TIF will help Portland sustain growth (02/04/06)

To the editor:

Portland is experiencing growth. This is something that we can be proud of and one that should give us hope for our future.

Looking back at my childhood growing up in Portland, it seemed to me at the time that the future of our city was dire. We were losing manufacturing jobs and many people were out of work. This trend has certainly turned around but it didn’t happen naturally or by coincidence.

A group of civic minded leaders came together and formed the JCDC. Many put their sport coats on and went out and lobbied industry to consider Portland and Jay County as a possible place to locate.

Without this foresight and leadership, we would not have the industrial parks that we enjoy or the jobs and property taxes that we now almost take for granted.

The growth we are currently experiencing is the direct result of those efforts. We now find ourselves in a much better position, a position that allows us to succeed in a sustained way.

What we have worked so hard for to this point has made our community viable. We also find ourselves with a progressive leader in Mayor Hosier that has shown the courage, leadership and creativity to come forward with a solution to ensure our next stage of growth.

The establishment of a TIF district is an attempt to make our city competitive in a world where we start at a great geographic disadvantage.

This solution will attempt to make the significant infrastructure improvements necessary to attract development without shifting the burden directly to the taxpayer through a bond issue.

This plan also will attempt to put in motion plans that will improve Portland’s quality of life.

I encourage the City Council and the taxpayers to support Mayor Hosier’s proposal and I personally thank him for his leadership and determination to make Portland a better place to live.

Bryan Alexander

Portland

Many thanks

To the editor:

My son, Brandon Hough, is very lucky to be alive today after swerving to miss a buck, overcorrecting and wrecking his car on Saturday morning.

I would like to tell several people thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank the person who called for help, and to Jay County Rescue 19 workers, Portland firefighters, Jay Emergency Medical Service, Parkview Samaritan staff, Parkview trauma/emergency room workers and all of the Parkview staff who took excellent care of my son.

Also, the Ronald McDonald House for providing us with a room to stay in, Barnett’s Wrecker Service and Jeff Harker, Portland Street Department, for understanding the situation and allowing my husband time off work if needed.

Another thank you to the Portland Asbury United Methodist Church for purchasing cafeteria meals for us and to Lorraine and Jerry Hicks, Dennis and Linda Mason and Dave and Karen Keen for purchasing us some gas so we could get back and forth.

Thank you Susan with Alberson Floor Covering and General Shanks Elementary School in Portland for the gift of money. It was a great help.

Thank you Portland Head Start children and staff for the wonderful cards, and thank you to all the people who signed Brandon’s get-well card from General Shanks.

Thank you to all the family and friends who called to check on Brandon, visited him, or sent him cards and balloons.

Thank you to Marty Redford for all your help and Debbie and Steve Wilhelm for taking care of Drake, my 5-year-old son, while I was at the hospital and to Chris and Roger Strohl for getting Shelby, my daughter, off to school.

But most of all, thank you God for letting me keep my son.

Toni Mason

Portland[[In-content Ad]]