Using What You Have

I was at a Community Betterment conference once, listening to a speaker talking about “Using What You Have”, and I learned a very important truth that has stuck with me. That is…what seems commonplace to those who live in a community is unique to others who visit.
In other words, people in the Maysville area are so used to seeing the same thing every day that we tend to overlook what we have. The people and places we are used to seeing become almost mundane, having nothing special about them. But to an outsider visiting our area, what we have is unique. So, let’s think about what we have.
Maysville has a beautiful golf course. My brother, who is an avid golfer and has traveled to many areas to play, says Lakesite’s course has some of the best greens around. Well done, Lakesite, for keeping your course the way you do! This is a draw to our area and should be promoted as such.
We have some nice fishing lakes. My cousin has come here to fish since he was a kid and continues to come from St Joseph to do so. Go to Willow Brook lake sometime at sunset, and just sit and soak in the serenity there. Along with fishing, Pony Express Lake has a great campground for people who like to camp.
If you have not been to Paul Hamby’s place south of town on Hwy 33, you should drive up there and see it. He operates a global online dairy supply business, but outside he has created the coolest thing. Paul has replicated the railroad system that used to supply our area and was the basis for the start up of all our surrounding towns. The railroad replica is complete with operating trains and track, buildings, trees, ponds and a waterfall, all situated next to a lovely picnic area that is available for anyone to use.  He can be contacted on his web page hambydairysupply.com.
A lot of people are interested in searching their heritage and ancestry now. The volunteers at the DeKalb County Historical Society and Genealogical Library are always busy researching ancestry. They would be glad to help you search yours. The museum there has the most amazing items of history from our area. You should take a day, or two, to check it out. They are open Mon-Fri 9:30 to 11:30, and 12:30 to 2:30, April through October. November through March open only on Wednesdays.
If you’d like to take a day to get back to the country, schedule a visit to the Faithful Acres Alpacas farm for an alpaca encounter. Spending time with these gentle, friendly and inquisitive creatures can’t help but make you smile. It’s a great place to bring your kids and grandkids. An onsite farm store will be open soon, (probably by summer–the shop area is under construction) where visitors to the farm can shop for products made from the soft alpaca fiber, quilts and quilted items, and vintage home décor. Call 816-457-0485 for an individual visit or group tour or visit their site at faithfulacresalpacas.com.
In the near future, the Positive Action Community Association (aka PACA) will have the old Theatre Anne building on the NE corner of Maysville’s square renovated and will be open again as a service resource center and a venue for local talented crafters. Space will be available for vendors to sell their wares.
Interested citizens have been working on plans and ways to finance walking/bike trails in the area. We hope this can come together and bring this to a reality. This would be a great asset to the community.
Know of other areas of interest?  I know there are more. Send me a message on the contact page about what you think our community has to offer, and I will write about it! Think of what we have. Embrace it, utilize it, promote it, and help our unique community to thrive!