Tribune Staff

Tomorrow we celebrate the beginning of a new year. And, cynically speaking the day will not be all that special. Aside from a few midweek college football games, the sun will rise and set -- God willing -- as most of us expect.

But the changing of the calendar provides an excellent time to look to the future. This is the perfect time to figure out where we, as a community, are going and how we'll get there.

Vision and direction are key to our success.

One of the most talked about missions ahead for our community is the creation of new jobs.

Similar themes can be seen in hundreds of other cities throughout the United States.

So what makes us think we can make it become a reality here in Lawrence County?

Well, for starters, such a huge mission requires more than a little positive thinking and togetherness.

As Johnny Mercer once crooned, "you've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative."

Such talk may sound rather simplistic, but in reality, if all of our community's leaders could remember Mercer's lyrics whenever faced with a difficult decision, imagine how much unnecessary political rancor could be eliminated. Imagine what this county could do if all of those in leadership worked together -- without exception -- on trying to "sell" this area to potential investors.

The thought is staggering; the possibilities, limitless.

Regardless of how some naysayers might feel, Lawrence County is poised for greatness. South Point's recently opened industrial park known as The Point and Ironton's new economic development area put Lawrence County in a unique position. Two prime segments of real estate stand ready for development.

This year, the mission should be: sell the message of why Lawrence County is such a great place in which to live.

Again, it sounds simple. But, even using Mercer's lyrics as a guide, selling the area is more difficult than it sounds at first. The key, however, is to agree that first that it can be done and second that we can only accomplish this by truly working together.

The new year brings with it lots of potential for finally fulfilling the dreams of creating new jobs here, and what a better time to begin this than immediately.