To Bridge or Not to Bridge

“I didn’t hear anybody bragging about what a

beautiful bridge it was, because it’s not.”

Mike Hefner, Resident of Crouch, Idaho

Crouch, Idaho (population 176) has a one-lane bridge, and folks there want to keep it that way. A brand spanking new and bigger bridge is planned, with two lanes for traffic and two lanes for bikes. Townspeople say it’s ugly—it will destroy the character of their small town. A new bridge is needed, folks agree, but they want to keep it small. A petition against the bridge design has been making the rounds, and 555 people have signed it. But anyone who’s ever built knows that change doesn’t come cheap. The bridge is no exception. The cost to redesign tops $300,000. And that’s money the county doesn’t have, especially now. It’s in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings and fighting to keep its head above water.

In Iowa, people from Ankeny (population 36,161) to Woodward (population 1,473) have a new bridge, and they are tickled. Spanning the Des Moines River, it runs half a mile and connects two sections of the High Trestle nature trail. The bridge is an artsy thing: 13 stories high with 41 steel bands that form a contemporary arch. It’s the crown jewel in the 25-mile walking, jogging, and biking trail. And the trail costs about as much as the crown jewels: $15 million. People in the area say it's worth it. The trail is attracting newcomers to their small towns and new customers to their businesses.

The folks in Idaho and Iowa might have two different viewpoints about their bridges, but they share a common vision. Both want to preserve the charm of their small towns and both know that a bridge is one way to get there.

Read the Articles
·        Small Idaho town doesn’t want new bridge
·        Trailhead Project (The original Des Moines Register story about the Iowa bridge, “New Bridge Finally Connects Ankeny-to-Woodward Trail” is no longer available online, but here’s a link to the Madrid, Iowa Trailhead Project page. It has some great photos of the bridge and the High Trestle Trail, and some background information about the trail.)

Info Masters

“If it’s public information, then it should be on the website.”

Shawn O'Neil, Selectman Chairman

Danville, New Hampshire

The town of Danville, New Hampshire (population 4,387) has nothing to hide. It made the news earlier this month when it started publishing on its website lawsuits brought against the town. Not many towns­, large or small, do that. So why Danville?

As it turns out, this town is all about disclosure. Town leaders say that if it’s public information, it should be on the website. They’re not kidding. I clicked on the Danville website, and it is a treasure trove of all things Danville. 

It’s all there: Danville TV, which includes video of the meetings of the budget committee, school board, and board of selectmen. Services provided by the town: auto registration, dog licensing, library services, mosquito control, stormwater management, tax rates & tax collector, trash collection, and inspections of every kind—building, plumbing, and electrical. The website boasts some big names, too: Google calendar of events, Twitter feed of police calls, and AccuWeather.com weather report and forecasts. And don’t forget the committees, all the committees: budget, conservatism, forestry, planning, recreation, website, and zoning. Back up: a website committee? 

That explains it. While scrolling through Danville's website I was scratching my head trying to figure out who does this. What kind of small town has the time and talent to gather all that information and put it into a neat little digital package? And there it was: a website committee. A team of techies.

This is one town that lives by the maxim “Knowledge is power.” And it found that it doesn’t hurt to know a good techie, too.

Fun fact: I discovered “Danville” got its name from early settlers, at least three of whom were named Daniel. But I didn’t get that from the town’s website. I got that from Wikipedia. Go figure.

Read the Story ® A who's who of sue
Go to ® The Official Website of Danville, NH

Penny for Your Thoughts

“Do you take cash?”

Jason West, Peeved penny protestor

Do you sometimes wish you had nerve? You know, as in “What nerve!” Jason West of Vernal, Utah (population 9,216) has nerve. He’s been tussling with his doctor’s office since December over a $25 bill. He says he paid it; they say he didn’t. So last month Mr. West did the only thing he could do: he paid the bill . . . in pennies. 2,500 of them.

The doctor’s office appreciated the payment but not the method of delivery. The police were called and Mr. West was charged with disorderly conduct. The police insist it’s not because he paid with pennies but because he made a pretty mess with his pennies. It’s true: pennies were strewn across the desk and on floor. Mr. West says he didn’t intend to make a mess, but pennies are round. They roll.

For his penny antics, Mr. West received a $140 fine and his day in court. If he’s found guilty and has to pay, you have to wonder how he’ll do it. Mr. West says he has respect for the courts and won’t pay with pennies. Maybe that means nickels next time?

Read the Article ® Peeved patient proud of penny protest

Bank on It

“I get along good because I don’t have many wants.”

June Gregg, Loyal Customer of Huntington National Bank

How long have you been with your bank? Me, I changed again last month. My small town bank was bought out by a big city chain, and I decided it was time to switch. I’m not alone. This year almost 9 percent of us did that, up 1 percent from a year before. Banks spend a lot of coinage trying to woo customers like us.

But none of that matters to June Gregg of Chillicothe, Ohio (population 22,193). Miss Gregg has been with her bank for 98 years and she’s not going anywhere. In 1913, her father deposited $6.11 into Savings Bank for his then 1½-year-old daughter. In the 1980s, Savings Bank was bought out by Huntington Bank and Miss Gregg got a new account number, but other than that not much has changed over the years. The bank Miss Gregg trusted with two gold pieces she received for high school graduation in 1930 is the same bank where she tucks away her retirement savings today.

Huntington Bank threw a party for Miss Gregg last week to celebrate her 100th birthday. Miss Gregg says she wouldn’t consider banking anywhere else—she likes it there. Banks have a word to describe a customer like Miss Gregg: Priceless.

Read the Article ® Ohio woman has stuck with same bank for 98 years

Made in Americus

“I thought I could make a profit.”

Jae Lee, President of Georgia Chopsticks

These days everything is made in China, right? From flip flops to furniture and appliances to American flags. Everything, that is, except chopsticks. In a happy bit of irony, those are made by a company in Americus, Georgia (population 16,304) and shipped to China.

China and its 1.3 billion people go through a ton of chopsticks, literally. They typically toss their chopsticks after each use, and the country doesn’t have enough wood keep its citizens supplied. Americus does. In fact, the poplar and sweet gum trees ideal for making chopsticks grow like weeds around Americus, which also has a bumper crop of willing workers. With local unemployment hovering around 12 percent, Georgia Chopsticks is having no problem filling its 150 spots. The company opened only last year and is cranking out 2 million chopsticks a day. At full capacity, that number should shoot up to 10 million a day. And the company is expanding its shipping to an inland port town to make exporting easier. 

You know what they say about Chinese takeout. An hour later and you’re hungry for more. With the Chinese appetite for chopsticks, that’s money in the bank for Americus.

Read the Article ® Americus’ cool coup: Chopsticks for China

Cop Controversy

“My opinion is, we needed help.”

Darrell Wolf, City Councilman

Zeeland, North Dakota

Zeeland, North Dakota is no stranger to controversy. In this town where the average age is 57 and almost half its 86 residents are over 65, people have strong opinions. The latest conflict started over the gear inside an ambulance. Who owns it? Folks can’t agree. The disagreement led to spatting between neighbors and charges of corruption. To get to the bottom of things, the mayor and town council went looking for help, and that’s when the trouble really began.

The mayor and town council tried the sheriff’s department and state attorney’s office, but no luck. Taking matters into their own hands, they created the Zeeland Police Department. There aren’t any cops, but the mayor and council did appoint a reserve officer to sort out the ambulance mess—no pay and no gun but full powers to investigate and arrest. Problem is, the Zeeland Police Department is illegal. It isn’t licensed and it isn’t allowed to appoint reserve officers.

This left the town in a pickle. The reserve officer, Darrell Graf, was on the job and eager to do his duty. The state told Mr. Graf to stop. He declined. Citing the authority vested in him by the mayor and town council, Mr. Graf stayed on the job, expanding his duties to include an investigation of a sexual assault and a squatters case. He even stopped in a gun shop, asking about law enforcement discounts. To stop the reserve cop gone rogue, last week the state filed charges against Mr. Graf for impersonating a police officer. 

The town wants things to get back to normal. A council member says all they want is to make sure someone responds to 911 calls. Which brings us back to the ambulance. No word yet on if they ever got that one settled.

Read the article ® Elderly N.D. man accused of acting as police officer

Flag Day

I Pledge Allegiance

to the flag of the United States of America

and to the Republic for which it stands,

one Nation under God, indivisible, 

with liberty and justice for all.

Happy Flag Day! It’s one more sure sign summer is here—the flags are flying. And today is their special day. The Stars and Stripes was made the official flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, but it wasn’t until June 14, 1916 that the flag was given its own day. And that’s thanks in large part to a school teacher from Waubeka, Wisconsin (population 4,986). 

On June 14, 1885, Bernard Cigrand brought a 10-inch flag to Stony Hill School and assigned a flag essay to his students (who were still in school on June 14th!). From those humble beginnings, Bernard made it his life’s mission to see that the whole nation took a day to honor the red, white, & blue. His efforts paid off when President Wilson signed a proclamation declaring June 14 National Flag Day. The town of Waubeka holds a big shindig each year to celebrate. Leading up to the big day they sponsor a flag essay contest for kids, and this last weekend they put on a parade and family fun day.

Here are a few fun flag facts to ponder when flying your colors today:
·        The first flag, with the 13 stars and stripes, is called the Betsy Ross flag, although it’s not clear that Betsy Ross actually sewed the first flag. Some historians doubt the story, especially considering that it was first told by her grandson in 1870, almost 100 years after the fact.
·        The current version of our flag was designed by an 18-year-old high school student, who got only a B– for his efforts. When his design was accepted by Congress as the official design, the teacher bumped his grade up to an A.
·        There are six U.S. flags on the moon.
·        About 50 million U.S. flags are sold each year.
·        A flag expert is called a vexillologist.
·        Frank Bellamy, of Mount Morris, New York (mentioned in my earlier story Friday Feature: Mount Morris, New York) wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892.
·        The largest Flag Day parade is held in Troy, New York—it draws 50,000 visitors each year.
·        The oldest continuously running Flag Day parade is in Fairfield, Washington, which held its first parade on June 14, 1910.