Newcomer Camille Lavon put me in my place Tuesday night.
Aware that the dozen or so children who accompanied their parents to the Community Conversation were at times a distraction, Lavon, Thrive Allen County’s economic development director, said, “This is why I moved to Iola. Because my children are allowed to be children. They feel welcome here.”
It was a graceful way to remind me that children are inherently active and, more to the point, deserving of our tolerance.
This year’s conversation, hosted by Thrive, differed from others by the increased number of young people who attended and how they impacted the conversation.
No one beefed about property taxes. No one complained about “kids these days.”
Instead, the focus was on what things are going right: Lehigh Portland State Park, the new football field, the splash pad, the library, the Bowlus Fine Arts Center; and how to build on the momentum: a roofed pavilion for farmers markets and other events, restrooms on the square and by the pickleball courts, and better communication between organizations.
They talked about their children and what it would take for them to call Iola home as adults.
For many, it’s an indoor pool/recreation center that could serve cradle-to-grave needs including year-round swimming, swim lessons, water aerobics and physical therapy at the pool and a menu of activities on family-friendly schedules.
Peruse any YMCA website, including El Dorado’s, and you get an idea of its myriad offerings.
I’ve worried that the ship has sailed after multiple attempts over the years have lost traction due to economic downturns (2008), pandemics (2020), and politics (pick your year.)
But Tuesday’s younger crowd gives me hope. “Don’t just talk about it. Be the change!” shouted out Megan McKarnin, owner of Munchkinland and More daycare center and preschool.
BE THE CHANGE.
We know that song.
We did it in 2010 after an 18-month campaign to build a new Allen County Hospital. We did it in 2019 after multiple setbacks to build a new Iola Elementary School. We did it in 2023 to get state leaders to approve Lehigh Portland State Park.
And just this year, locals’ efforts to get a splash pad for our children came to fruition.
Iolans are no strangers to coordinating efforts to get things done.
