Many reasons to feel good about Wichita

I am a proud Wichitan, born and raised. I’m excited by how many wonderful things are happening right now in Wichita.

The 82nd National Baseball Congress World Series, which begins this week, is one of many examples. I have served on the NBC nonprofit board of directors since its inception two years ago. This is personal to me for a number of reasons.

My uncle, Daryl Spencer, was a former big leaguer and was a large part of the NBC as a player and manager during “the glory years.” This year I will watch a nephew play on the high school all-star team, while Daryl’s granddaughter is on the NBC staff.

In addition, one big attraction this year is a team of former baseball major leaguers, which is a huge credit to the 82-year legacy of the NBC Tournament and to Wichita. I encourage everyone to be a part of this NBC history and attend a game or two.

This past weekend we witnessed “Doc,” 60 years after it was built in Wichita, take flight again, becoming only the second flying World War II B-29. Many Wichitans with aviation DNA spent 16 years working to bring this plane back to life.

These events embrace our history. Combine these with Cargill’s recent decision to stay and grow in Wichita and Koch Industries’ and Spirit AeroSystems’ continued commitment to their long-term future in Wichita, and there is a strong and growing affirmation of our city’s value.

For those who may be tempted to throw doubt at our city’s strengths and tap the brakes, I encourage you instead to be a part of accelerating this fantastic momentum.

As researcher James Chung and so many others have just confirmed with data, we are making progress. This is a great time to celebrate the best of our history and the quality of our standard of living, and to feel positive about our future.

Congratulations, Wichita. We are proud of our history. This is our home today, and we are building our future together in a very positive direction.

This story was originally published July 24, 2016 at 12:03 AM with the headline "Many reasons to feel good about Wichita."