Excited about those places we will go

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

Part of Dr. Seuss’ enthusiastic ode to the future “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” follows the journey of embracing change. Whether it’s through divine providence or hard work on a well thought-out plan, the future of the Valley’s industry and services is fast approaching.

As you may have read two Sundays ago in the first of three “Profiles” special sections, an annual effort that takes a different perspective on local issues, there’s more to the naming of some of the Valley’s most noteworthy places and destinations. Last week, we examined the current state of some Valley industry and service, and today, “Profiles” concludes with a look to what Dr. Seuss refers to as those places we’ll go.

While at its root it is somewhat speculative to ask those close to law enforcement, senior issues, health care and agriculture to look into their respective crystal balls, it’s an interesting exercise, one we hope will spark thought at a grassroots level about how we want our Valley to grow.

While agriculture is ingrained in our history and culture, the future already is taking shape as more farmers’ markets and niche growing is occurring in the Valley, reports contributing writer Victoria Naegele.

For law enforcement, the challenges are many, reports beat writer Andrew Wellner. While more people means more stress on all kinds of services, including law enforcement, it doesn’t discount how innovations in that industry can have an impact at the local level.

As stark as the population boom in the Mat-Su has been — with the borough growing 50 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — one of the few industries that has kept pace is health care. Facilities like Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and a new 93,000-square-foot Alaska Native clinic under construction have an obvious importance to how the future of health care plays out.

And they will increase in importance as the Valley’s population continues to age.

The population of Mat-Su residents age 65 to 74 is projected to increase by 159 percent, and those 75 to 84 will be up by 247 percent by the year 2030, according to the Mat-Su Regional Plan for Delivery of Senior Services. That’s five times the growth rate of the senior population in the rest of the nation.

But what excites us the most is the potential for the Mat-Su Health Foundation and its overall vision. Not only does it contribute millions of dollars each year toward making the Valley a healthier place, it has taken on a leadership role in health care.

Just what the future holds is, at best, an educated guess. We have the same question about the unknown as Dr. Seuss — and we couldn’t answer it better.

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! 98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.”