The adage, “seeing is believing,” has been argued and debated in both religious and scientific discussions. There are hundreds of examples of believing despite never seeing, but one must admit that seeing things can be an awesome experience. Visuals that cannot be compared like the first time one sees a baby after birth, the view of a full moon or a golden sunset are difficult to describe in words. We have experienced a cold and snowy winter, so the first signs of spring will be a welcome sight.

According to Allison Boatman, a technology blogger, “people only remember 10 percent of what they hear after three days, but if a relevant image is paired with that same information, retention increases 65 percent.”

If this is true, the people in Sabetha by now should be believers!

Take a drive around Sabetha and you can see many examples of “seeing is believing.” On Oregon Street alone, Rolling Hills housing development and the new Health and Wellness Center are ripe with activity. Travel north down Sixth Street, and one passes My Sister’s House and the sees the infrastructural beginnings of a walking path that will pass the Splash Park and lead to the Sgt. Major Wilbur Bestwick Field and city baseball and softball fields. Continue north on Sixth Street to the Albany Museum where in the early fall, many enjoy Albany Days. ARC Wild’s home base is found north and west of Sabetha as well.

A tour of Sabetha isn’t complete without seeing the Apostolic Christian Home and Retirement Center on Paramount Street. Their BOD has announced a 10-year project that will update and expand this facility for the future. Down the street from the AC Home is Lakeside Terrace, which provides treatment and residential services for developmentally disabled adults.

In the center of town is the Mary Cotton Library and the library park, which now has a stage used for many community events. And what would we do without The Right Stuff Thrift Store? For dog lovers, at the corner of Jefferson and 10th Street is a park dedicated and donated for your dog’s enjoyment. Glacial Hills Business Center is located on Dakota Street and offers business office space and a meeting room in a repurposed care home.

A drive down Bluejay Blvd. reminds one of the dream Sabetha had for a waterpark that is now ready to open for its third season. On the north side of Sabetha High School is the new FFA Greenhouse and behind the school is the new press box. The new overlay on the track will soon be completed with lines ready for the first track meet of the season in early April.

Weddings and receptions were held the first two weekends in March at The Main Event, now complete with The Meeting Room on Main on the west side. The Chamber of Commerce hopes to revive the “Be Wise, Shop Sabetha” sign and place it back on the corner of First Street and Main.

The Greater Sabetha Community Foundation helps support many of the projects listed above. Each one was a dream; an unseen vision that is now a reality. Each one was directed by people who care enough about their community to make a difference.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

GSCF commends those in the community who exhibit faith and can see the possibilities to make a better place for us to live, work and raise a family.