Dying small towns are not restricted to central New York. In fact, it’s a world wide problem that people are dealing with as far away as western Australia and Scotland. This past Monday night, David Beurle, an Australian, was scheduled to speak at the Herkimer BOCES complex in Herkimer on behalf of Breakthrough Central New York, an organization committed to empowering the people of central New York and reviving their communities. The focus of this presentation is how to not only keep small town communities alive, but even better, how to make them thrive and prosper. In past lectures, Beurle has explained the differences between survival and success. And the difference he notes, is the people, regardless of what country they live in. It’s the people in the community that make the difference between a community’s life and death. It’s the people who choose to make the most of what they have, and improve on it, or who can’t see past the roadblocks, and give up. Cherry Valley is a perfect example of people working together to make their community the best that it can be. Over the years they’ve had to deal with decisions made that could have destroyed their community. For example, when the interstate bypassed them it could have meant their death. But instead, the people persevered and continue to focus on the positives. They may not have a direct path off the interstate, but look at everything else working in their favor. They have history. They have beautiful landscapes. What more do they need? Ideas. Enthusiasm. Energy. Dedication. And they’ve got all that, too. This past weekend marked the first International Kite Festival hosted by Cherry Valley Artworks. People came from across the United States to gather together to fly kites. Go figure. Flying kites? Something as simple as setting a beautifully created banner on a string and letting it sail in the wind brought hundreds of people together to laugh, sing, dance, and soar. This isn’t the only recent event bringing people together in Cherry Valley. A more somber event has linked the residents, young and old alike, to work together in the spirit of community to make something happen. With the recent diagnosis of a favorite teacher’s son, students at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School have organized a fundraising event that does more than just raise money. While the effort was initially organized to help ease the burdens of Steve Davis’ son, Jason Loonan, who at 31 years old has recently been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, the Oct. 6 event is accomplishing so much more. It’s bringing people together in the spirit of community. It’s creating a rallying, and rewarding people for their effort, their interest, in helping one another. Cherry Valley is a shining example of a thriving small town, not a dying community petering away into the shredded fragments of a ghost town. People all throughout central New York should look to Cherry Valley and follow their example.
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