Their series traced Cooperstown’s evolution into a tourist destination _ primarily for baseball fans; its place in the global economy and how today’s decisions will set the stage for the future.

People may disagree about how we arrived at this point in history or how much impact the global economy has on a little village in central New York, but there is no argument about the fact that what we decide today will impact the future of the area.

The article suggests that residents must choose what they want this area to be, what is realistic for the area, what are the options and most importantly, how does the area ensure the future will be what we want.

``There are new realities that guide change in local towns,’’ the authors wrote, ``but ultimately people get the community that they choose to build.’’

To achieve the kind of community people want _ whatever that may be _ will require some inter-municipal cooperation and regional planning.

Regional planning is an idea that has been discussed off and on, but little has ever come of those discussions.

The generic environmental impact statement, or GEIS, for the Cooperstown area which was completed more than four years ago has largely been gathering dust since then.

It is time that the almost 250-page study was dusted off and revisited because it still forms a good basis with which to begin a regional effort to take charge of the future.

GEIS planning consultant Nan Stolzenburg said at the time the study was completed that the biggest challenge facing this region doesn’t come from environmental factors, but from communication and people being able to understand different points of view and locations. [an error occurred while processing this directive]