Comfortably Numb

Hello? Is anybody in there?

These are the opening lines of the Pink Floyd song Comfortably Numb and after a year of living in Kennett I wonder if that’s what we’ve become?

When I first relocated to Kennett to be closer to family and parents from the Chicagoland area, most in the community questioned why?

What they didn’t understand was that some of the things they took for granted I embraced.

Less crime, no traffic jams and goodbye to harsh winters.

My wife and I have made wonderful friends here and have grown to love the area.

Having said that, it still dismays me to hear the majority of Kennett residents tell it like it was.

I’ve attended a few poorly attended town halls and mostly hear about problems and no solutions.

It started me to thinking about the future of the community.

What are some solutions?

When people, especially those who are new to the area, look for a place to live, three things are usually non-negotiable.

First, public safety. That doesn’t mean crime free, but does the community as a whole convey a general feeling of safety.

Quality schools. This in fact is probably at the top of the list. New residents, especially parents are going to take a hard look at school systems throughout the region. They’ll pick a house not just by looks or neighborhood but by the where the kids will attend school. For a community to thrive, the schools must thrive.

Lastly, is it a full service community. Does it have access to parks, recreation, supermarkets, dining options and a reasonable selection of retail shopping?

Kennett, indeed has a lot to offer potentially.

I would love to hear from the community as to what you think the future of Kennett holds and not to just list problems, but offer solutions.

Is Kennett poised to take the next step?

As a local businessman recently said, it’s time to get busy.

Or have we become comfortably numb?