Beacon Sept 2022

September 2022 THE BEACON Page 9A
FROM
H ere
By
Ollie
Roehm
I wrote a column in February
2020 about the history and
attempted revitalization of the
downtown Harrison business
district.
I said that when Interstate
74 came through town in
the early ‘70s, everything
changed. Harrison’s business
district had always been
in downtown Harrison and
mostly on Harrison Avenue. If
you wanted groceries, clothes,
shoes, a bite to eat, a haircut,
a newspaper, you went downtown.
Likewise, if you needed
a doctor, dentist, mechanic, or
wanted to see a movie. It was
all downtown.
But shortly after 74 was
By Merrill Hutchinson
“Turn down that noise!”
This was a common phrase
coming from my father’s
mouth as I was spreading my
wings as a teenager. Back in
those teenage years, we were
all about turning the noise up
and keeping the pace fast. My
friends and I were always on
the run and looking for the
next adventure, but over time,
something strange happened.
I have begun to understand
the difference between the
“music” and the “noise” in
my life.
As we enter the season of
fall, many of us are enjoying
being out in nature. Hunting,
fishing, hiking, and mountain
biking through the woods are
great ways to remember what
is important. Time in nature
helps develop a mindset
of gratitude and a renewed
vision for what we want in
our lives. The mind, body,
and spirit are under constant
attack by the forces in this
world. The evening news is a
quick reminder of how bombarded
we can be with the
noises of life.
Many of us make statements
like, “What is wrong
with this world?” “This world
is going crazy!” “I hope the
good Lord returns soon.” In
the moment, these comments
may seem appropriate, but
they do little to turn down the
noise. So, how can we effectively
do just that? First of all,
we must make a conscious decision.
The craziness in life is
not going to calm down on its
own. We must take the initiative
to decide what noises we
are going to allow in our lives
and which ones we are going
to turn off, or at least down.
How does one “turn down
the noise?” Saying “no” to so
many commitments that do
little to produce fruit in our
lives is a good start. Busyness
is not a badge of honor
but rather an anchor around
your heart. Take a look at the
people around you; make a
decision to distance yourself
finished, businesses old and
new started gravitating to
“the hill.” Within about ten
years downtown Harrison was
becoming irrelevant. Parking
meters along Harrison Avenue
were removed because
they weren’t needed. Many
buildings were sold and many
stood in disrepair. And it got
worse.
I talked about how downtown
Harrison was a depressing
shell of itself by the late
1980s.
That’s when I began working
on Harrison Avenue and
would spend the next twentyfive
years there. The paper
was located at 307 Harrison
Ave. and our restaurant,
Mary’s Restaurant & Pub, did
business at 205 Harrison Ave.
I said I had seen many
downtown businesses, including
our restaurant, come and
go over the past few decades.
Many more have left than
stayed.
What happened to Harrison
for a while from those who
are negative and pull energy
from you. Plan intentional
time to rest and rejuvenate;
put it on your calendar and
protect it. A daily walk, a day
away, a weekend to explore,
or even a week to replenish.
Answer this question. Is your
calendar in charge of you, or
are you in charge of your calendar?
If you want to eliminate
some noise, take control
of your calendar.
Make a conscious decision
to determine what you want
to look at in your life. Do not
allow the world to taint your
vision with constant exposure
to the negatives. Make an
effort today to see the good
in the life you are living. Be
thankful and show appreciation
for those who positively
impact your life. Learn to
catch yourself dwelling on the
negative and actively change
the picture in your mind.
I no longer find excitement
in running 110 mph.
A slow meander will do just
fine. What happened? To put
happened to thousands of
towns located near expressways
in America. Towns have
been replaced by something
else. I’ll let you define it.
I told you about the serious
attempt made to revitalize
downtown in the early ‘90s
when a group of committed
citizens and business owners
joined and adopted the
national Main Street program.
Main Street offered guidance
to towns in Harrison’s predicament.
The city got involved and
committed to paying a director’s
salary and one was hired.
Then another, and another,
and another.
The business climate improved
somewhat but eventually,
the Main Street method
was abandoned.
Downtown chugged along
for years until something
started happening about seven
or eight years ago. I don’t
know what that “something”
was but small businesses
Are You Listening to Music or Noise?
it simply, life happened. In
the course of life, we discover
more and more about
what is truly valuable in our
lives. I value peace and quiet
more than ever. When we are
younger we are more easily
persuaded by the pursuit
of our fleshly desires. We
desire to live loud and fast.
We want to make an impact,
and we want people to hear
our voices. At some point
in our lives, we realize that
this approach is exhausting
and unfulfilling. We begin to
experience a sense of greater
peace in knowing that we
don’t always have to make a
big splash. Sometimes, it’s ok
to be still and just listen. This
practice of solitude can give
us a greater appreciation of
life, people, and experiences.
Don’t get me wrong, I still
like my music loud at times,
but now I choose to listen to
the music and not the noise.
Merrill Hutchinson is the
President of Rock Solid Families,
a faith-based coaching
organization in St Leon, IN.
878 W Eads Pkwy, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
812.926.0273 artisticfloralshop.com
started sprouting up and down
Harrison Avenue.
In my February 2020
column, I told you that the
downtown Harrison business
climate looked better than
it had in decades. Well, it’s
July 2022 and I’m happy to
report that many more businesses
have opened. Downtown
Harrison is even more
appealing and offers more
than it did a couple of years
ago.
That’s pretty impressive
when you consider the surge
in businesses that took place
during a worldwide pandemic.
Today the majority of
buildings are occupied and
a variety of shops are doing
business. Three new restaurants
have opened in the
past couple of months. It’s
sometimes difficult to find a
parking spot.
I haven’t researched it but
I’d venture to say there are
now more empty (and unsightly)
storefronts on “the
hill” than there are downtown.
Not all of these downtown
businesses are going to make
it. But I’m betting there will
be more success than we’ve
seen in a long, long time.
I salute all the folks who
are giving it a go downtown,
especially those who advertise
or plan to advertise in the
Beacon.
C
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Dillsboro Resident
Completes
Century Ride
Jonah Relly, Dillsboro,
recently participated in the
Cincinnati Cycle Club’s
Licking Valley Century
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week beforehand, Mr.
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Congratulations, Jonah,
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