There is nothing worse than the cynicism of a small-town mindset. So many great opportunities are missed by people who are unwilling to take a chance. The town I grew up in is like this and, after moving away for nearly a decade and seeing what the real world is like, I find it excruciatingly difficult to go back for a weekend visit.

The mayor is spot-on when he says “It is not every day that you have a company that comes in and says: ‘We want to donate half a million to your community. We want to hire your locals. We want to work with your bars and restaurants,’ ”