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While it's important to get a reminder about the many good things that can be found across our area, it's also nice to hear that some of those things that we might take for granted help to draw visitors and, sometimes, might just lead to people wanting to make the region their home.
Examples of those sentiments could be found during the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting and awards banquet. The 160 or so guests who gathered Oct. 30 in the Christ the Teacher Academic Center on the campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville heard about the chamber's successes in the past year while recognizing Bill and Marsha Cable of Austin Lake RV Park and Cabins, who were the recipients of the chamber's lifetime achievement award.
Austin Lake is a prime example of an area attraction that not only provides a location where area residents can relax and enjoy outdoor activities, it draws people from many parts of the country who are looking for a quality place to bring their families. The 1,300-acre RV park and 80-acre lake offer everything from a place to swim to family cabins and other amenities.
The Cables work hard to maintain the levels of service that have made the park a premiere place to enjoy the summer, which it has been since 1946. Their work has led to local, regional and national recognition. And a big part of that success stems from, as Bill Cable said, always remembering that the only way to survive is to surround yourself with smart people.
It all tied in with the theme of the 116th-annual event -- Adventure Awaits in Jefferson County -- and it was reflected in chamber President Kate Sedgmer's remarks.
"We know that our history and scenic landscapes and our vibrant community events are not only drawing visitors, but they're attracting talent and investment to our area," she said. "Go to downtown Steubenville, go to Toronto -- you can see the sparks of excitement that are beginning to happen.
"We need to capitalize on what we have to offer rather than on what we may be lacking. We're helping to build a county that thrives through collaboration at the chamber, and we have all of you to thank for that, together with other agencies and organizations. We're moving past personal agendas, shaking hands and working for the greater good," she added.
Working together and encouraging new generations to be willing to use their talents is critical to growth.
"We are deeply committed to addressing the pressing needs of our business community, especially when we see a continued demand for a workforce that is skilled and educated," she said.
"We believe that fostering a vibrant workforce starts with our young people, which is why our workforce starts with our young people, which is why our committees like workforce training and education are introducing our students to a wide range of career paths available right here in Jefferson County," Sedgmer continued.
"We're trying to bridge the gap between the current workforce and the new generation of leaders. We are creating an environment that encourages young entrepreneurs to take the reins and contribute their talents to our community. This year alone, we have gathered more than 3,000 people at our networking events, fostering connections that strengthen our business community, and instead of a culture of competitors, our members are collaborating in ways that are building a stronger and more united business community," she added.
That includes the work of the Jefferson County Young Professionals -- which is looking to join forces with the Brooke and Hancock County Young Professionals --and the continued growth of the chamber's Ambassadors. Both components recognized members during the evening -- Taylor Steeves of Taylor Insurance and Financial Services as Ambassador of the Year, and Stephanie Creek of WTOV-TV as Young Professional of the Year.
Many of those who attended the dinner were seeing the university's newest academic building for the first time. Opened in August, the 110,797-square-foot Christ the Teacher Academic Hall and Pope St. John Paul VI Conference Center represents a $59 million investment by the university. It's a place where students can learn -- and members of the community can gather.
Both are important, as Joe Wallace explained.
"I was fortunate to live across the country in a lot of beautiful places like the Silicon Valley and Charleston, S.C. But we decided to come back, come back to Steubenville for the mission of this university and to be a part of this, but also, most important, for the values of Jefferson County, Steubenville and the Upper Ohio Valley," said Wallace, who is an extremely busy man this time of year. In addition to his work as the school's director of community relations, Wallace is the head coach of the university's men's basketball team.
"A lot of outsiders will look at our area as rusty, old and outdated, but, from the inside, we see something totally different here," Wallace said. "This community has values, values that put faith first in their lives. It's not afraid to bring faith to the workplace and this is a community that puts its family at the center, which isn't everywhere in this world. The family in Steubenville is the core of what this place is all about. The outside community forgets that we mined the coal here, we produced the steel that built the buildings that built cities around the country, that won wars.
"People forget that. The blue-collar mentality still exists in this area, but the more we show the outside the values that we really hold close here, and the more we continue to keep working together … you know, seeing so many people connected throughout this community together tonight, the more that we work together, the more that we can continue to move the needle, the more opportunity and growth will continue to come to this valley," he continued.
"That's what this building symbolized to us -- I wasn't going to sit up here and talk about how special this is and how state-of-the-art this building is. But I wanted to show that symbolization of how the outside world is starting to look at Jefferson County and Steubenville.
"They see our values, they see what we're about, and we're going to keep striving forward to create a better life, a better future, not only for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren."
It's a good reminder of one of the components that makes our region special.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)