Icing on the cake
The town is abuzz with talk of the school improvement project which passed by a landslide last week.
The editorial on this page in last week's paper asked "where do we go from here?" The answer is, "the sky's the limit."
Six months ago, we were concerned with the future of our town. It looked like the sun would set, we'd roll up the streets, and that would be the end of Marion. OK, that's a little dramatic, but you have to admit we were in dire straits.
Some farsighted individuals realized the seriousness of the situation and now we're looking at the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Again, a little dramatic, but you get the picture.
Good things have been happening and Marion stands to gain a little from each of these "good things" and gain a lot from the combination of all these plans and improvements.
Restaurants like Kingfisher Steakhouse and Lounge, Country Lakes Café, and Zimmerman's Deli have given the community added choices for dining as well as attracting people from outside the area to visit our fair city.
While we were sad to see Marion Lumber Company close, the sale of the business has proven to be a silver lining in a dark cloud.
Seacat Hardware has announced the opening of a lumberyard and home center. It's a concept like no other in the area and they will be able to capitalize on that by attracting a wide customer base.
Jim Cloutier is in the process of purchasing the Elgin Apartments and restoring it to its former grandeur. He's got the vision and resources to accomplish his plan and make the Elgin a showplace that again will attract people near and far.
Merle Flaming has begun Frostbite Ice Company and is providing a service to local businesses that formerly came from out-of-town.
Mike and Karen Regnier, Gerald Wiens, Delmer Fink, and other developers have been building and remodeling houses — and selling them.
On the city side of things, we're still undergoing water plant improvements that will make Marion compliant for the 21st century.
The fire department has taken delivery on a long-awaited and sorely needed new firetruck.
Marion Advancement Campaign (MAC) has turned their focus to a new community center. With a solid direction and some significant donations, that could become reality soon.
Marion Police Department has hired a hometown boy, Steven Janzen, as a police officer. It's always good to see young people return to Marion to live and work.
All these are good things happening in our town — things that should be viewed as positive and progressive; things that should have everyone excited about the future of Marion.
To top that, with the passage of the school bond, we are looking down the road at a new fine arts center, wellness center, and indoor pool.
We've heard about the benefits of the facilities. We've heard what this building project can do for the school district as well as the community. It's exciting to think about the future and where we will be in a year or two.
Indeed, good things are happening in Marion. And the bond issue and school building project are the icing on the cake.
— DONNA BERNHARDT
