Stanton water tower 1, trees 0

 Dear Editor:

Let it go, Stanton.

Progress isn’t holding too tightly to things that have served their purpose. The town of Stanton would be better served to scrap the water tower that is no longer safe or serviceable and create a display of pictures in their cultural center. There is nothing served in preserving this. Stanton has trouble with the concept of letting it go when it’s done.

When the community purchased a new “Stanton” sign, they kept the old one and moved it.

The water tower was a landmark and a part of the Stanton skyline, along with the majestic Mamrelund Church steeple. I liked seeing it when I drove home. But it’s no more, and it’s time to Let it Go. It’s going to look a lot different on the ground and just maybe a memory would have better honored it and Stanton.

The amount of money spent on this project could have done a lot of charitable good and it seems such a waste and a money pit.

But what really angers me is the choice to cut a path through any trees in the way of their move from the current location at the Swedish Cultural Center.

I live on one of the two blocks of the move and will be losing lots of shade and have to look at mutilated trees long after the flatbed has moved this scrap metal to its new home.

I don’t see this as saving a great landmark. That was decided when it became unusable as a water tower. Saving the structure is holding onto something dead while choosing that over nature. Trees.

I challenge anyone to drive around this town and see that this one block area is one of few in Stanton where trees overarch the street to make a high canopy. I worked thirty years to achieve that. But – make way for the Swedish Coffee Pot!

Sally Smith Alger

Stanton