Every day we are getting older. As much as most of us don't want to admit it, it's a fact of life. This means that as we age the things around us age too.
This includes our loved ones, the styles we love and songs we listen to, even our favorite places filled with the most memories. In most communities this could consist of parking lots, malls, and even corn fields. However to me, some of my most memorable high school moments were spent at our football and track stadium. No, I didn't participate in these sports but our band and color guard (awarded the best color guard at a competition my senior year, might I add) performed numerous shows on this field. Many Friday nights were spent cheering on the football team to victory. Of course we can't forget Glenwood's fantastic fireworks display on homecoming viewed every year from the field itself.
In my hometown of Glenwood, Iowa there is a bit of a debate that has sparked interest from all sides of the age spectrum in our small community about this very field. What could a town possibly debate about a field, you might ask? The demolition of the almost 50 year old stadium which includes the field, bleachers, press box, concession stand, bathrooms, field house, and locker rooms- in order to build a new and improved activity complex that will be funded by slightly increasing property taxes by less than $20 per month in the largest homes and less than $6 per month on smaller homes. Why such an uproar when we are talking about an activity complex that could benefit thousands of kids for years to come? Mostly because many are afraid of change. They are afraid of their property taxes changing and they are afraid of losing one of the last tangible memories from their glory days. They are afraid that as soon as this sad excuse for a current stadium is destroyed their memories will be destroyed with it. They are unaware of the awful conditions our current facilities are in. Those opposed to the complex have not seen up close the muddy sidelines our football boys stand in under the blare of the Friday night lights. They are unaware that the entire facility is not ADA compliant, causing many grandparents to unfortunately miss out on their grandkids playing or performing in whichever activity they are in. They haven't noticed the cracking of our track that is a safety hazard every time a student steps onto the track for any reason. By creating a new activities complex all of this could be fixed.
The current home bleachers for our stadium
My biggest issue with opposition against the athletics complex is that those that want to vote no don't understand the importance of it. Coming from someone that didn't play sports in high school, and ran the wrong away before my second free throw in middle school, I understand how important it is for kids to have athletics in their life. Kids that play sports in high school are 97% more likely to graduate compared to only 87% for those that don't. Athletics, and other extra curricular activities, teach many valuable lessons to kids no matter how great they are at the sport they play. They learn how to work as a team which in this day and age is an invaluable characteristic in the workplace. Another issue I have is people whine and complain when they have to drive two or more hours to drive to the football game or soccer tournament, but what they don't realize is that by getting the new facility things like that wouldn't happen. It would generate more money for the community when parents come to town to watch their own kids play and hopefully bring more families to our town to get their kids into a winning program.
Looking down on the track and football field
Many have argued that this is just something that is taking money out of the classrooms and into the hands of coaches and the athletically inclined. Thank goodness this is not the case. I care just as much as the next person about the future of our country which starts in the classroom. Our teachers mold the minds of future political leaders, policemen and women, and of course more teachers to start the cycle all over again. The last thing we want to do is take money away from their already very limited budget. The money proposed in this physical plant and equipment levy, or PPEL, is only allowed to be used on equipment or buildings directly relating to the activities complex. Which leads to another argument that I have heard since the PPEL went public is that this money should be used on things like improving our road conditions, hiring more deputies in town to support our growing population, and even adding gardening or welding classes to improve the education of kids. Once again, all of the money from the PPEL can only be used on things directly relating to the new actives complex. Yes, funding in our schools is a problem, however, that is not a problem that can be fixed with the proposed tax increase. That starts with our lawmakers, not our property taxes.
The proposed idea of the new actives complex
As a resident of the Glenwood Community School District, we have the chance to change all of this. We have the chance to change the lives of not only students going through our district in the next few years, but also our own kids should we choose to raise them in this growing small town. By voting yes to the incredibly slight increase in property taxes you are voting yes to a brighter and safer future in Glenwood's constantly improving athletics program.
