By Guy Chapman – Navarro County Gazette
Yes We Can
Since its inception, the Gazette has always been a supporter of arts, education, and history. As residents, we may not always think about the “new” things we get in town, but there have been a lot of really great events and accomplishments in the space of just this last month. I wanted to pause for a moment and take a look at what’s new.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This program debuted the first week of March, allowing newborns to kindergartners the opportunity to get a new, free book each month from this ongoing program. Dolly has a long-standing reputation for her charitable and humanitarian works, and as someone who loved to read as a kid (and still loves books), it’s my thought this program is a real game changer for Navarro County. Everyone deserves the ability to have access to books, and with access as open as this, I hope today’s children will grow to love reading as much as I did.
GW Jackson Statue unveiling. Jackson’s history as an educator extends far beyond Corsicana’s borders. Jackson was an innovator, and there was a genuine sense of community joy when the covering was removed from the statue, and the public saw it for the first time. I recorded the unveiling as well as the speech from sculptor Spencer Evans, and am currently putting together a video… which takes far more time to render than just writing and publishing something, but I plan to debut it this week. There are more photos as well, but I wanted to at least share the initial reveal on social media. People have been waiting years to see the statue. I didn’t feel it was right to hold back that moment any longer.
And finally, last week saw Corsicana become officially certified as the forty-first Music Friendly Texas Community. That’s another “big deal” for our community. It sends a message to music professionals in the industry we are serious about bringing in and being supportive about growing music, bands, and their related events. With the correct and properly attentive support, that means we’ll have opportunities for more concerts and artists coming into town, alleviating any dreaded feelings of “There’s nothing to do here.”
I’ll be sharing a video of this certification during the week as well, because we need to be able to reference these moments. Especially with our 175th year, we need to see our history and make it easily accessible for all.
Back in 2020, I had a conversation with someone about how Corsicana felt like it was starting to turn a corner and really grow into itself. And then of course the pandemic happened, putting a pause on… well, everything really. In the last month, these three moments gave me real hope Corsicana might be finding its stride again, the way it should move forward. From viruses to blizzards, we have survived some of the weirdest stuff in just the last three years. But we’ve also seen a lot of anniversaries for numerous places and organizations highlighting the things that make us… “Us.” It’s time to properly turn that corner.
I hope March is only the beginning.
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