I could probably be accused of sometimes being the source of trivial information. But after more than 40 years of listening to and collecting music of various styles, sometimes lyrics pop into my head at the strangest times.
The late John Denver was always one of my favorites. He had a song that never made the top 40 list but described the mood of a lot of us. It was entitled, “Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone).”
That pretty much sums up life here in the Belle Plaine Now fishbowl on Main Street and I am happy to report that, for the most part, this week has been a week full of diamonds.
As I write this on Friday morning, I am awaiting phone calls from a couple of sources before writing a story on the generosity of Carole Sue Donovan. Although she spent a lot of her life in Belle Plaine, I never had the chance to know her. But many local residents will certainly benefit from her life for years to come.
At Tuesday’s Belle Plaine City Council meeting, in the packet of information furnished to council members and the media, there was a page with a copy of a check from the Carole Sue Donovan Estate, made out to the City of Belle Plaine. Being a man of quite modest means, it’s safe to say that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a check for $410,071.57.
That was the first I’d heard of the bequest, but it wouldn’t be the last. She also left just over $800,000 to the Belle Plaine School Foundation for scholarships and a similar amount to the Benton County Conservation Board, as well as over $400,000 to the National Audubon Society for work in Benton, Tama and Iowa counties.
Carole Donovan was a physical therapist and also owned farm land in the area. By all accounts, she lived rather simply in a house in the central part of Belle Plaine. Marv DeRycke, former manager of the local co-op, remembers she would come into the store from time to time to sell grain and always had a smile on her face.
Now, she will continue to put smiles on the faces of college students and visitors to Belle Plaine and the surrounding area for years to come as they continue to benefit from her gifts.
Another “diamond” came late Wednesday afternoon with Gov. Culver’s announcement that the Vision Iowa Board had approved a $96,000 grant for the Belle Plaine aquatics center. It was nearly all that local officials had asked for and will mean some nice additions to a project that should be a draw for folks looking for an inexpensive, refreshing way to spend a summer afternoon next year.
The district football season opens tonight at home against Pekin and the undefeated Belle Plaine Plainsmen hope to discover a few diamonds on the gridiron as they battle one of their traditional rivals.
My good mood and diamond discovery can continue tomorrow if the Hawks rebound from the reality check they had last week and take care of business over in Ames. But let’s hope the Cyclones give them a good battle, so those that wear the cardinal and gold will still have some hope for this season.
The final countdown for what should be a big weekend in the area begins early next week. Belle Plaine’s Weekend of Living History will provide plenty of activities for everyone. The annual Civil War re-enactment has been a staple for the past several years. This year, there will also be a Hall of Fame induction at the museum, all-school reunion, Walldog mural painting, a street dance and many other activities.
So there should be more than a few diamonds to discover starting next Friday. We’ve been very fortunate with great weather for the past couple of weeks and we can only hope that the weatherman will smile on us through at least Sunday.
