Don't be content with status quo

To the editor:

I have several topics I’d like to share and they all have to do with Jay County.

Rumors are flying, but let me be one of the many who thinks we have enough auto parts stores as well as banks, pharmacies and pizza places. As I have seen over the past few years, Portland has its favorites and at some point one of these places will close. People I talk to agree that we don’t need any more of these and what we need is a dining restaurant or two and an Aldi or something like it.

Next topic: Every summer I deal with un-mowed grass on the highway. The grass is cut sometimes just once a year and usually in July. The problem I have with that is it’s easier to see deer in cut grass than in tall grass. I don’t want to play dodge ’em with animals.

Next topic: This is my favorite time of year besides Christmas. You have the parades, fireworks and, of course, the fair, and I still love every bit of it at my age. When I was growing up we had every band around the area come to Fort Recovery, even the Jay County band. You didn’t have room for too much farm equipment in the parade because there was so much other stuff in it. You knew when the fair was in town. We would drive to Portland and you could see a sign that read “Cumberland.”

Everything was an event. It’s not like that anymore. Hopefully one day these events can be what they used to be, although I realize it takes money for these things.

I just hope that we are not content with the way things are. If you’re OK with mediocre, that’s what you’ll get — mediocre.

Joseph Resler

Portland