15 years and counting

Arts Through Abilities studio presenting art show

First Posted: 4/22/2014 It&#8217;s one of those human characteristics: We often don&#8217;t appreciate what we have, and tend to always believe the grass is greener on the other side of the street.
That was my immediate reaction when I read the results of the Gallup organization&#8217;s most recent Well-Being Index. This poll on how residents of various metropolitan areas across the United States view their own well-being found the Greater Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area among the communities with low opinions of themselves.
That isn&#8217;t the way I see Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and the Great Northeast. I&#8217;m more in line with Forbes magazine&#8217;s Top 10 list that recognizes Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as the eighth best city in the United States for raising a family.
Gallup&#8217;s study focused on a number of factors such as health, work environment and access to basic necessities. There is, of course, room for improvement in all of these areas; however, our area has made &#8211; and continues to make &#8211; great strides in all of them.
Health is a major topic of interest, not only locally, but throughout the country. The Healthy Northeast Pennsylvania Initiative, a regional membership-based organization that focuses on community health, recently completed its latest Community Health Needs Assessment. The findings aren&#8217;t surprising. For example, there&#8217;s a need for improved access to health care for underinsured and uninsured people, as well as a need for people to live healthier lifestyles.
That&#8217;s similar to Gallup&#8217;s findings on health insurance and data showing that a significant number of people are overweight. Healthy Northeast and its members are implementing a variety of programs to address these needs, and everyone &#8211; as individuals &#8211; should do our part as well. Get up and get moving, for example. Eat right. And please don&#8217;t smoke. These things alone will improve the health of our community.
Over the years, the chamber of commerce has continually focused on our area&#8217;s work environment. More than 12,700 people are employed in the five business parks directly developed by the chamber and its affiliated organizations. These business parks (Crestwood Industrial Park, Hanover Industrial Estates, Hanover Crossing, Corporate Center at East Mountain and Highland Park) comprise approximately 2,637 acres and generate more than $8.7 million annually in county, municipal and school district tax revenues. In addition, there are more than 18,000 people working today in jobs that can be traced to 210 different chamber-assisted business location or expansion projects from 1985 to 2011.
Gallup&#8217;s study is quantitative and, I believe, statistically accurate. After all, Gallup is expert at this. What&#8217;s more helpful, though, is the qualitative feedback that shows what our area really has to offer. The area is a great place in which to live, work and raise a family. Individuals and companies that have located here consistently tell the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber that it is the quality of life that attracted them here, including:
&#8226; The character of our community and sense of neighborhood.
&#8226; World-class venues such as the Mohegan Sun Arena, the Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and Pocono Raceway &#8211; as well as a tremendous number of outdoor venues such as the River Common, nearby state parks, lakes, walking trails, ski resorts and festivals.
&#8226; The work ethic of the people who live here.
&#8226; Our region&#8217;s strategic location in the Mid-Atlantic region and close proximity to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore/Washington, D.C., and the New Jersey shore.
&#8226; Extremely low commute times.
&#8226; Availability of housing, from city living in downtown condos to country living or outstanding suburban communities.
&#8226; Our health care providers (we have one of the highest-ranked providers in the country!), along with The Commonwealth Medical College and a national graduate medical residency program (The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education).
&#8226; Numerous well-respected and accomplished higher educational institutions that work to make our community stronger.
&#8226; The people who live and work here, their strong work ethic and desire to continually enhance their community.
I do appreciate what Gallup does with its Well-Being Index, because it either allows people to take pride in their community or realize that work remains to improve it. Why not both? I&#8217;m proud of Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and the Great Northeast. And I&#8217;m committed to making it even better. How about you?

COMMENTARY: TROY STANDISH Be optimistic about W-B region