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Editorial: WB’s reasons for thanks
Op-Ed · November 20, 2014
The interesting thing about bitterness and enviousness is that the bitter and envious person never seems to want to get out of those emotions, but would rather drag the rest of us in.
So thank God for Thanksgiving, a holiday which somehow has been able to remain relatively free from association with “Buy! Buy! Buy!” and still retains an atmosphere closely tied to freeing oneself of emotions that rot our bones and jaundice our perspective.
But we can’t just expect next Thursday to roll around, sprinkle some magical fairy dust on us and — POP — thankful! It takes a bit of memory-jogging. So here’s some of that for West Branch:
• West Branch Community Schools released a 15-year plan that includes razing West Branch Middle School and building an addition at West Branch High School to absorb those pupils. That plan is largely based on two things: The expectation of more effective teaching methods, especially an increase in hands-on learning, and projected increases in enrollment, both of which are good things. While the two key items listed above are probably still at least a few years away, the high school got an expanded parking lot and revamped drop-off points that plan for that growth and increase safety. Very nice.
• Interest remains strong in park improvements. A majority of voters approved a Local Option Sales Tax of 1 percent to spend on city parks. A majority also approved a $4 million bond to make those improvements, but it needed a 60 percent supermajority and fell less than 3 percent short of that goal. While the city council needs to figure out what to do next about the bond — either lower the amount or increase the marketing hype — it seems that there remains significant interest in improving the parks. It’s just a matter of figuring out the right pieces to the puzzle to make it happen.
• The Hoover Presidential Foundation embarked on an audacious $600,000 plan in hopes of setting new records for attendance at the Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and Hoover National Historic Site. To get things going, the Foundation commissioned a 46-foot version of the relief ship that took food to Belgium during World War I. The Great War is the centerpiece of the exhibit, which will fill the temporary exhibit space and then spill over to the National Park Service grounds. The ship “sailed” in the Hoover’s Hometown Days parade and around the Iowa State Fair and got lots of people excited about the exhibit.
• In what some people called a “miracle,” a newborn baby named Kayden Powell somehow survived more than 29 hours in subfreezing temperatures after his aunt abducted him from Wisconsin and hid him in a tote box outside a West Branch gas station in early February.
• A National Park Service report showed that tourists spend about $7.1 million and support more than 100 jobs in the 60-mile area around West Branch.
• The high school’s rookie robotics team earned a nod to attend the World Championship robotics competition in St. Louis. The jazz band earned a wildcard bid to the Iowa High School Music Association’s jazz championships. Linzee Espensen was invited to the White House for her involvement in a science club project that redirects food waste to composting piles instead of landfills.
• The city council passed a budget for 2014-15 that is almost $300,000 less than the previous year. For a budget of about $3.64 million, that’s saying something.
• TV star Mike Wolfe of American Pickers fame dropped by Main Street Antiques & Art in April. Just shopping, but he knew Lou Picek & Co. have a good eye for what should go on their shelves.
• A year after tearing her ACL, Jori Robertson fought her way back to win the USA Western Championships in gymnastics. That’s cool.
• Crestview Nursing and Rehab turned 50. And they still have a waiting list for people who want to get in.
• Gobs of people get freezing cold and send money to help research as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge sweeps through the city and schools.
• The Lions Club sets a goal to collect money to feed the poor and needy. They raise more than $21,000 and prepare more than 84,000 meals with the help of more than 260 area residents. Awesome.
• The volleyball and football teams make it to the state playoffs. We should pause here to state that it is too simple to say we are thankful for these things, because that implies that 1. Getting to the playoffs is given, not earned; and 2. That we would not be thankful if the teams failed to make the playoffs. It is more accurate to say that we are glad that we can prove these coaches and players worked hard and gave it their best effort because the evidence is easy to find in the results.
• Christmas Past is coming soon.
Unlike pride, gluttony, slothfulness and the other “deadly sins,” there is no upside to envy, so perhaps that is another reason Thanksgiving Day has lasted so long — we need it so badly. So here’s to the many things — communitywide or personal — we here in West Branch have for which to be thankful.
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