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General News: Cornwall Man Optimistic About Local Economy
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| Gerry Wagner |
March 23, 2009
While many Cornwall residents may walk down Main Street and see empty storefronts, Gerry Wagner, who was recently appointed to the town’s economic development advisory committee in an attempt to revive it, sees thriving businesses with a few problematic buildings mixed in. Wagner calls himself a positive thinker and he hopes that as a member committee he can help Cornwall “tweak” Main Street and bring in some new businesses along the way.
Wagner wasn’t always a Cornwall booster, but in the past year he has discovered that community involvement can change a person’s life. His own saga began a year ago when loud tenants, people he alleged could be drug dealers, moved into a rental property next door to his home on Cherry Hill. His formerly peaceful existence became hell and he started appealing to the town police and building inspector to address the noise and the general disorder on the property next door.
Without a noise ordinance on the books, the police could only ask the residents to be considerate of their neighbors. Building inspector Gary Vinson took action on an exposed septic system, but Wagner couldn’t tolerate the ongoing mayhem and he came to every town board meeting and appealed to every federal, state and local agency he could think of to try to find some relief. Finally, in September of 2008, the tenants moved out and the owner of the property sold it to Wagner, who immediately tore down the dilapidated building and got his peace and quiet back.
However, Wagner discovered the experience had changed his life and his views of his community and he wanted to have something good come out of the experience. “I felt embarrassed that I hadn’t participated before,” Wagner said in a recent interview. “We had been here 13 years and I couldn’t tell you the names of any of the town board members.” That’s when he told the town leaders that he would like to serve on a board.
His first choice was to be appointed to a vacancy on the planning board, but when the town board saw his business background, they put him on the economic development committee that had been dormant for the last couple of years. Wagner and his wife, Patricia, own three companies, including a heating equipment and installation business and an online boiler repair parts service. He is also the education director of the Wales Darby Learning Center, a technical school in New Jersey.
With his technical background, Wagner believes that Cornwall can distinguish itself as a green community and he supports the town’s initiative to draft a law allowing wind turbines to create an alternative energy source. “I’d like to see people coming into Cornwall that see our green community, our wind mills and see what we’re doing,” he said. “Let’s find our what we can do, dream big, and find out what our vision of the town is.”
He’d also like to see community activities throughout the business district, including Cornwall Plaza and Route 32 -- that draw people to shop in the stores and help the businesses thrive.
When Wagner attends his first committee meeting on Monday night, he will bring his message of optimism even during the current economic downturn. “I work hard not to talk negatively about the economy because it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said. “I’m not putting on rose-colored glasses, but I refuse to be negative.”
Town deputy supervisor Mary Beth Greene Krafft says that she would like to see Wagner’s optimism catch on and welcomes any resident of the town or village who would like to join the economic development advisory committee. Anyone who is interested in joining the effort may send Greene Krafft an email at [email protected].
Comments:
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Great outlook. Great attitude.
posted by Kerry Merritt on 03/24/09 at 8:58 AM
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