Well, I knew this day would come, but as it drew nearer, time seemed to speed up. This will be my farewell column to the good people of Belle Plaine. At the end of this week, I will be moving back to the Quad-City area to find the next chapter in this grand adventure while becoming reacquainted with family and friends there.
When I was informed a few months ago that the full-time position here was being eliminated due to budget concerns, my first thought was not one of self-pity or anger. My first thought was that maybe this was God’s way of telling me I needed to get closer to family. My mom lives in Davenport and although she is still very mobile, we all get older and I want to be able to spend some more quality time with her. My only sibling, my sister, lives in Florida, so I’ve gladly assumed the duties of being the most available immediate family member. The decision to move to Davenport was further reinforced in a rather cruel way in the last month when I learned that my mom’s brother, Gary, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. My last message to my mom was to tell him to hold on, I would be home by the weekend.
We moved here in 1997 after Don Magdefrau offered me a job at the Union. Our attempt at publishing a weekly newspaper in Independence had failed after about a year and I was looking for a job in the newspaper field. I had been to Belle Plaine a grand total of one time in my life, but once we moved here, it took no time to call it “home.” Living in a town this size is so much different than the Quad-Cities. I often joke that here, if you pass someone on the street and don’t wave, they may start talking about you! But the point is, they care enough to wave.
We’ve been through a lot of joys and sorrows over these 13+ years. It’s so nice to be able to go home to Davenport and brag that I attended a meeting with the mayor, city administrator and school superintendent. I usually follow that up by asking the Davenport resident I’m talking to when was the last time you talked with your mayor?
Living in Belle Plaine provides many opportunities to get involved in your community. But it also carries a lot of responsibility. As city officials have often said, and it also pertains to our school district, if you do nothing, you decline. That’s why the plans for the downtown revitalization project, the recently completed aquatics center and the school improvements are so exciting.
People in this town care. This was brought home to me on Sunday at church when the Rev. Jim Campbell had a moving moment in the service called “sending forth” when he called me in front of the congregation, said some very kind words and offered a prayer for my peace and future success.
Since folks around town have heard about my leaving, they have been very kind in their words of support, which is not surprising. That’s just the way people are in this town.
Now it’s time for a little plug. While I greatly appreciate the words of encouragement, the greatest compliment to me would be if some people would step forward and offer to volunteer to help maintain this web site. We need people who would cover city council and school board meetings, local sports, the police beat and other local news. If you have the time and interest in any of these areas, please stop in the Belle Plaine Community Development office and tell Sheila. On line news is the wave of the future. Don’t let our dream die!
There are so many people I should thank for this great ride. I know I would probably forget someone if I tried to mention individuals. My thanks to Don for bringing me here and for the Belle Plaine Community Development folks for keeping me here. Thanks to all of my contacts, from coaches, teachers and other school officials to city officials and other community members who have furnished great news over the years.
In closing, I just want to say I believe in Belle Plaine. Keep your eyes on what should be a great future. Thanks to the internet, I will keep watching and look forward to visiting in the future and seeing a thriving and renewed downtown.
