It’s been barely over two months since I arrived in the Valley, and I have to say I’m impressed.

As part of my initial column, I pointed out the many opportunities the Valley.  Since then, various groups in charge have taken advantage of that.

From the John Soules Food announcement to the many upcoming events, the future looks bright for the Greater Valley Area.

That being said, the measure of any location doesn’t just rest on how well the big businesses are doing or how many things happen there. It’s also measured by the happiness of the people living nearby.

This is where I feel improvements need to be made.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel that anyone here is unhappy, but I do believe things could be better.

During a recent Valley City Council meeting, it was pointed out that many residents thought there was a distinct lack of entertainment options. Having explored the area, that holds true not just for Valley but Lanett, West Point and even LaFayette.

Here’s a little background information on me: I am a big movie watcher. I like going to watch movies on the big screen and look around various shops for movies to buy. That’s not something I can do much of here.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a few shops I can visit, but most don’t have a good selection, and the only theater is for community plays, which I also enjoy, but that is irrelevant at the moment.

Instead I have to travel to Opelika, Auburn and LaGrange if I want to indulge in one of my main hobbies.

During the Christmas holiday, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ashley Crane said more residents needed to shop locally as opposed to traveling outside the area. This led to the Shop Local Campaign. While it was a success, I feel more steps need to be taken to entice people to stay here.

I want to see more restaurant options in the near future.

I want people to take a chance and open up new local shops. Not just clothing stores, but a variety of shopping options.

I want to see more events come to the area. Surely, we could get a concert or a non-high school sporting event here.

I want a movie theater to open here so I don’t have to drive to LaGrange or Opelika just to enjoy a hobby.

With all the positive economic news recently, there must be a few people willing to take a chance on a new business.

As is so often quoted from the film “Field of Dreams,” “If you build it, they will come.”