In my last column I asked readers to comment on the future of our community, which is of great concern right now. At the time this issue went to press there was still no official word about the Heritage. At the same time we learned that we’re in danger of losing the last commercial airline service to Hilton Head Island: US Airways is contemplating cutting off its service to Charlotte.
While these two incidents are only a small part of what drives our economy and quality of life, they are symbolically very significant because they signal that this region may be falling from its elite status.
It is evident that we need to come up with a long-term plan to revive our image and the quality of the user experience for residents and visitors alike. The ideas need to go much further than merely cutting a few trees at the landing strip and extending the runway. We should look at this as important opportunity to ask ourselves what type of community we want to be. There are many great possibilities, but most of them revolve on the following central themes: nature, learning, sports and arts, which all have an element of discovery at their core.
Here are some other suggestions from our readers, as gathered in our online poll:
