Together, we will be able to weather the coming storm

There’s been an abundance of bad news on the local and state economic fronts lately. State, county, city and college revenues are down, and there’s no telling when the picture will brighten.

Unfortunately, that means tough times are coming. But there’s one thing we do know: Powell will remain strong through the determination of its leaders and residents. We’ve proved it before, and we’ll prove it again. One of the best things about our community is the way we pull together, whether it be helping a neighbor during tough times, volunteering for a worthy cause or accomplishing a community goal.

Weathering those tough times will require us all to keep some things in mind:

• We must shop locally as much as possible. Our local businesses are only as strong as we make them. They support us, as individuals and as a community, each and every day; we need to do likewise. A strong business community benefits us all.

• Supporting economic development efforts, locally and statewide, is more important now than ever. This isn’t the time to pull back on those efforts. Locally, we must continue to develop a community vision and work together to accomplish those goals and to keep our city and county strong.

• We’ve seen what happens when Wyoming puts all its economic eggs into the energy industry basket. During energy booms, it seems great. But, when that energy basket topples, as it has in the last year and a half, the state and its communities are left scrambling for revenue. That will change only by continuing our efforts to diversify Wyoming’s economy.

• Statewide, we must adapt to new energy realities. While the price of oil almost surely will rebound after a period of time, the future of coal is uncertain. But, looking down the road, there is no question that the way Americans plan to meet their energy needs is changing.

In addition to providing today’s energy, we should be on the forefront of the technology that will fuel tomorrow’s transportation and electricity generation. Wyoming’s mineral wealth and abundant wind and sunshine make our state the ideal frontier for coal gasification, wind farms, solar and nuclear energy.

Ideally, we would have made a more serious effort to start this process during the last boom, when cash was available to fund it. Waiting longer is not the answer; the longer we wait, the greater the chance that we will lose the opportunity.

• This is a time when we need to be cognizant of our neighbors’ needs. A smile, a kind word and a selfless act of service may not solve their problems, but they will go a long way toward easing the stress that comes with them.

Those are the kinds of things that strengthen a community, one person at a time.