The town where I live is celebrating its centennial this year. In addition to the usual calendar of annual events, the community is throwing in a few special ones to honor the 100-year milestone. Community leaders are also funding two special projects to commemorate the occasion.
The first is a street improvement project for the road that runs along the eastern edge of the historic downtown district and provides access to the train depot. Potholes and cracks currently plague the pavement and the street lacks sidewalks. More importantly, it has no curb and gutter, which leads to pools of standing water during the rainy season.
The proposed project will transform the deteriorated street into a pedestrian-friendly corridor. Besides median islands and narrower driving lanes, there will be tree-lined sidewalks, street lighting and furniture, bike lanes and special pavement at the intersections. They will also eliminate one of my pet peeves: overhead utility lines and poles.
At the train depot, as part of the project, they plan to erect a bronze statue of the town's namesake, along with his wife and daughter, waiting for the train. It's creatively called "Waiting for the Train". I recently saw a model of the statue. Not only did I find it visually pleasing, but I was also quite taken with the idea that Hiram (the namesake's given name) may have waited at the very same train station that I wait at a century later.
- Begin Irrelevant Art Criticism Interlude -
Art Critic: As with every statue representing an actual person, one must question its historical accuracy. Is what we're shown what really happened? Is the statue more about the idea of the person than the actual person? How much "truth" was sacrificed for aesthetics? Does it matter?
Author: How often Hiram and his family waited for the train or if they even used the railroad at all is of little historical significance. One can see that the statue is more about the community's sense of identity than about a real moment a time. In this case, the concept and aesthetics matter more than the "truth".
- End Irrelevant Art Criticism Interlude -
The project won't be completed until early 2007, which makes me wonder why they didn't start construction sooner. In any case, I can't wait to see the results and enjoy the new downtown area.
The second project is a history trail. According to the neighborhood newsletter, the trail will include a centennial bell, a time capsule, plaques, markers and "other objects of historical interest". I don't know what they mean by that last term, but considering this town's past, I'm guessing it's a euphemism for "old farm equipment". The history trail will be located on the grounds of Hiram's former home, which means it won't quite compare with, say, Boston's Freedom Trail, but I'm still stoked.
The two projects promise to make a positive and enduring impact on the community. Topped with the array of centennial festivities, it should be a fun year in the town where I live.
