In his blog, at-large council person John Gonder considers New Albany’s approaching bicentennial, ponders the deeper meaning, and offers a new twist on the idea of building a park for the purpose. In short, he again makes me happy I’ve voted for him.
To date, all we’ve heard amid the secrecy of the usual suspects is a by-the-numbers celebration of the past. As Gonder instinctively grasps, the bicentennial must be open, inclusive and addressing the future. It isn’t too late to rescue the occasion from the icy clutches of self-assigned respectability, is it?
New Albany’s bicentennial is our chance to speak to those who follow us in time to this place, a place we will not go. So far I have heard little of what we will bring to the party …
… I offer the following modest proposal: we should build a Bicentennial Park worthy of the momentous date we commemorate next year …
… I believe the Bicentennial Park should help us show our children and our grandchildren why New Albany is here, and why it is special to us. It is difficult to convey civic sentiment through time. We do that by building for the future.
