I’ve been reading with interest the ongoing debate concerning the future of our hometown, Centralia.
The situation reminds me of the story of the blind men and the elephant — depending on which part of the elephant each man was holding, their understanding of what this thing was differed completely.
But it was still an elephant.
Think of the Native American story of four people viewing an enormous rock from different angles on the compass — north, south, east and west. No matter what each person described, it was the same rock.
The exchange of opinions at the June 9 Centralia City Council were insightful because, as Mayor Chirs Brewer commented at the end of the discussion, we’re all looking at ways for our area to grow and thrive — because we care.
I applaud the questions that were asked by Centralia City Council members of Dennis Rice from Logistics Property Company. I believe they are the result of due diligence, not “a lack of understanding of industrial development.”
The council held several public meetings on the traffic buildup on Harrison Avenue, and it was overwhelmingly considered a problem.
There are so many unknowns in the future of digital technology, and the concern is that wealthy companies will move in and make changes that increase their wealth at the expense of the quality of life for the people the city councilors work hard to improve.
Audrey Kimball
Centralia
