Look around yourself, Butler County. We’re living in fascinating times.

We at the heart of George Washington’s Trail have begun making plans to extend our county airport’s runway to a length of more than a mile. The $22 million expansion will enable the airport to accommodate private and charter small jets and other aviation business in a corporate world that’s grown increasingly dependent on such niche modes of transportation. Can air taxi service be in our near future?

But wait. There’s more.

Ultra-modern motor coaches, fueled with clean-burning, locally abundant compressed natural gas, have begun making daily round trips between Butler and Pittsburgh. The daily fares are less than the cost of parking in the city, an amazing incentive to go by bus when you stop and consider options.

Wait again. There’s still more.

PennDOT continues to straighten and widen Route 228 eastward, one section at a time, eventually to complete its connection with Route 8 and a streamlined access to second-most important north-south traffic artery in Butler County (Interstate 79 being the most important).

Wait. There’s even more.

We have developed new methods for extracting energy from the ground deep beneath us. The Marcellus and Utica Shale formations are yielding an unprecedented volume of natural gas — a harvest that has tipped a long-stagnant global economic equilibrium. An ethane “cracker” plant is being built in Beaver County. It will convert large portions of the gas into plastics and related materials for sale and manufacture. Pipelines are being installed to move the gas safely and efficiently across Butler County to the cracker plant and other processors.

Clearly, Butler County is positioning itself in an ever-changing mobility game.

With all the innovation and construction going on, it’s hard to remember it wasn’t that long ago that a main artery through Butler, State Route 68, began as a footpath for indigenous tribes — and stretches of the venerable highway maintain much of its original character.

It’s been observed that in a young but geographically vast nation like America, 100 years is a great length of time; in England, Ireland or Italy — European lands that are much older and smaller — 100 years is nothing but 100 kilometers is a great distance.

Maybe modern times are shrinking both time and space. Get on a plane or bus, get in the car and go. Or get on the Internet and connect with friends, relatives or business associates around the world.

Look around yourself, Butler County. We’re living in fascinating times.