the Korean peninsula, missiles are pointed, troops are being amassed and political temperatures are reaching the boiling point.

April 13, 2013
More Columns Headlines

Columns

Search Results

Discussion

A dream that became a reality

Our Opinion

Site Map

Contact Us