Resting in the humidity of the summer and the colorful fall forests stands a town named Carbon Hill, Alabama. In 1891, a man named Robert Galloway purchased the local City Coal and Coke Company. With this purchase, the new town began to thrive. Hotels, movie theatres, and a railway station were all introduced, creating a well-established place.

But a series of unfortunate events hit Carbon Hill, putting it at its lowest. When the great depression hit America, Carbon Hill was put through a treacherous time. The Coal Company, which brought the most income and job opportunities to the town, completely shut down. Then, around 70 years later, Carbon Hill High School burned down completely, carrying the traditions down with it. That same year, two tornadoes hit, estimated to be F3 tornadoes. Carbon Hill was left destructed. The beautiful fall trees that lined the roads of their town were gone. Carbon Hill Elementary School was destroyed, and the citizens were devastated. This point in time for Carbon Hill is when it started going downhill. Many people lost everything, and they turned to unhealthy solutions. I know that the town of Carbon Hill can once again reach its full potential, and in this essay, I will tell you how. 

As you can tell, there are many things that need to be addressed in order to make this town more functional again. First, we have to assist the adults who have been exposed to unhealthy drugs and build rehab programs for them, in order to create positive examples for new generations. Next, we need to establish a better economical foundation and introduce more businesses and companies into in order to regenerate the economy. Finally, we need to help the future of the community, the youth, achieve the things they need in order to keep the town functional for future generations.

In Carbon Hill, many generations have been exposed to terrible self-destructing drugs. Not only are the users exposed to the long-lasting affects of these drugs, their children as well. The main ways in which drugs affect the youth are: women abusing drugs while pregnant, causing infant withdrawals, and exposure and negative influences in the home. The only way to fix this problem, and keep the future generations from inheriting the same problem, is to address it and to not deny it. Many things can be done to help, that step just has to be taken in order to such as establishing rehab programs, support groups, drug classes at the local school, and transform the citizens into suitable employees.

Carbon Hill has very few businesses that bring job opportunities to the citizens, such as a couple of chain restaurants, and locally owned businesses, but in order to create an economically stable town, we need major clubs, and businesses that would bring more jobs into view for the citizens. By doing this, we are creating a better atmosphere. These programs can include things like Recreational centers where the youth of the town can go and hang out at. An animal shelter would take care of all the stray animals. A movie theatre or a well known shopping center would be ideal in Carbon Hill, because we would get business from surrounding towns, like Winfield, Jasper, Townley, Nauvoo, Guin, etc. Another way to improve the town would be by locating a Sister City. This would be majorly beneficial in many aspects when it comes to leading the town toward a better economy and could build the population if the right steps are taken. This program allows two towns that have things in common to grow, model, and improve off of one another’s ideas and aspects in how the communities are operated. It would allow the citizens to draw closer together in both communities, since they share traditions and leadership. This would give many great influences to Carbon Hill, and allow them to grow in population, money, job opportunities, and a sense of security.

Carbon Hill has survived many generations, but the most important generation is the one ahead. The youth of my town need a firm foundation that they can put their feet on in order to achieve their goals and dreams. If we put things like anti-bullying programs, educational drug classes, support groups, and career/college preparedness classes in a public and easy to access facility, that would demonstrate the importance of the future of my town. The town needs to help grow children into successful adults, showing that our community is a good place to raise children, which, in some cases, would be a major turning point for incoming families, and could also raise the population of the town.

All of these ways: assisting the adults who have been exposed to unhealthy drugs by funding rehab programs for them, establishing a better economical foundation by introducing more businesses and companies to the town, and helping the future of the community, the youth, achieve the things they need in order to keep the town functional and increasing business and population through that, they would make Carbon Hill a thriving community. If I were mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama, I would not neglect the issues at hand. I would rise to the problem and solve it. I would address these main issues with authority and work together with law enforcement, businesses, and the citizens in order to push our town towards its full potential.