Letters to the Editor...

As many of you know, I’m not a resident of Grove, although next week I will be establishing a small part-time residence on the lake outside of town. However, I do feel that we are major stakeholders in Grove with our investment in the Professional Center at 13th & Shundi. Even more importantly, I have grown to truly enjoy and treasure the friendships and acquaintances that I have made here through our business and the civic groups that I’m active in. For this reason, I feel compelled to add a few comments to the Editorial, “Grove Going into Crisis Mode”.

McAlester is mentioned in this editorial as being a city government in crisis. Not that many years ago, the elected officials, business leaders, and citizens of Webb City, Missouri, were constantly fighting each other for power, critiquing each other’s every move, and making decisions based on “whose side they were on”. The growth in that town became stagnant, there was no new industry or construction, and people began moving to Joplin or Carl Junction. Finally, those who remained realized they had to get along and work together if this little city was going to survive. Take a drive over there now! Look at the new businesses, schools, houses, medical facilities, shopping centers, restaurants, stores, etc. It’s amazing what happened once they quit bickering and become united. We all know Grove has much more to offer than Webb City does. I hope we don’t “miss the boat” for this opportunity for growth because we’re too caught up in making decisions based on emotions instead of what is best for this community.

I also know that Grove and the surrounding area is full of honest, hardworking people who don’t deserve to have the place where they live, work, and raise their families being made fun of in major newspapers across the four-state area due to all of this fighting and intimidation. It hurts tourism and it certainly doesn’t impress any prospective businesses looking to establish a presence here. Another group that is suffering through this is the city employees. Imagine how uncomfortable all of this must be for them as they try to do their jobs and follow through on projects not knowing from one day to the next who’s in charge. Is it the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager, a new City Manager, a Project Engineer, the City Council? I really feel sorry for these folks – they’re just trying to do their jobs and make a living!

Let’s put some of the wasted energy going into all of this arguing toward issues like affordable housing for our citizens, a new hospital that offers Level I Trauma Care for accident victims, Geriatric care for our elderly, and recruiting new industries to Grove to provide jobs so our residents can work here instead of in Arkansas and Missouri. Show up at the City Council Meetings the first and third Tuesday of each month. Maybe if enough interest is shown, eventually someone will even open up a bigger room to meet in so we can all sit down instead of standing in the hallway.

Whether you like it or not, the five city councilpersons were elected by the citizens of Grove. It’s not fair to question and undermine their every decision just because some people in this community have too much free time. Maybe some of the items on the agenda shouldn’t even be discussed in a public forum. I don’t know. On the other hand, these five people were entrusted by your votes to make fair, sound judgments that will result in the best possible outcome for the citizens of Grove. That requires compromise, integrity, and a love for this great city and the people who live here. I hope and pray this is foremost in all their minds!

Connie Brewer