Mayor for a Day

            Being mayor an accomplishment that every child dreams about when they are growing up. Anyone can only imagine what changes they would make to their own city being the leader; however, very few get to experience it. If I were able to be mayor for a day, I would certainly have some ambitions in my mind. The city has and does hold exceptional events for the community, so I would expand those items that are well done. In addition, I would also add some entirely new concepts to the community in the field of entertainment. If I had the opportunity to be mayor for a day, I would put forth plans for a new pool, organize more community events, and monitor the city’s parks and public buildings.  

One of the most important issues needing to be addressed as mayor is the city pool. The current pool is one of the oldest in the area; several towns around Cascade have already built new pools. Many families travel to other towns because they have newly renovated pools. The pool needs to be rebuilt, and the city has the means to do it. Several years ago, the city built a new amphitheater in the river park, and a great deal of the money was raised by the community. There is plenty of demand for building a new pool, so the community could raise enough to fund it just like what was done for the amphitheater. Building a new city pool would be near the top of my list as mayor. In addition to summer fun, the pool would also pave the way for more community events in Cascade.

            Another top priority would be organizing more public events throughout the year. The city already does a superb job of getting the people of Cascade involved with events, so it is very important that these events are kept and expanded upon. The main existing events include “Rockin’ on the River” and “Hometown Days”, both of which get excellent turnouts years after year; however, both of these events only occur in the summertime. Because summer only makes up about four months out of the year, more events need to be added for the winter, fall, and spring. I would suggest a “Sled Day” that would occur in the time frame of December to January. This event would be a great way to bring families from the community together in the wintertime. Another event that we could bring back from the past is movie night. We could project movies onto the screen at the Legion Baseball Field; however, people would not be allowed to drive their vehicles onto the field. Friends and family would be able to take out blankets and enjoy a nice movie under the stars. These two community events would be excellent additions to the city of Cascade.

            I believe that our public parks and buildings need to be monitored more closely. For example, the beach volleyball courts at the New City Park have greatly deteriorated over the years. The sand has become overgrown with weeds and other foliage, and it is in desperate need of renovation. The nets certainly need to be replaced to make the courts anywhere near usable. I would make sure that these courts, along with the rest of the park, are kept free of litter and properly maintained. Another building that needs to be more closely monitored is the Webber Center. The Webber Center is a great place for the young people of our community to play baseball and practice other sports. However, cities around Cascade are starting to figure out that this gym is here and available. Some nights it will be entirely full of people from Dubuque or other places, and I think that the building was put up for the Cascade community to use. It is not fair if some young people go to the Webber Center to practice their respective game but are unable to because a dozen older guys are playing a full court basketball game. Introducing some sort of key card system may be the best solution. A key could be obtained at the city hall for a small fee; however, the Webber Center would still remain unlocked during certain hours. These are two examples of publicly owned properties that I would have monitored and maintained more closely.

            Overall, if I had the opportunity to become mayor of Cascade for a day I would make an effort to rebuild the city pool, organize more events for the community, and closely monitor the publicly owned parks and buildings of Cascade. First, I would work on laying the plans out for a new pool to be built. Next, I would plan and organize more community events for the city of Cascade. Finally, I would make sure that the city’s parks and public buildings are monitored and maintained for the enjoyment of the community. As mayor, my top priorities would be building a new pool, creating more community events, and ensuring the proper maintenance of the city’s facilities.