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we are better when
we come together
As you flip through these pages, pay mind to the
places where you see the four icons above. They indicate
opportunities for you to help our community reach new
heights. This is our time, where we are better together.
P auline R. Kezer, a lifelong
community advocate, volunteer,
teacher and legislator,
wisely said, "Continuity gives us
roots; change gives us branches,
letting us stretch and grow and
reach new heights."
The history of Horizon West offers
each of us a sense of continuity.
You might think that a distant history
of people you never met is unrelatable;
interrupted, if you will, but when you look
at the past year, you see that our story is
shared by those who were here before us.
The previous orange grove owners of this region,
faced with unprecedented challenges before
them, chose to embrace change and lay the foundation
for the place we now call home (you'll learn
about that history on page 8). Their stories are woven
together to form a living history that connect us all
every day through the master plan of Horizon West.
We are connected; and as we stretch and grow, we
create new heights because we are better together.
Have you ever heard the phrase, "Things didn't go as
planned, and that's ok"? For many of us, life didn't
go as planned in 2020. We found ourselves looking
toward an uncertain future. No one's life is without
these moments, however, it is a rare thing to experience
a crossroads as a collective whole. Our community
came to a crossroads and as we stood looking
into uncertainty, something amazing happened.
We came together. We rose to the occasion. Perhaps
without even realizing it, we embraced the living history
of our past and began to build a new future; one
where the principles of the past were brought back to
life. So, you see, a pivot often
leads to progress.
We know where the roots
of Horizon West were planted and
whether you have been here for 10 months or 10
years, those roots now belong to you to nurture. As
we all found ourselves in unfamiliar territory, trying to
make sense of a new normal, these roots held us together.
And the strength of our collective community
spirit drove us forward.
It was people just like you who put the pieces back in
place and rallied to provide, support, share and lead the
way in filling the gaps for those among us who were
without. Looking forward to the future, we can step up
again, as occasions arise, to fill in the gaps. We can root
ourselves in the reality that working together is what
empowers us. Each year is an opportunity
to grow higher, stronger. This year
may be the year that you branch out
and build something new for your family
and your community. This may be
the time that you provide and support
others among us or share your strengths
so that something new begins to grow.
Shepherding the vision that was planted for us is a
privilege. We each have opportunities through which
we can turn what is into something more. The past
is our legacy, but the present is our prospect. Community
isn't something spontaneous. The clubs,
groups, businesses, events and organizations that
have arisen in Horizon West aren't the result of happenstance.
They were brought to fruition by someone
who said, "I see a gap." A motto of Horizon West is
"Create what you want to be a part of," and for a
community that is still in its formative
years, it's important to ask: "How can
I share the best of myself? What can I
provide to fulfill a need? How can
I support an effort already in progress?
Where can I branch out and lead the
way to something new?"
As the future unfolds, we don't know where we'll end
up, but we know where we've come from and we know
where we are today. Each one of us can make new
beginnings. We can build on the past, and we can
embrace the future. We are each capable of bringing
our very best to plant seeds that will take root, branch
out and grow to fill in the gaps.
share
lead
support
provide