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Public Comments - Media

Polk County's mayors invite community action
Polk County Itemizer-Observer
January 31, 2001

Tom Henderson
January 31, 2001

Polk County residents can take genuine in pride in the mayors who lead their communities.

Being a small town mayor can be a pretty cushy gig. All you really have to do is direct the council meetings and vote in case of a tie. You have to make a few ceremonial appearances, cut a few ribbons at grand openings, but it is hardly brain surgery.

A lot of mayors are content to go through the motions. None of them serve in Polk County.

What distinguishes the office of mayor is the person and personality that wields the gavel. Dallas, Monmouth and Independence all have very distinguished mayors. They go above and beyond the mandates of their charters to serve their communities.
Let's start with Monmouth and Independence. Were it not for the difference in their ages, we could well believe that John McArdle of Independence and Paul Evans of Monmouth were twins separated at birth.

Very, very happy twins.

They both bring the same robust energy to their offices, the same inexhaustible "can do" spirit. It can sometimes be difficult keeping up with their enthusiasm.

Both men meet regularly with their constituents. Evans holds his "Coffee and Community" bull sessions every Wednesday at 8 a.m. at Rick's Place on Main Street. McArdle holds what he calls "Sidewalk Office" hours on a more informal schedule.

Cheerleaders for their communities, McArdle holds ice cream socials for children in the Independence Public Library's reading program. Evans infuses projects like the Monmouth Legacy Forest with his never-ending excitement.

McArdle and Evans have brought Monmouth and Independence together on many intergovernmental activities. Their positive attitudes are often contagious.

Jim Fairchild in Dallas, although just finishing his first month in office, shows a similar spirit. His predecessor, Gwen VanDenBosch, set the tone with her numerous commitments to boards and volunteer agencies.

Fairchild is holding the first of his new monthly coffee conversations from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 5, at Bert's Family Restaurant.

He is inviting local residents to stop by and share what's on their mind. He plans to rotate these informal meetings among other restaurants open for coffee such as the Courtyard Coffeehouse and The Place on the first Monday of each month.

Like McArdle and Evans, he brings a lot of passion to his job and has a head virtually swimming with new ideas. It will be interesting to see how those ideas evolve.

Special commendation has to go to Ginger Lindekugel of Falls City. She has been on the job since July and has done a remarkable job of uniting the often contentious community.

She did it just by liking people. She has a genuine respect, even affection, for all the diverse elements of her town. She values what everyone brings to the table.

She showed as much just this week by giving out Certificates of Appreciation to a wide range of local volunteers, activists and all-around community contributors.

This is what Falls City has needed for a long time -- a leader who understands that people may quarrel about the means, but in the end, everyone wants what is best for the community.

George W. Bush talks about being "a uniter, not a divider." He has yet to prove it. Lindekugel has made that slogan a living, breathing reality in her community.

So have all the mayors in Polk County. Any political differences aside, one cannot help but admire their dedication and energy.