Did You Hear?

Turning into Linden Pointe, cars every where, police flashing red, white and blue lights to direct the deluge of traffic. Rolling up the hill to find parking, not sure how to get to the dedication center. Various men and women in business suits, business casual, mostly a sea of gray and black with splashes of color hurrying to an area just past a building. Due to the clouding sky, with a past downpour that may show up again, we jump onto the shiny trolley with gleaming oak seats. The driver insisted we join, waving us in. I think the ride proved longer than the walk, but it was smooth, not sweat producing.
The trolley, quiet, takes us around the pristine building to the path to the wedding size white tent. Briskly up the clean cement way, observing all the dignitaries, lawyers and candidates for public office, shaking hands, placing emery boards into those hands. Voices mingle into a low buzz.
A table with name tags printed for the e-Center ceremony sits at the back. Place those name tags on our lapels, turn around to a sea of white folding chairs and several TV cameras. A woman is holding back, scouting out how to stay out of the range of the cameras.
We find seats, not worrying about camera coverage, and wait, covertly seeing who is in the tent. Many stand at the back, still conversing. A white haired man soon is at the podium instructing us to move in more, "Come up to the front." That is where the action is.
Yvonne English, with a black suit and polished hair, the executive director, welcomes us, again encouraging people to move in. She promises more time to mingle. Her voice is pitched with excitement. She has worked hard to see this day happen.
As I listen to the keynote speaker, Dr. Craig Columbus, I plan on going back to college for business. Tomorrow motivates a community. Energy sparkles with his words. New businesses motivate old businesses. I think how generations spur each other to greatness.
Gary Gula, city of Hermitage Assistant Manager, with his closing remarks creates hope for the future of our region. He looked back to the glory days, some of us remember, when this area produced for the world and excellently, the best in the world. Failure may have happened, but we're still here and with the impetus of new business, the region has the ingredients to excel again.
We move to the new building for Networking Social. Freshness, classiness, a blue fireplace, comfortable blue chairs, a sterling entrance greet us. Spirited conversations abound. Cameras with reporters spread throughout the hallways. Print reporters carrying notebooks stand back and observe. Crackling, combustible atmosphere holds promise.
Even the name of the street foretells what will come of this technology incubator- Innovation Way.
In the past, this area also held the future- as Chadderton's Airport. The flat area off RT. 18 intrigued me in our hilly region. The searchlights roaming the night sky in an arch thrilled me to watch. Imaging flying in one of those small airplanes. That showed prosperity.
Now this land with new buildings housing doctors, colleges and innovation with an eye to health and the environment again shines brightly from the Shenango Valley to the future.