Over 170 people were in attendance for the community conversation, with most discussion groups having four to six people.

WINONA LAKE — Over 170 people attended the third community conversation hosted at the Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center Tuesday morning, Nov. 29.

The conversation was concentrated around the public screening of Hoosiers: The Story of Indiana: Next Indiana, a documentary produced in partnership with WFYI Public Media.

The documentary notes Indiana’s history, speaking of industries that have built up cities, leaving some to flourish and some to collapse, and the immense effort Hoosiers have taken to rebuild and stay on top of ever-changing technology. Cities featured included Gary, South Bend, Warsaw, Jasper, New Harmony and Carmel to name a few.

The small table conversations surrounding the documentary asked those in attendance to look at where our community is headed. As the orthopedic capital of the world, is Warsaw keeping up with demands for technology, jobs and security in the orthopedic industry? What other aspects of the community should be built upon? Even rural Indiana’s issue with drugs, notorious for being the leading state in methamphetamine production, was touched upon, with discussion briefly focused on how to best combat the issue.

After screening the film and reviewing discussion points, the floor was opened up for tables to sum up a few ideas that were discussed.

With many educators in attendance, discussions surrounding the importance of varying aspects of education, from professional training and a diversity of offerings to the importance of access to internet, were prominent. One of the ideas brought forward involved using Wagon Wheels cultural assets to ensure educational opportunities for arts and humanities.

There seemed to be an agreement among the crowd that parents need to accept that not all children will benefit from a four-year degree that is so often pushed on students entering their late high school careers. Factory jobs are changing, many now requiring an education to run the technology. Where many once saw dead end jobs, there are now a multitude of advancement opportunities.

Currently Warsaw has dozens of openings for qualified machinists that would only require six months to two years of education depending on the skill level of the specific position, but there seems to be an information disconnect between students and the availability of these career paths.

There were also opinions on regional branding. “If a business doesn’t have a mission statement, employees may have a hard time getting on board. The same can be said for our city,” was one comment. Quality of life is an aspect that is often considered when reviewing city plans. In order to bring in workers and retain young members of communities and their families, the city has to have qualities that spark interest. Good education systems, affordable housing and evening activities are just some of the common factors mentioned.

“The solution [to our problems] came back to quality of life,” said one person.

From the discussion it was clear that there is a high importance to continue improving the quality of life in Warsaw to satisfy the needs of our community. To continue to provide education on a diverse and enriching scale, to promote technological advancement to keep our orthopedic and agricultural industries moving forward and to continue to look for opportunities to provide creative and entertaining recreational pastimes to our community.