Jonathan Meyer.

Oftentimes I see buzz and chatter online about our towns. More often than that, I look around and wonder some of the same things myself. If anyone wants to answer these questions about town, please be my guest; give me a call or message me online, I’m genuinely curious.

1-Why is there no connection between Kwik Star and Dollar Fresh?

Ever since the new location opened in 2022 I have wondered if and when we’ll get the parking lots connected. Plenty of others online have said the same. Imagine getting your groceries and conveniently pulling across the drive to fill up your vehicle. Seems too convenient, right?

2-Does anyone use the disc golf course at Toledo Heights?

As someone who is a very avid fan of tossing the disc, I have never seen anyone else playing a round out at the heights. The course is on the disc golf enthusiast app UDisc, outlining the different holes and tracking your game as you play. Perhaps I am wrong, but I’d love to see some paved tee pads and updated signage.

3-Will the Lincoln Highway Bridge ever be operational?

As someone who literally works for the newspaper, I feel I am decently informed on our community and I still have no idea what the status of the bridge is. I reached out to my esteemed colleague Michael D. Davis, who covers the board meetings, we’ll have to see what he says. I thought the goal was to have the bridge operational for RAGBRAI? I’d love to see an update

4-Is the STC school board scared of transparency?

In this past board meeting, posting recordings of the meeting was an agenda item. All members of the board agreed this would NOT be a good idea and voted against the issue. I can respect the board making a decision like that, but I do take issue with one of their reasons. Now I can’t exactly recall who mentioned the issue, but one of the board members said something to the effect of, the district does a good job of posting minutes in a timely manner. However, as I write this column on Friday, four days after the board meeting, no minutes have been posted to the district page. As a simple reporter all I ask is follow through in your decision making. My job is to bring readers facts, and the fact is, that reasoning from the board was inaccurate.

5-Can we add some murals in downtown Tama?

A long time feeling I have held with me is on the artistic potential of downtown Tama. I see plenty of opportunities for enhancements from talented citizens in our community. Art is what gives a community its personality, and frankly downtown Tama is due for a little modern spice. With unlimited options and countless opportunities, I would love to see our downtown continue to grow and keep up with our ever changing and growing community.

While I know my opinions are more visible than others, I do not believe they are more important than anyone else’s. Take these with a grain of salt yet still consider what I’m getting at. Questioning things around us is only out of love and pure admiration for this community. Positive change and growth starts with informed, passionate, and present individuals.

That’s all I have to share for now. Until next week, I’m Just Jonathan.