EDITORIAL
The story is told of a traveler motoring through the “breadbasket” of America and approaching a tiny town in western Iowa.
There wasn’t much to the town, just three or four blocks, but as he approached he could make out in the distance two large structures, one on each end of town.
As he got nearer and arrived at the village’s edge, he could make out the nearer structure’s nature. It was a Lutheran church.
He quickly drove the town’s remaining four blocks and looked up at the other large building.
It was another Lutheran church.
That story was told in the context of illustrating where different American denominations are dominant and it obviously does that, even if you don’t happen to live in that little Iowa town.
But it could illustrate something else. It’s nice to have your town, or your downtown, delineated by landmarks. And with the occupation of the new police station at midweek, downtown Rock-dale will have three really nice landmarks on all sides of our downtown. And a fourth with tons of potential.
When the PD site was first selected, some town leaders pointed out Rockdale now has the potential for downtown “bookends” at all four compass points.
That would be the police station to the east, former police station (which will no doubt revert to being called “the Old City Hall) to the west, the Kay Theatre to the north and the I&GN Depot Museum to the south.
Of course that move to the new PD leaves the former City Hall vacant for the first time in 124 years. That’s one we’re going to have to work on.
But that’s exactly what’s happening. There have already been brainstorming meetings on how to repurpose the building and requests for proposals are probably the next step.
Big-time renovation work on US 79 and a magnificent sidewalk replacement and upgrade are going to transform downtown Rockdale along Cameron Avenue. Initial work on the infrastructure is expected to begin later this year.
It’s going to look fantastic. Downtown Rock-dale from bookend to bookend, all four points of the compass, is going to be a showpiece, one that longtime residents, and everyone passing through, is going to enjoy.
Sure we’ve got a ways to go, yet. But things can and do happen. Just look at the corner of East Cameron and Green, the new PD, for proof of that.—M.B.
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