Cascade as Cruise Ship for Surrounding Communities

 

In the 1950’s the farming community came to town on Saturday night to buy, socialize, tipple and confess their sins, making a clear contribution to the city economy. Now?

We can only hanker for early decades of the last century when the farms of the countryside provided Cascade’s businesses an authentic, organic source of customers. The future is now and contains a lot of dog parks if we don’t step up and shape it.

Here’s why: Last January 24-26^th at the invitation of the Cascade Economic Development Corp., Iowa Rural Community Enrichment, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority in Des Moines, brought four experts to Cascade. They met with several people—a dozen business owners, a dentist, a chiropractor, a couple medical professionals, the three school principals, a high school teacher, some students, a banker, the chamber president, four council people, the mayor, a half dozen citizens and a couple farmers. This group and 98 other folks who filled out a survey on Facebook provided input to a Downtown Assessment Report issued in March. There is a copy in the library and you would do well to read it because what is happening in town is more or less laid out in this Downtown Assessment Report.

I. E: the new $50,000 party-planning, promotions and volunteer-organizing position created this summer, the new sidewalk and cement parking installed in October on the southeast of the pool, and the dog park—are all a result of those meetings. On page six the authors of the report have listed the town’s greatest weaknesses. Number one: “There is not enough to do in town.” 

Naturally, such a report does not assess the underlying problems plaguing American society—lack of meaningful education that cultivates interests (except sports) and makes us believe as people that going places, spending money and buying stuff makes us happy. Proof: the “most needed new businesses” called for by respondents are: 1) restaurants (We already have 5 plus 3 places you can buy fast food!), 2) clothing/boutiques, 3) bowling/entertainment, 4) an ice cream shop, 5) sports bar/Irish pub and 6) a consignment shop.

The business this community most needs is a lumber jack. Close to half the residences in town have a tree that needs to be removed and some local tree services can’t come to assess one for 60 to 90 days. Longer to schedule a removal. If city taxpayers are investing in businesses; why not invest in one we really need and haven’t a single one of?

Are dog parks, new restaurants and consignment shops the answer? I know an older couple on Main Street who would like to stay in their home, but can’t because they can’t do the maintenance and can’t find anyone to help them do it.  Shouldn’t we be investing in a business that would help them? I am sure they’d pay.

Last month, I searched in vain for a place to get a fine old Grundig radio repaired. I tried Dubuque, where it was bought, Cedar Rapids, Chicago, L.A. and NYC. I finally found a lovely guy in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Perhaps we need to question our toss-it-in-the-landfill-get-a-new-one philosophy and look for businesses that help preserve the environment, not just provide entertainment and diversion.

Volunteers, Volunteers

            One might also object to the Downtown Assessment Report’s insistence on drafting volunteers to do city work. We know why we don’t have the money to hire people and why. Last year, Cascade and state taxpayers gave a business $600,000 to redo the old Brewery Building. A couple years back we gave Jesse Loewen $157,000 to redo the old Farmer’s and Bankers’ Building.

            Almost every council meeting city taxpayers are asked to pay for infrastructure. At the Monday night October 24 meeting, Origin, Dubuque firm, presented its report on the main bridge over the North Fork of the Maquoketa, and two others both with defects, both receiving heavy use by non-tax paying businesses outside the city.

         

   The Monroe Street Bridge spans the creek bed that brings water from the East Side of town. It sits on a dead-end, no-outlet street and the traffic on the bridge is primarily Custom Pre-Cast’s trucks loaded with cement. Should city taxpayers be repairing a bridge for a profitable company not even located or paying taxes in the city? It’s practically a private use bridge—let them fix it.

            The farm community made notable contributions to the city’s economy in the past, but the situation now seems reversed! We now have three hog confinements on a farm north of town, and their heavy grain trucks and honey wagons have compromised the culvert that replaced the bridge on Tyler St./Aitchison Rd. in/out of town. They run up Tyler St., spill their contents on the road and Cascade taxpayers are expected to pony up to fix the culvert these vehicles have compromised?

This past summer, with a new pool, Cascade became a destination for out-of-towners and according to one of the life guards I spoke with, there were many patrons from as far away as Dubuque—“especially after the city-sponsored parties.” One has to wonder with potholes in other areas of town why the street along the pool was prioritized for repair and a brand new sidewalk. Is this a service for business?

City residents pay the same entrance fees as non-residents. South of town at Riverview Ridge, there are two dozen or more vacation/weekend residences. Should these non-taxpayers pay the same as us? It seems that ordinary taxpayers ought to get some benefit along with the business and farming communities. The right council person will insist on it!