Why Berea: Good Friday on Aisle 1

Almost three years ago, we converted our Master Bedroom into a living room and added a full apartment on to our home for my 64 year old parents.  While a bit young to be fully retiring, my dad had a massive heart attack about 8 years ago that left him severely disabled, leading to our decision to cohabitate.  My parents who had been living in Las Vegas for the past decade, are Thai, and if I had to be honest, there have been many moments over the last three years that I've wondered if this move was the right decision for them.  My mom has to drive 45 miles just to buy her favorite spices.  Dad's doctors and specialists are all in Richmond and Lexington.  There is no Thai community in Berea to speak of, unless you count Miss Wanpen who owns the local Thai restaurant.

And just when you least expect it, something so seemingly insignificant happens to confirm what you've known in your heart to be true all along.  My multi-cultural, multi-faith family is right where we are supposed to be.  This Good Friday evening, my mother returned home from her weekly grocery shopping at Wal-mart with this colorful cross clutched in her hands.  Mr. "James", the 80-something  year old, Berea local/front door greeter, who always tells my mom she is the most beautiful woman he's ever met, handed her this cross tonight.  He had noticed my mom in the store before, pushing my dad in his wheelchair, and he asked what had happened to my dad.  After my mom told Mr. James about my dad's heart attack, he reached into his pocket and asked her to give this cross to my dad.  He said that he had blessed it himself, and that he hoped it would help my dad get better.  And that is how my non-Christian, non-local, Thai mother celebrated her first Good Friday, witnessing first-hand, the true Gospel of love.  Right there at the entrance of our local Wal-mart.  Right here in Berea, Kentucky.  Right here where we belong.

What is One Thing You Would Change About Berea? How Might YOU Set This Change In Motion?

Saturday Groupthink group•think [groop-thingk]   noun 

1. the practice of approaching problems or issues as matters that are best dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently 

 

My partner and I are considering purchasing a home in Berea, and the lack of neighborhoods with sidewalks and lack of neighborhoods with sidewalk access to amenities has been pretty startling and discouraging. We could live in a neighborhood off 1016 and even though we would be within reasonable walking distance (for our current health) to stuff in town, there is no safe way to walk up the 55mph road. I know the same goes for Scaffold Cane, and other roads in Berea. While there are other things I think should change in Berea, the lack of sidewalks and safe paths for pedestrians is a really big one that, if dealt with, could open up the town for more community-building and put a dent in tackling other issues.

I know this is one that everyone always brings up, but we need to make it legal to sell alcohol in Berea, at least in local restaurants. In fact, I would prefer it be limited to local businesses, so we don't have a bunch of chain stores like Applebee's coming in. However we do it, it needs to be done. There is just no other way to bring in the kind of revenue needed to make the many other changes we would all like to see.

A sidewalk from college down scaffold Cain rd so people and kids can walk safely.  Bring before city planning and implore them to use infrastructure monies to build these.

Good activities for teens - bring businesses like movie theaters, new restaurants and laser tag or entertainment companies in.  Encourage law makers and the college to support economic development youth engagement and tourism. Stop sending this down the road to Richmond or Lexington. Build up this community and make more young people and tourists want to be here.

I would put more playgrounds.  There are tons of children where I live (next to Whitehouse Clinic) and empty lots.

Not to get too deep but Net neutrality has ended, and one could argue that the internet is the base line of capitalism.  We should offer free online service to every business and person that lives in this town, lets push the envelope of what we can do for the greater good.  if Berea is really going to be a craft mecca and not a random pawn shop you pass by driving down I-75 we need to be spectacular... Let's have glitter on us cause we rock so hard on being a strong community that supports itself in the information age.

 

Every time I am in Asheville, it reminds me of Berea. The potential for Berea to be the most awesome city in  KY there. Organic, local, just add an awesome drink to the mix.

* Every Saturday from now through election day (November 4th), I will be utilizing social media to pose a question to Bereans to explore what we value most about our town, and what we are willing to do to make it the very best.  Please chime in as much as you can so we better understand what is on the minds of Bereans with different perspectives.  Feel free to add your comments here too!