Lately there has been negative news from Washington, D.C., the Statehouse and places all over the country and the world. I want to take a moment to write about something positive — my hometown of Newton.
I don’t live in Newton anymore. I now live and teach music in west central Iowa, but I try to keep up on what’s going on in my hometown. I watched the “Get to Know Newton” video that shows Sen. Allen (among others) dancing and grooving around town (by the way, watching Bryan Friedman bust a move outside the old Maytag building was hilarious). So here is my ode to the place I grew up.
Thank you, Newton, for being a safe place for my parents to raise me, get a great public school education, find my passion for music and give me a path to lead a worthwhile life. Thanks to my teachers, I learned that it’s OK to enjoy learning. Thanks to my music teachers, I learned that it’s OK to enjoy music. I could list every teacher I had but there’s only so much space on a page — nevertheless, my thanks for each one of you is endless. I think about all of you when I’m in front of my own classes.
It wasn’t just the schools that were great to be a part of. I spent my summers at the YMCA. I worked at Burger King and went to First Lutheran Church. I got my car fixed up at Cappy’s and bowled at Cardinal Lanes. My garage bands played concerts at the Maytag Bowl. I grew up on the 8-Track Band and still try to see Slipstream when I can. I caught movies at Capitol II and Valle. It wasn’t just me, either. My class was full of teachers, doctors, lawyers, factory workers and licensed professionals that are taking our world in the right direction.
The people in this community who were affected by Maytag closing know what it took to bring our town back. I am proud of all of you that made Newton better than you found it. Newton has grit. Its people won’t take the punches given to them — they fight back. Newton is truly a city of the people. When people ask me where I grew up, I always say with a proud smile on my face, “I grew up in Newton.”
Thank you, Newton, for everything.
Jordan Leckband
Winterset