Their sacrifice cannot be ignored

Saturday marks our annual celebration of the men and women who so selflessly served the country as members of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day is an important holiday, and one that every freedom-loving American should acknowledge.

Sometimes it’s easy to ignore occasions like this one. People are busy, work is hectic and there’s just simply too much else going on. However, all of those excuses seem futile when you really stop and think about it. Our veterans gave us a commitment that’s almost impossible to fathom. They sacrificed time, safety, emotional well-being and many other things to serve the country they love, and that’s certainly commendable.

We were reminded of our service men and women’s perilous duty full force this year.

Northwest Iowa, and all of Iowa for that matter, is home to many veterans who gave us their all. Each day we bump into these individuals without even knowing it. Many would prefer to remain humble and stay out of the limelight, but it’s imperative we show our appreciation when the opportunity presents itself. Veterans Day provides us with an excellent platform to express that gratitude.

We’re losing them, too. It’s not likely you’ll find many World War II or Korean War vets around these days – the sands of time are simply dwindling their numbers. To a lesser extent, the same situation is true for Vietnam War veterans. Their service was decades ago, but it still very much means something. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude for their selflessness.

Please take the time and show your appreciation to a veteran this week. Attend a community program, buy them a coffee or just simply shake their hand. They’ve shown their dedication to our country through the sacrifice of military service. The least you can do is tell them you noticed.

Finish line in sight for Hartley’s pool

Local parents and youngsters can rejoice – it actually looks likes the City With a Heart will have a pool next summer.

The jinxed facility barreled towards its revised finish line last month when a new deck was poured and other work was completed. It passed its safety inspection this time, too, so it looks like the headache will soon be in the rearview mirror.

The plight of the pool is well known and was seemingly never-ending, but the saga is reaching its end. That’s all anyone could have hoped for at this point.

Moving forward, questions still remain. Will the life of the pool be affected by the repoured deck? Who’s paying for all the added legal fees, construction costs and other expenses related to the screw up? Time will tell.

The waiting game now appears to be a simple fact of Mother Nature – once winter retreats and spring turns things green, Hartley’s pool will be ready to open to the masses. That will be a splash of relief to city officials, parents and kids alike.