Editorial: Looking on the bright side of things

The sky is not falling in Worthington.
So said Abraham Algadi, the manager of Worthington Regional Economic Development Corp., during a Thursday afternoon discussion. Algadi was urging Worthington’s citizens to keep an upbeat attitude about their community in the wake of the latest bad news regarding Northland Mall, as Peebles had announced days earlier it would be leaving the much-beleaguered shopping center.
It’s often easy to observe negative things in our community and let them drag us downward. Yes, there are things that can - and should be changed - in Worthington, but change sometimes takes a whole lot of time and a comparable amount of effort.
A few years ago, many lamented the debacle associated with the Prairie Expo building. Today, the building is owned by Prairie Holdings, and the structure and the land around it is a key component of Worthington’s present and future.
We’d like to think something similar will happen with the mall site. Its current condition is an unfortunate eyesore, to put it politely, but it - not to mention the land around it - also represents a unique opportunity for development. Algadi and Worthington City Administrator Craig Clark both assert there are several in Worthington who also see things from that perspective.
Added Algadi on Thursday: “The best is yet to come.” While we can’t confirm this for certain, we’re thankful for this type of optimism.