Over the past few weeks I have had an opportunity to talk to some true “outsiders” in Allen County, and I couldn’t have been more impressed. – Steven Schwartz
The Enbridge pipeline company and Koss Construction have added hundreds of new temporary citizens into our economy. They will be around until at least summer 2014. Randy Brown, one of the Koss workers I interviewed for today’s feature (see page 1), said he has received “mixed reactions” from people in Allen County, in response to their presence.
Lord knows people don’t always like change — especially in southeast Kansas. I have seen it firsthand. These people represent the face of change in our infrastructure — new roads, new pipelines. They also represent new faces, new business, new support and a new attitude.
These workers, who put in 12 hours a day, six days a week, spend months away from their families during the year.
I met several of them, and they would have every right to have a “let’s get this job over with” mentality. They didn’t.
I spoke to several employees of Enbridge and Koss Construction, and they embrace their lifestlye and job — which includes our area. They have been frequenting local restaurants, staying in our hotels, washing clothes at our laundromats and using all of the facilities our communities have to offer. It’s the least we can do to reciprocate the sentiment.
I know I will do my best to make these people feel welcome. Ultimately, they are improving our roads and infrastructure by being here, and I sincerely appreciate it — no matter how many entryways are temporarily blocked or traffic diverted.
We can learn something from these hard-working men and women. They have a can-do attitude, a good work ethic (coupled with no complaints, I might add), and a desire to explore the area. Many of these people have traveled all over the country and even the world, so maybe they are worth talking to and even learning from.
Like I said, we aren’t always the most welcoming to change. But I’m going to do my best to embrace change, and make Allen County a great place for it to stay.
Embrace the face of change
