First impressions are everything. And, you only get to make them once. It's a lesson that goes equally well in personal and business relationships.

The best thing about first impressions is just that - it's an impression. Impressions are pliable and can easily be reshaped.

For example, many county residents agree that we need a little economic shot in the arm. But all too often, we tend to throw up our hands and take the "I can't do anything to help" attitude.

But you can do things to help improve the chances that new businesses will want to relocate to Lawrence County.

First, act like you care about the county, city or village you call home. If you don't care, it shows and it reflects poorly on us all.

Case in point; imagine a visiting CEO of a company considering the relocation of his business. Now imagine that CEO at a stop light and watching in shock as the driver of the car ahead of him tosses a cigarette butt onto the ground. Then a quick glance in the rear view mirror reveals that another driver, behind the CEO's vehicle throws a can out the passenger window and into the ditch.

What kind of a message does that send? A similar message can be seen all across the county as residents strew litter.

Second, look for the positives on which to focus instead of the negatives. A baseball pitcher who always focuses on the pitch he doesn't need to throw, as opposed to focusing on a good pitch, will throw the bad pitch.

Quite simply, we need to clean up - our county and our attitudes. Lawrence County is a great place in which to live. We just need to realize it, and then let others know about it.

Each community has some specific things that would help clean up the mess. In the Ironton area, these might include:

4Get rid of the old Carlisle Tile building at the foot of the Ashland Bridge. It's an eyesore and a not-so perfect welcome mat for visitors coming into Ironton and Coal Grove from the south or east.

4Remove the "Once the leader…" signs coming into Ironton. Although it's important to remember the past, making the past our welcome slogan sets a negative mood. Instead of looking back, why aren't we looking forward?

4Either clean-up South Third Street from Coal Grove into Ironton or ask the Ohio Department of Transportation to remove the small "Ironton" sign from the Coal Grove exit. Pointing visitors down this route into Ironton drives them past some of the most vacant, abandoned property in town. Again, it's not really putting our best foot forward. Wouldn't it be more effective to have visitors exit at Ohio University Southern or on Park Avenue and drive them right into downtown?

4Force property owners, particularly in business districts, to keep their property cleaned up or take them to court. Continuing to allow commercial property to go unkempt say a lot about the property owners and even more about the leaders who sit by and allow such things to continue.

Each community, village and even neighborhood has a number of items on which it could focus to make the place more attractive to outsiders and more pleasant for current residents. The first impression is everything and everything is up to each of us.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Ironton Tribune. He can be reached at (740) 532-1445 ext. 12 or by e-mail to kevin.cooper@irontontribune.com.