Some of Collinsville's near-term future events are easy to predict: we will soon have our city offices back in a beautifully restored City Hall building; construction will begin on a major beautification project on Main Street; and new homes will continue to be built in and around Collinsville and growth is inevitible.

What is harder to pin down is the rate and type of growth. The current hugh wave of new businesses popping up almost daily in Owasso will continue to impact Collinsville. Nearby shopping opportunities increase but the loss of local sales tax collection will continue until that business growth finally crosses over into the Collinsville city boundaries in a big way. How long that takes will likely test the endurance of local merchants and city leaders.

We all will need to be creative and work effectively to help Collinsville prepare for the coming growth. Support your local merchants every chance you have and communicate with them and your city / school leaders. We should also all get out and vote on school bonds, city leaders, and city funding for infrastructure expansion to match the growth.

I do hope that in another 23 years we will still recognize our historical downtown but expect that there will be changes I can't even imagine. I'm still waiting for the flying cars predicted in the 1950s but never anticipated everyone could have their own personal computers and telephones they could use as they walk around ... which are things today's kids can't imagine being without.