A note from the President

All America City a reason to be proud

Written by Susan L. Milhoan, APR President
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, Jackson, MI
April 24, 2001
Provided by Burrelle's Information Services

As a child, when my family would set out on the tortuous car trip that always preceded any vacation, my mother would invariably say "Getting there is half the fun." Of course this point was completely lost on us as we poked and taunted each other in the back seat.

That phrase came to mind last month as we put the finishing touches on Jackson's application to be considered an All America City. The process itself, which lasted almost three months, brought together a diverse group of individuals and gave all of us a reason to take a critical look at Jackson's recent progress. The competition requires applicants to identify three community challenges that have been successfully addressed in the past three years.

The list of challenges reviewed at the first meeting of the application team might have painted a negative picture of Jackson if it were not for the fact that an even greater number of successful community-based programs have been put in place to tackle those problems. Instead of searching for good news about Jackson we faced the task of selecting just three success stories.

The application process itself was a refreshing exercise in community appreciation. Those who have been fortunate to always live in Jackson know this has always been a good safe place to live. Certainly it has suffered from ups and downs, but it remains fundamentally good. The Jackson natives on the team were admittedly surprised at the wealth of positives from which to choose.

Sometimes it takes an assignment like the All America City application to give us reason to be proud. Or, as French author Marcel Proust explained: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."