H. L. Goodwin, Jr., is Justice of the Peace for District #4 in Washington County, and grew up on a small farm in the Ozarks. He told the Quorum Court when introducing the PARA Task Force Resolution, that the days of slow peaceful drives on curvy two-lane roads through slow and lazy towns were long gone in Washington County.
"The economic prosperity of Washington County has brought us unprecedented growth and made the us the envy of many less advantaged areas. But with that growth comes growing pains, the ones we guys used to get when we were in Jr. High when our bones grew so fast that it made us hurt. The result of those growth spurts were that we ate more, slept more and went through shoe sizes faster than our parents could buy them; often we wore hand-me-downs or clothes too small. If we outgrew our shoes in the Summer, maybe we would just go without them until school started in the Fall. We in Washington County are growing in that same manner and we need some "new duds" to outfit us properly for the days ahead."
"To retain our status and ensure our children and grandchildren have the benefit of futuristic and unselfish leadership, let us resolve together to implement the anticipated final products of the Protecting Agricultural and Rural Areas Resolution. My forefathers came here prepared to take risks and leave this world a place better than it was when they arrived, this area better than when they came. I am committed to this same precept for the good of the future residents of Washington County. Join me as we continue to lead proactively into a future filled with possible possibilities."
