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Editorial: Challenges and rewards
Op-Ed · December 21, 2017
The past year in West Branch brought its own set of tensions to our area, even if we try to ignore all the strains between the other ingredients in our American Melting Pot.
We won’t try to name them all, but here are a few. They are not all necessarily bad, but involve hard work, hard choices and some hard feelings.
City:
• A city council election that went from uncontested to contested, and even a recount.
• Replacing a city administrator who took another job.
• The rise and fall of urban chickens.
• A new state law allows sale and use of fireworks, but no action here to amend city ordinances.
• The school doubles the hours of police presence in the buildings.
School:
• The new J-Term, especially for middle- and high school pupils.
• Two efforts at referendums to build additions at the school district fell short of passage.
• The school and teachers union hurry to update their contract before a new state law on collective bargaining takes effect.
Other:
• The chance that the Lower West Branch bridge may not be replaced when Interstate 80 widens to six lanes.
• The passing of Roy Lewis, Harlan Ferguson, Norma Beecher and other notables.
• A rash of car burglaries
• The Take A Knee controversy and how it ties into Herbert Hoover.
Yet this year saw a lot of positive as well.
• Both the city council and school board ended up with two new members each.
• The community took time out to enjoy a rare solar eclipse.
• A school and community partnership is building, with the help of students, a new multi-purpose shed at the high school.
• Cubby Park’s plans continue to move forward.
• A new statue of Herbert Hoover goes up outside the school that bears his name.
• A bump in tourists at the Hoover campus leads to a 20 percent increase in local spending and jobs.
• The golf course gets a new owner and reopens as Cedars Edge.
• An archival discovery suggests Lou Henry Hoover may have been the first occupant to shoot color movies at the White House.
• Sports successes include sending local athletes to state events, and a couple of district championships, like boys basketball and football.
• Two more wonderful displays in the Hoover Library-Museum’s temporary exhibit, focusing on Route 66 and Christmas trees.
• And area churches and the annual See You At The Pole offered us two opportunities to pray for our community and our world.
It is certainly tempting to tune out the times of the year when the happenings of the world strain your patience. Sometimes it is healthy and refreshing to do so, but most of the time we need to pay attention to fend off something worse, or to prepare for change, or to at least slow down what is coming.
Yet as we see here in West Branch, it is also good to remain aware of our small community because good things happen, too.
School is taking its Christmas break starting later this week. Our city staff will take off for a couple of days, too. The Times staff will break away from the office — though still keep tabs on the news — for our annual vacation. And we hope all of our readers will find time, no matter your schedules or jobs, to relax and recharge over the holiday season.
Every year brings its challenges, but also its rewards.
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