By most measures, the New Year finds things going well for most people in East Polk. The economy is vigorous, employment is high and progress is apparent in a wide variety of areas that affect the quality of life here. Leaders get a passing mark -- there are a few dreadful weaknesses -- and virtually every city in East Polk can point to marked progress.
But given our opportunities and given our responsibilities in this time and place, we the people and our political, business and civic leaders have much work to do to advance the public agenda.
An array of challenges and needs, as well as opportunities to be seized upon, all point to important goals for the area's individual and collective leadership.
Planning for the future. It takes courage and hard work to plan and commit to a thoughtful course for the future. Winter Haven's "Visioning" process, which started in 1999, will enter the implementation phase during the coming year after the drafted plan is shared widely and shaped by public input. The plan is rich with good ideas for increased use of lakes resources, improved education, stronger neighborhoods, downtown revitalization and economic development. One measure of local leaders will be how well they help shape and embrace the final visioning plan and help ensure the work of more than 150 participants is implemented. Improved planning is apparent in several cities, especially in Lake Wales, Dundee, Auburndale and Lake Alfred, where proactive leaders are demonstrating greater commitment to the long-term view.
Education. While test scores indicate progress, Polk County generally has the well-deserved reputation of being far behind in education. Teacher pay is far too low; funding for supplies is woefully inadequate and parental support is often lacking. Legislators and the school board must set and reach goals for dramatic improvement.
The planned retirement of Superintendent Glenn Reynolds points to an interruption in leadership, if not a slowdown in progress. Unfortunately, the best school administrator our system can afford or deserves probably will not replace him. We will have to settle for whichever local school system bureaucrat or other person decides to muster a political campaign. Polk desperately needs to move to an appointed superintendent.
Transportation. The five-cent gasoline tax that took effect with the New Year will address some county roads problems, though certainly not all. As the county commission seeks other ways to do that, attention also must be given to U.S. 27 and such arteries as SR 542, which are stacked too far behind on state road department schedules. Local political pressure and other resources must be brought to bear to speed things up. And now that the Polk Parkway is completed, state and county officials must turn attention to improved roadways to and through East Polk, including Highway 60 and U.S. 27.
Winter Haven's publicly funded bus system, which started up in 1999, now needs to be linked to other cities and ridership needs to increase through persistent marketing and flexibility of routes.
Racial and ethnic harmony. Ours is an area of widely disparate incomes and education levels. Sadly, the disparities correlate too closely with color and ethnicity in far too many cases. Races are more segregated than they should be and bigotry is tolerated here. If for no other reason we must address these matters in order for our area to reach its fullest potential. Every leader -- political, business, civic and spiritual -- has the responsibility to be proactive in addressing these shortcomings, as does every individual.
Other key challenges. East Polk's substantial challenges go beyond the four topics identified above, of course. Economic development, meaning the need to grow and enrich the jobs base, is one such area. Especially important will be to improve the quality of jobs being created and to take advantage of high tech opportunities that may be available along the I-4 corridor. Other key challenges fall under the umbrella of healthy lifestyles, especially in the areas of drug abuse, teen-age pregnancy, domestic abuse and health-care access.
The News Chief will take a special interest in all of these issues and will attempt to report on progress in each area during coming months and at year's end. We heartily welcome and will be happy to publish reader comments about all of these issues.
Yes, times are relatively good as the New Year dawns on East Polk. But with good fortune for so many there comes the opportunity and the responsibility to improve the lot for all.
How well that is accomplished in 2000 will be the measure of our individual and collective courage, commitment and leadership.
