By Scott McCoy
Hello WJBC listeners. My name is Scott McCoy. I’m a small business owner, father, husband, and the former mayor of Pontiac, Illinois – and this is my first WJBC Forum.
My family and I moved to the twin-cities just about a year ago.
My wife, Jennifer, is completing her second Masters at ISU in the new Principal Preparation Program, and we are following her as she moves up in her educational career.
We also have two children who are going to Heartland Community College – so moving to Bloomington-Normal was a natural move for us.
Our other daughter is in grade school and will be in high school next year.
I, on the other hand, own my own business and I work from home – so I can work from just about anywhere – as long as I have an Internet connection.
It’s not easy leaving the town where you were born and raised. It’s even harder when you were the mayor of that community.
But, here we are. We are now residents of Bloomington-Normal – and it’s taken some getting used to.
Of course, we would come to Bloomington-Normal to shop or eat from time to time, so it’s not exactly an unknown community to us. But living here has opened our eyes to the core of BloNo that non-residents just can’t see.
I suppose this is true for anyone viewing a community from the outside. You visit the stores, eat at a restaurant, and maybe visit a friend’s home – but you really don’t know the community.
As my family and I learn more about our new community, we are amazed of the things we didn’t know…
Like the smaller, local restaurants. There are some amazing places to eat here. Most of which I’ve never heard of before moving to town.
Uptown Normal and Downtown Bloomington are wonderful centers of activity – and both have their own unique atmosphere and personality.
And of course, there is so much to do in Bloomington-Normal. From the parks and aquatic centers, to the theaters and artistic events – we’ll never run out of things to enjoy.
I guess my perspective of the community is almost one of an outsider. I’m a newbie. And so far, my family and I are enjoying our new home. We are making new friends, experiencing new things, and exploring the twin-cities with a new perspective.
And Bloomington-Normal has welcomed us with open arms.
It’s good to be part of your family, Bloomington-Normal.
For WJBC’s Forum – I’m Scott McCoy.
