From Jeff McCoy, Executive Director, Van Horn Economic Development Corporation

I just LOVE Van Horn! These words ring loudly from every Van Horn Jubilee reunion and even from folks who visit our tourism booth at the State Fair of Texas. Anyone who has ever lived in Van Horn, even some who stayed here only six months (and some who only drive through here occassionally), call it "home." Many share their dreams of returning to Van Horn someday to retire, raise their family, or start a little business. Unfortunately, reality always seems to set in and the logistical benefits of living in an urban area seem to outweigh the more abstract benefits of "sticking it out" in Van Horn. Well, take it from a guy who's tried both, I'd always rather be here than dealing with rush hour traffic, long commutes to work each day, and long lines at the mammoth grocery store. Do I want to have the larger selection that the mammoth grocery store provides? Yes, I do. Am I attracted by the larger salaries of the big city jobs? Yes, I am. Do I like the clean, organized way of things in more urbanized communities? Yes, I do.

This is what Project 7 is about. We, through careful planning and implementation, can bring about the good things of life right here in Van Horn. We can make Van Horn everything that our children move off to find. No one should spend their life wishing that they could move back home. We've listened to what you want and you've helped us define a plan of action to get moving that direction. Your support and the support of our community leaders combine with years of proper infrastructure development to position us for the realization of our dreams.

Our opportunities are huge. We sit at the crossroads of the most beautiful part of the state of Texas, surrounded by some of the most scenic beauty in the world. We have the traffic and income of Interstate 10. We have the spaceport development of Blue Origin. We have burgeoning oil and gas exploration. We have the will and determination of the best people in the world. We have you.

Take the good things that are about to happen here and combine them with the fact that Van Horn is a really great place to live, and you've just almost got paradise. Let's keep visiting about our dreams and our ideas for this place that we all love to call home. Whether you live in Van Horn physically, or you live in Van Horn in your mind, this is your place and opportunity to speak, vent, hope, storytell and praise. Let us know who you are and what your dreams and ideas are for Van Horn. Hearing from you and matching plans to dreams is our highest ambition. Tell us about the things you like about your town so we can all work together to preserve them. Telll us about your dreams so we can share in them. Tell us about your life so that we can live it with you. Recall fun stories of the good ol' days. Tell us about the new baby and we'll rejoice with you and the death of a loved one so we can grieve together. Share your pictures. These are the things that make Van Horn great. Sure, it's a little bit about having a good hospital, great parks, good food, clean streets, good schools, great fun, better jobs and good housing, but it's really about us loving each other enough to want the best for our neighbor.

Here we go! It's gonna be fun hearing your hopes, meeting your families, learning from you and growing to love you. You're the best and I appreciate you.

Jeff