This is a letter to the editor from Madelynn Cranmer, an East Alton-Wood River High School student. She is the Community Outreach Editor for The Oiler Times. This is a letter to Wood River about what we need from a young persons perspective.
A letter to Wood River:
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Hello, you may not know or care about who I am but I care about my hometown. I have lived my entire life in the town of Wood River. I have watched buildings be torn down and built back up again. I have watched as businesses have filtered in and out of our small town.
I’ve seen the best parts of Wood River and the worst. Most recently I have seen the younger generation desperately struggling to make their voice heard. This town is full of people who are afraid of change. People who are so stuck in their ways that they cannot seem to comprehend that times are changing. The world is evolving and so should Wood River.
Many will criticize and ignore what I have to say but it’s important. The truth of the matter is that without progress, Wood River will not last. We cannot be afraid of positive change. It’s time for the older generation to take a step back and let the future begin. We are no longer in the 1970s and 80s. We need to evolve. Wood River could be great if the right people were given a chance to bring it into the 21st century.
As much as many of you don’t want to hear this, you have to. Take a step back, it’s time to rest and hand over our beloved town to the younger generation. The young people of this town want to see it become the best version of itself. We love Wood River, it’s our home, but we can’t improve our home when we are stifled by those who object to change because they are stubborn or afraid.
Millennials, Gen-Z, and Gen Alpha are the future of this town. We have the ability to truly make Wood River a place of progress and beauty. However, we cannot do that when our ideas for change are shut down. Gen-X and the Baby Boomers had their chance to make Wood River better and for their generation, they did, now it’s time for the younger generations to make improvements for themselves. Wood River doesn’t have nearly enough activities for teenagers, young adults, and children. If you were to ask any teenager in Wood River what fun activities there were in Wood River they would probably say something along the lines of, “I don’t know, I guess we just kind of drive around and go to Walmart.”
If you were to ask a young adult about the nightlife or activities for them in Wood River they would most likely have a similar answer. There are simply not enough things for young people in Wood River to do or experience. As for children, they have parks, but they are run down and not well cared for. Some may argue that children could ride bikes on the sidewalks around town. Oh wait, once again, our sidewalks are run down and not cared for. The sidewalks also do not stretch everywhere, and in some neighborhoods, they are completely nonexistent.
The future of this town looks bleak. We are not properly taking care of this place we call home. It’s time for the young people of this town to step up and the older generation to step back. If we want Wood River not only to survive but to thrive, we have to embrace positive change. We have to support the younger generations. We have to make our town better for their sake.
Wood River will not survive if the young people leave, and many young adults and teenagers talk about moving away to somewhere that is more catering to their needs. This town must embrace change. The older generation has to let the young people in town make changes. Step aside, and let people learn from mistakes because, in the long run, it will only make our town better. It’s time for Wood River to evolve and improve.
Signed, Madelynn Cranmer,
a concerned high school student
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