Congratulations to the Coolest Small Town in America - Owego, New York. 
 Thank You to everyone who got involved in this effort, to those that voted, sent in comments and submitted pictures for Budget Travel's Coolest Small Town in America contest!  

 As I spoke with people over the past week, it was amazing to hear the stories from people who shared experiences about their contest participation. Many folks really got "into" the contest and emailed family members and friends all over the world asking them to Vote for Owego. I did a little of that myself.

 This is certainly good news for our town and it offers us an excellent opportunity to show why we have something special here in this community. If you ask why we qualified for this designation, I think there are many reasons. You can quickly figure it out by looking at our historic buildings, experiencing our fun and cultural activities and by getting to know the people of this community. Our excellent schools, unique shops, and restaurants, along with our beautiful historic homes set the stage as an attractive small town that has a lot more to it than what meets the eye. The strength and tenacity of this community has helped us to overcome difficulties and our people have worked hard over the years to make significant improvements to make our home even better. This award is motivation to do more of the same.  I'm convinced the most important thing about our community is our spirit and the people that make us a winner. 

 Recently, we had party to celebrate our accomplishment and there are many people that need to be thanked. I want to be sure to thank the supporting businesses that helped us put on a party with very short notice. Thanks to the Jailhouse Restaurant for stepping forward and offering their facility to host a party.  Thank you Mayor Arrington and the Board of Trustees for all of your support. Price Chopper, Lawler's Liquor Store, and the Dollar Store also receive thanks for donating towards the celebration party.  I'm sure there will be more celebrations and activities throughout the year.  

 This designation offers us an opportunity to show others just how unique and special we are.  We have already seen an increase in visitors to our community who are curious to check us out. We have an opportunity before us and I encourage individuals and businesses to use this toward your advantage and for the good of the community.

 Kindness, good customer service, and smiles will win over the public and reinforce the reasons why this community is the Coolest Small Town in America.  I am very proud of this community and the people in it.