Higher tenant retention and lower vacancy losses

11th Anniversary

Reflecting on Then and Now BY ELENA HUTSLAR 2020 has hurled us into uncharted

As we put together the 11- year anwaters with unimaginable challenges, niversary issue, I reflect on what inspired and we find ourselves in a situation of us to create a monthly community doom and gloom again. The negative newspaper more than a decade ago. It stories continue to dominate our mewas 2009 and we had endured the Great dia sources and it’s a struggle to avoid Recession - the bursting of the U.S. them. But we all know of stories taking housing bubble and the global financial place in our community of support and crisis. We knew people who lost their resiliency yet again. We just have to jobs or lost their homes. Some friends work to hear and see them. and neighbors were forced to start over As COVID struck and Shelter in and find new careers and places to live. Place was enacted, we saw inspirationDespite the doom and gloom of the al messages and illustrations in chalk state of our country’s affairs in the methroughout the community. Citizens dia, we saw the resiliency of our commade masks for friends, neighbors, and munity and were inspired to highlight strangers. Meals were purchased for the many organizations, individuals, and essential workers. Members of the combusinesses that supported each other. munity were anxious to support local restaurants that were forced to close their dining rooms but stood in line for take out instead. Our local musicians performed on Facebook Live to lift our spirits. People created GoFundMe sites to raise money for business owners. Our police and fire departments granted birthday parade wishes. Everyone has suffered from the pandemic in different ways and levels of severity, but the community has demonstrated its compassion by supporting others as best they can.

We have watched the sad and emotional stories unfold in the media on social injustices. But collectively, our community has demonstrated its support for one another through parades,

marches for justice, and compassion to officers with messages and meals. Sadly, the negative few garner more media attention than the collective good.

The Community Focus looks forward to a future when we can promote local community events in the Make Some Plans Calendar, highlight our school athletes, and list live music venues, but until then, we will focus on the vibrancy of our local businesses, residents, and community organizations. We are beyond grateful to our writers, advertisers, and readers, and we cherish Trish Heaney and Alison Clary for their dedication to the paper. We are proud and honored to focus on the strengths of our community.

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OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 2020 |