Starting this week, I am going to officially begin my trip through the Mohawk Valley.
This is an area that has been crushed by the changing economy - not just in the last 2 years, but over the last 10, 20, 30 years. When the mills started closing in the 1970's, the communities started changing, people started moving, and the face and faces of the area were forever changed.
During the journey, which should last several weeks, I will be concentrating on the positive side of the story. Rather than retelling the story of how things have changed and who has left, I'll be trying to find stories that tell about who has stayed, and who is being counted on for hope. I will especially count on the young people. This area has been hit very hard by the emmigration of people age 18-30. As an exodus, it compares to the midwest in dust bowl era.
