MESSAGE FROM THE CHAMBER: COMING HOME

Provided by Adrienne McKeown, Chair of the Board, Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce

As school gets underway, this will be a bittersweet year in our household. Our oldest child and only daughter will be a senior at Harrisburg High. We’ve spent 17 years preparing for this, but now that it’s just around the corner, I look back and wonder how those years went so quickly.

I also have found myself starting to wonder what it will be like for her when she goes off to college and then returns home for a weekend or holiday break. Given the rapid pace of development in Harrisburg, I’m sure recent graduates come back and are surprised by how much has changed so quickly. With new businesses and schools popping up and new streets making their way through the heart of the city, do these young people even recognize their hometown when they return?

While the physical elements of Harrisburg are ever changing, I’m hoping that my children and yours will always remember the non-tangible characteristics of growing up in a small community. We hear the term “small-town charm” used to describe Harrisburg often, and while that may have different meanings for different people, it tends to paint a picture reminiscent of Mayberry. We are so blessed to live in a community where people look out for one another, where you can see someone in the grocery store and recognize them from church or your child’s activities, and where local businesses support the community.

This has been a tough year for businesses in the heart of Harrisburg. The road construction has taken its toll on foot traffic and sales, but our businesses continue to give back to the community. Now is the time for us to rally around them and show them our support. In small towns, neighbors help neighbors, and your local businesses are owned, operated and staffed by your neighbors. Not only that, but the dollars you spend locally also generate sales tax revenue that is then spent on improvements for you and your neighbors.

Here’s wishing you all a great school year, whether it’s your child’s first, last, or somewhere in between! And as our community continues to grow, may we all do our part to make sure that our smalltown charm doesn’t disappear. After all, we want our children to be able to recognize home when they come back to visit — no matter how old they are — and to remember that Harrisburg is a great place to call home.