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A sports team that finds itself on the losing end of the scoreboard early in a game must strive to identify and fix quickly what has caused its bad start, before the score is too lopsided in the other team's favor.
The Altoona Redevelopment Authority is facing a similar challenge regarding blighted properties but, unlike what many sports teams must admit, it is not to blame for the uphill battle that lies ahead.
Time is one of the culprits necessitating the authority's new mission, as well as property owners who, for whatever reason, allowed their residences to deteriorate to the point of becoming a neighborhood blight, eyesore or worse.
It takes a good strategy to win a game that seemingly has become close to being out of reach. To its credit, the authority is positioned to implement a good, meaningful, workable strategy, based on its recognition and understanding of the work that needs to be done to properly address the blight problem.
It must remain committed to this initiative and not fall victim to distractions.
"If it's easy, someone else (in the private sector would have taken) care of it," said authority Chairman Richard Fiore, regarding the blighted properties that the authority is targeting. "We get the challenging ones."
Meanwhile, Ron Beatty, who is both an authority member and an Altoona city councilman, has made the excellent point that it is important for the authority to work with the city's Department of Codes & Inspections to identify houses early, before they are "too far gone."
Some of the other important points that were emphasized in a Nov. 23 Mirror article about the rehabilitation initiative also deserve repeating and acknowledgment.
One of the most important ones is that the authority will need to compile an inventory of properties and a list of pre-qualified developers.
Another is that the authority should be open to the idea that corporate sponsorships could help pay for specific phases of rehabilitation work; examples are siding, roofs and plumbing and heating.
There are people in this community who have skills that could be utilized regarding sponsorships and corporate involvement, and the authority should reach out to them for advice and possible active participation.
What is good for the city also is good for businesses that operate here.
Beatty's view is that once the authority carries out its basic functions regarding the properties in question, the private sector should have sufficient incentive to shepherd the properties to completion.
The economic challenges in play at this time on the national scene should not be construed as closing the door to the possibility of substantial rehabilitation progress in places such as Altoona.
The city is contemplating reviving its currently defunct Blight Task Force once the city's ongoing comprehensive plan is completed, but having such a panel in place need not be regarded as a must.
Resources such as the police and fire departments already have the ability to guide city leaders to properties that deserve to be high up on the rehabilitation agenda.
The rehabilitation effort is getting underway but the game plan for it is not fully in place.
Getting that task done promptly will reveal other logical next steps for the scoreboard's winning side.