Editorials
Editorials Archive

Time to seize the moment
, Publisher
07-29-2010

Farmerville was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the state’s Development Ready Community pilot program.
As part of that program, Farmerville held a town hall style meeting last Tuesday at the Willie Davis, Jr., Recreation Center. It was a meeting that was open to the public to solicit ideas, thoughts and suggestions to help move Farmerville forward.
The whole idea of the Development Ready Program is for the participating towns to create a master plan to help position themselves to compete with other communities for the location and expansion of new businesses.
It is a terrific opportunity for Farmerville, which was one of eight communities selected to participate. Last Tuesday’s meeting, which was moderated by Miriam Russell, the Northeast Louisiana Regional Director for Louisiana Economic Development.
We were impressed with the turnout. About 50 residents and business people from across the spectrum in Farmerville came to the meeting to offer their views and insights.
We know this isn’t the first time Farmerville has gone through the process of putting together a master plan, as have other communities. But this time it needs to be different and it needs to be executed.
As we navigate our way through one of our nation’s most challenging economic situations and on the heels of our own near economic meltdown following the Pilgrim’s Pride/Foster Farms saga, the time is now to develop a way forward.
But plans are just that – plans. For this exercise to work, once in place, our business leaders and politicians must put the plan into action.
“Plans can look grand and sound grand, but if there’s no follow through, what good have you done?’’ Russell said.
Russell referred to this project as a “road map to readiness.’’ And if the last year-and-a-half have taught us anything, it’s that we better prepare for the future and look at diversifying our economic portfolio.
As Russell said, a plan that sits on a bookshelf and collects dust is just as useful as having no plan at all. Lets formulate a plan and then execute it.
The future of Farmerville depends upon it.