Kansas’ dreamers of yesterday and today

The following is a column by Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson:

Kansas has always been filled with citizens who have dreamt big and acted even bigger.  That tradition continues and we are blessed with big dreamers today.

No one can question the character of our ancestors, who made the decision to join our nation as a free state 146 years ago.  We rejected slavery not because it was the easy thing to do, but because it was the right thing to do.  Many times since, our ancestors faced enormous obstacles and overcame them all.

This history makes me proud to be a lifelong Kansan and inspires me as I serve as your Lieutenant Governor. But, more important than our history, is the fact our state continues to be filled with risk-takers, dreamers, and people filled with character.

I found a shining example of this on Ottawa’s Main Street when I recently visited the 100-year-old Crystal Plaza Theatre.

Peach and Ted Madl and Lisa and Tully Fowler dreamed of restoring the historic theatre after it closed in 2004.  Like many theatres in cities across Kansas, it had closed and become a black eye for Main Street.  The Madls and Fowlers faced challenges and obstacles, and many questioned whether the theatre should be reopened at all.  But they wouldn’t give up and reopened the Crystal Plaza last August.  Now, it is thriving.

It is a beautiful restoration and has helped an already revitalized Main Street to continue its growth. Two new restaurants have opened, sales have increased at other retail stores, and Main Street in Ottawa is once again full of life.

The theatre illustrates successful community-based development, and embodies the spirit of hard work and dedication that is what Kansas is all about.  The Madls and Fowlers transformed a big idea into a reality in the face of countless obstacles — just like generations of Kansans who came before them.

Some say we need tax cuts to keep our state going.  Others say we need more government spending.  I say we first need to remember our past, and find more Kansans like the Madls and Fowlers.

We can keep moving forward, but only if we continue to practice financial responsibility by maintaining a proper balance between all our obligations, and only if we keep the promises made to the people of Kansas.

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