My Hometown

 I know I claim Cayuga as my home, but according to the U.S. Postal Service, I live in Utica, so Utica is my official hometown. 

Utica used to be a thriving little town with a high school, a bustling business district, a bank, several grocery stores, 2 clothing stores, a hardware store, 2 car dealers, 2 doctors, a dentist, and 2 drugstores.  Over the last 30 years or so, it has become like many little towns, declining rapidly.  Stores and businesses have closed. The high school merged with the bigger school in the county seat. The bank left. We don’t even have a grocery store. There is a medical clinic, but no drugstore. We do, of course, have a Dollar General, like everywhere else.  Someone said that with all the empty and collapsing buildings on Main Street, that Utica looked like it had been bombed. 

But there is hope. A group has formed to try to revitalize the town.  It’s a diverse group with black and white members of all age groups. They have plans to try to bring businesses and people back to Utica.  Today they took the first step.  The Homegrown Utica Festival.  It highlighted some of the new things that are going on in the town and plans for more to come.  The theme of today’s festival was the arts and health.  The local clinic did health screenings. There were several art exhibits. Musician performed throughout the day.  There were food vendors, arts and craft vendors, children’s activities, something for everyone. The town was alive with people enjoying themselves, visiting with friends and neighbors, and trying to help our little town grow and thrive. It was wonderful!

I see this as the beginning of Utica’s rebirth.  I just hope I’m still around to see the finished product!  

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