Mayor’s Letter to Eldridge Residents

One Response

1. As an outsider in this whole process, I appreciate your honesty and sincerity in explaining the whole process and trying to arrive at whatever the best solution may be.

   Myself, I don’t know what the true answer is. I do know Eldridge is a growing community and will at some point have to have a full-time fire department, much like what happened in Bettendorf in the 1970s (if I read my sources correctly); Bettendorf was in fact three times larger than Eldridge is now and still operated with a volunteer fire department prior to their transition.

   These are times when one wishes Bill Tubbs were still with us, and perhaps he’d be able to lend insight and his memories and recollections of what happened in Bettendorf as it moved through that process. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy process and it was as emotional as Eldridge is now.

   The sad thing in all this is that you and members of the city staff and city council are being vilified by trying to arrive at a decision that will best serve the needs of Eldridge in the long run. I’ve mentioned it with Travis Ralfs and he and I agree this is a no-win situation, and that a tough decision needs to be made.

   And it’s not just that you’ve served the North Scott community well for 43 years … as editor – and at times assistant publisher – of the North Scott Press, taking us through all the good times and bad, through triumph and tragedy, and documenting community history. But your service to the park board, the Chamber of Commerce, youth softball, North Scott Fine Arts and the two Halls of Fame (athletic and academic), Park View Lutheran Church … all of that and I know I’m leaving a lot out.

   Now, I just can’t help but wonder, with all of that said, if some folks in the community have issues with you that have been left to fester all these years and it took a situation like this for them to start lashing out against you (and others, by extension). So maybe it’s time they did get out all out, or state that they’re just speaking out against the plan … one or the other.

   And they want people who have no community sense, no connections other than just being on the council. (Much like a recent former city councilman who’d I’d describe at best as “hostile.”)

   As you and I know, too, this is far from new for the community as a whole. Recall all the battles the North Scott School District underwent while I was still working at the North Scott Press over whether to build a new school or bus students from Eldridge to Donahue. I mean, while we did get that wonderful Regional Innovation Center (I think that’s the right name) and did get the YMCA (yay!), we can’t even build a new school for a growing community and to keep it growing, especially with new industry without people lashing out against one another.

   It is my opinion that residents need to be reminded that you and those elected to the city council, whom they elected, are their neighbors and friends. They see them everywhere in the community – at church and school events (sporting and otherwise), civic and other events, etc. … unlike I’d guess at least one recent council member who is no longer on the council.

   Again, upon Bill Tubbs’ death, we don’t have perspective on how it might have been when Eldridge formed the police department in the mid-1960s. (From I’m sure patrols by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and town marshals and deputies.) He’d likely have had first hand information given to him from Harley Osmun, the town’s first chief. Otherwise, I don’t know who’s still around and in good health to lend insight on how it was 60-plus years ago with the Eldridge Police Department.

   Those are my thoughts at this time. I’ll write again soon if I think of anything else.

   To close, on a note that is unrelated to this whole fire department discussion: I find it unacceptable that the varsity softball coach refuses to grant interviews to Ross Shindberg, who in his grace still continues to cover softball. While I realize it is her decision whether to allow Ross to interview her, I think someone needs to sit both of them down and figure out what is at issue and then resolve it, or else it’s time for a new softball coach. Dennis Johnson would be never resort to this sort of conduct, and for me I’ve never run into issues where coaches outright refuse to talk to me (or anyone else). The lone exceptions might be if they’re upset after a loss, but they’ll always talk after cooling off overnight.

   Keep up the good work and may the right decision to move forward with Eldridge and the fire department be made.

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