Published: April 04, 2008 11:10 am         

Smoot a Keyser council candidate

Editor's note: Stephen Smoot submitted this announcement for his candidacy.

KEYSER, W.Va. - Over a century ago it was an exciting time to live in a small city. Railroads snaked their way through the hills and valleys and each town yearned to have its own stop. Access to the railroad meant more convenience for shippers and consumers, creating opportunities unimaginable just a few years before. As most people around here know, Keyser took part in this period of prosperity.

We now enter a new era of possibilities. Having a business-friendly infrastructure at one time meant that the railroad ran through your town. Later on, federal routes and expressways favored some cities over others. In the 21st century, it is not just transportation, but connection to the most advanced technology that will help towns attract business and residents. Gov. Joe Manchin has already made it his goal to eventually hook all of West Virginia to broadband Internet access, but some areas will get this benefit before others. Just as with the railroad and federal highway system, Keyser needs to be connected as quickly as possible. This will give us an edge in attracting economic development.

This is only one of many issues I intend to work on if elected to City Council. Keyser is full of some of the most innovative, creative and friendly people around. You can see that people have faith in their future when they buy older homes to remodel. They invest their time and money, banking on Keyser's future. We must reward people's faith by maintaining what is strong about the city while striving to improve for the future.

As a parent I see every day the benefits of having accessible, safe and (very importantly) fun parks for the children. The quality of parks directly impacts many families' quality of life. Certainly like every other city in West Virginia, Keyser has limited financial resources and has done what it can considering what is there to spend. That does not mean that it cannot be done. Money from different sources, both public and private, is made available all the time. Relentlessly pursuing these sources while mobilizing our human resources will help us move in the right direction. Imagination is needed to find solutions to problems such as speeders in residential neighborhoods. It is easy to simply say "we need more police," but the problem is that funds are not there. Imagination is required.

Change is all around us and we must recognize it. Positive changes occur constantly, but so do negative. As larger cities improve their abilities to combat drug dealers and gangs, these elements gravitate more to the suburbs and smaller cities. Anticipating the problem means working hard to get our police the additional funds needed to keep their technology and tactics up to date.

I understand many of the problems that we face. My kids ride their bicycles on streets where careless motorists speed. The drug problem that is growing among our young should frighten any parent. I want my children to have the opportunity to return to Keyser if they so desire because it offers a lot of opportunity for them to succeed in what they want to do in life. We must find ways to improve our quality of life in the short term while creating a vision of prosperity in the long run.

This year Keyser has a unique opportunity. This year's election places three new faces on the City Council, with one more to be appointed later. These individuals have the chance to work together as a team with the community to create a vision of where Keyser should move in the next 20 years. The city of Keyser has a chance to elect a government to maintain what has been working thus far while building a new future.