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Community Notes: We’re all in this together

By Keith Starr, Councilor, Charles City Council

While I write this article I think about the exciting things going on in the city such as the Main Street project and the way it is working to completion. Or maybe the amazing group of volunteers that turned out to manage the flood situation.

Other exciting developments include the apartments being built that are committed to, and additional in-depth talk with other contractors for different but viable options.

All of these items mean change, which isn’t always bad but does take some adjusting to.

I also think some about legacy and how some of these decisions may look in a year or 20 years.

Recently I witnessed a patron of a local retail establishment storm in shouting about how the store had done him wrong and was overcharging him. After three staff members sorted it out it was clear that the patron had simply misread an invoice.

Made me wonder if that amount of emotion on his end and the stress it put the staff under was what he would like to be remembered for.

Of course, for every one of these situations I see 100 that are just the reverse.

As an example, Chris and Lisa Garden recently had the kitchen at TLC dedicated to them for the work they did to bring the center to fruition.

Through the years I have known them they never talked about their hard work in the outstanding program.

I am sure there were some that didn’t believe it could happen, but quietly and consistently they helped it come together. Or as they typically would say, “It wasn’t just us, it was the team.”

This in many ways shows they are living the words from LJ Industries’ mission statement which ends with “while creating a better quality of life for our employees and our community.” Which of course Sen. Joni Ernst already knew and recognized with the Small Business of the Week award.

Recently I attended a business meeting with people who had reached significant financial milestones. One of them was asked if their team understood their business principles.

He smiled and said he has three that each member can recite: “Be nice to each other, be nice to the community and be nice to the equipment.”

In Charles City I think the successful businesses could hang the same principles over their doors without fear of contradiction with what they are doing now, both for the business and for their personal lives.

So as Red Green would say, “Remember, I’m pulling for ya. We’re all in this together.” Or maybe shorter said, be nice and the world will be a better place to be.

As always thank you for allowing me to serve as a member of the City Council.

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