Opinion : To the Editor: Seeking a better future for Vinton

My name is Drew Sallee, and I am a proud Vinton resident. In fact other than my 5 years serving our country in the U.S. Army, I have lived here in Vinton for almost my entire life. I'm also a husband to an amazing wife, and father to 3 young sons. I consider myself to be very blessed for all of these reasons.

Growing up here, I attended Washington High School. I planned to attend college after I was done with high school. But something happened along the way, and instead of college, I made the decision to serve my country in the United States Army. So ten days after I turned 18, that's exactly what I did. I served for 5 years before coming back to Vinton. I had seen some amazing places along the way, but growing up here made me realize that this was where I wanted to be to start a family. As soon as I returned, I began my college career here at Kirkwood, attending night school while working full-time during the day. It also happens to be where I met my future wife! Kirkwood is just one of the many wonderful things that our community has to offer.

Now, this wasn't how I had originally planned things to happen. But somehow, I ended up right where I wanted to be. Doing what I always wanted to do. Raising my family in our terrific little town. And the point I'm trying to make, is that things don't always go as planned, but without a plan in place to begin with, you have very little chance of accomplishing anything at all.

Our country wouldn't be what it is today if there wasn't a plan in place. It's called The Constitution. And it is absolutely the most important part of why our country is what it is today. Now it may be said that The Constitution is not perfect, and that is absolutely true. Which is why we have added Amendments to help us along the way. No plan is perfect, and plans can change over time. But to try and secure a better future for our families without one is absurd. Can you imagine what life would be like had our country not developed this plan? Or if we hadn't formed a few amendments along the way? And that is exactly why our community needs the same thing. A plan for a better tomorrow. Having a plan doesn't mean you can't adjust it along the way. It just means that we as a city have an idea on where we want to be, and then we spend our time looking to the future and together, work toward that common goal the best way we know how.

I had the honor, and privilege of attending a debate here in Vinton earlier this week, between most of our current City Council, and also those who strive to be a part of it. Now I happen to know everybody that was addressing us that evening. Some of them I know better than others of course. And regardless of who I feel is better for the future of our citizens, I have to say that I commend every single one of them for their years of service to our community, and for the desire to do so in the future.

But as I sat there, realizing that the room was completely filled to the doors, I understood that I was not alone in my desire for a better future. Our citizens want the same thing as I do. From my 10 year old son who attended that night, to the mass representation of Senior Citizens that showed up as well. They want to know where we are headed and how we plan to get there. As a proud resident of Vinton, I expect the same things out of our council members and mayor that we have had in the past. Their hard work during times of duress is without saying. Our town has been the bearer of bad fortune during a flood and a wind storm or two. And I thank our past and current administration for their actions during these difficult times. But I expect more than that in the future. Being our leaders is more than reacting during times of need. It's having the foresight to plan for the future and the growth of our community. And being willing to adjust that plan as necessary along the way.

Now I certainly have an opinion on who I feel are the best people to help us accomplish these goals as a community, but I have decided not to express them in this forum. In fact, I would never try to tell you who to vote for. I ask that you do a little research. Or ask around town, "Who has a plan for our future?" You can make up your own minds. Our forefathers did, a long time ago. And thank god for that! A vision is one thing, but a plan is another thing entirely. And I plan on casting my votes for a better future on November 3rd. And I sincerely hope that you will too!

-Drew Sallee, Vinton