白沢村勢要覧 -001/038page

ごあいさつ

　昭和30年に白岩村と和木沢村が合併し誕生した白沢村は、村制施行45年を数えるにいたり、かつてない激動と変革の時を迎えています。

　平成不況といわれる昨今、企業の倒産や人員削減、賃金のカット等厳しさを増す社会情勢の中、日本はかつて経験したことのない少子高齢化が急激な勢いで進行しています。社会構造の変化に留まらず日本人の価値観そのものが大きく変化しようとしています。

　白沢村を取り巻く環境も大きく変わりました。福島空港の滑走路2,500mへの延長工事の完成により国際線の乗り入れが始まり海外旅行がより身近なものとなりました。さらに磐越自動車道の4車線化が進み福島県の産業と観光にもたらす波及効果は極めて大きなものがあると期待されています。

　平成8年度からは第3次振興計画『夢と希望に満ちた四季の里−しらさわの創造−ゆとりプラン21』を指針に、新しい白沢村づくりを進めています。

　新たに導入される介護保険制度による医療と保健、福祉施策の再構築をはじめ、本村ならではの地理的優位性を生かした、調和のとれた産業の育成、ゆとりと独自性のある「しらさわ」らしさの創出、美しい環境と豊かな心の人づくりの政策を推進し、住んでよかった、暮らしてよかった、誇りの持てる白沢村の形成を目指します。

　今、盛んに地方分権が唱われています。地方が主体性を発揮して個性的で進歩的な村づくり等、新たな施策の展開にむけて村民と一丸となって知恵を出しあい夢と展望の持てる村づくりを目指します。

　当要覧では、そうした活力と可能性にあふれた白沢村の姿を紹介させていただきます。

　ご高覧賜り本村をご理解いただく一助になれば幸いに存じます。

平成12年3月

白沢村長　岡部　善宜

Greetings

Created in 1955 through the unification of Shiraiwa and Wagisawa Villages, Shirasawa Village greets its 45th anniversary this year, which marks the beginning of the greatest challenge ever for Shirasawa as it faces unprecedented impacts resulting from socio-economic changes and reforms.

Our society is rapidly graying with a constantly shrinking population of young people at the same time that we are undergoing violent changes such as bankruptcies,and cuts in employment and wages amidst the so-called Heisei-era Slump. It even seems that our Japanese appreciation for life itself is about to change drastically, not to mention the changes affecting our social structure.

Conditions surrounding Shirasawa Village have also changed greatly. For example, the completion of Fukushima Airport's runway extension to 2,500 meters has allowed it to receive regular international flights, making overseas travel more easily available. Also, the progress being made on the construction of the four-lane Ban'etsu Expressway is expected to have exceptionally high ripple effects benefitting industy and tourism in Fukushima Prefecture.

We will create a new, brighter future for Shirasawa Village with the Third Phase Promotional Plan - which is entitled "Plan 21 Creating Shirasawa Land of Hopes and Natural Beauty" - as our guideline.

We aim to create a community that is truly worth living in as well as one in which we can take pride. Emphasis will be placed on the restructuring of medical/health care and welfare measures under the newly introduced system of Insurance for Care and Assistance for the Elderly; promotion of well-balanced industries taking advantage of our geographical superiority; creation of a comfortable lifestyle uniquely suitable for Shirasawa; and fostering the creation of a clean and green environment as well as residents with well-rounded personalities.

The concept of administrative decentralization being advocated today urges us to exhibit our own initiative. Hand in hand with our residents and pooling our wisdom together, Shirasawa will strive to make our community even more attractive and full of hope for the future.

This brochure is intended to provide you with a glimpse of Shirasawa as a village full of vitality and potential. I hope it will help you to better understand Shirasawa.

March 2000
Zengi Okabe, Village Mayor