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Welcome to Webster City

The town’s new splash pad in East Twin Park is officially inaugurated, having been the location of a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday and a subsequent After School Party in the Park.

Yes, it’s a little behind the projected August completion.

And, yes, it met with resistance along the way.

But it must be said that the new park feature leans in the direction of telling everyone that this town cares about its young people, and it demonstrates through its existence that the place will put its money where its mouth is.

One only had to watch the increase in the numbers of young kids materialize during the summer’s Market Nights to understand that there is a very real shift in the demographics of Webster City. There is a visible increase in families with children here.

The promise of that increasing demographic underscores everything that the City Council of Webster City, the Board of Supervisors of Hamilton County, the Ames Regional Economic Alliance that both joined this summer, the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce, and the local education and child care advocates have done and are doing.

Together, they are not only working to encourage this growth in meaningful family population, but they are actively supporting that growth by making the very real choice to make this place kid friendly.

And, it can’t be ignored that there was very real combined economic support for this project: $40,000 from the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors; $50,000 from Seneca Foundry; $25,000 from Webster City Custom Meats; $5,000 each from People’s Credit Union and K. C. Nielsen Ltd; $3,750 from individuals; and $55,000 in the form of an Iowa Department of Economic Development Community Attractions & Tourism grant.

You say it’s just a splash pad?

Hoo boy, did it ever cause a ruckus.

But it’s here now.

So let’s embrace it. Let its detractors slip off their shoes in the balm of this waning summer weather and enjoy it. It looks like the kids do.

Welcome to Webster City.

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