In case you haven’t read it yet, my front-page story from Mayor’s State of the City address last week in Grandview refers to the reduction in crime in our beloved city. Not a slight reduction, either. Crime in Grandview has plummeted by 12 percent. This is huge. For a community that, for years, received a bad rap in the metro and was considered one of the fastest dying cities not all that long ago, Grandview has made tremendous strides.

It’s hard to sit through presentations, like the Mayor’s State of the City address, or Grandview school board meetings, or even a Chamber of Commerce networking event, and not get excited about the things happening in our town.

Grandview has a lot to be proud of. In recent years, plans have been implemented and dollars have been spent to help improve the image of this great city. Now, as Mayor Jones alluded to last week, it is in the hands of us, the citizens of Grandview, to keep the talk positive.

I’m proud to be from Grandview, and I’m even more proud to work alongside some of the metro’s finest men and women each day, telling the good stories of what is going on around here.
The Grandview School District’s leadership has dubbed this school year as a year of momentum.

Grandview Mayor Leonard Jones said that Grandview is a place where dreams can begin and come true for those who live here. If I had to sum up my thoughts on Grandview for the foreseeable future, I think I’d say we are pursuing hope - not just in planning for the future, but in preserving our rich community history.

President Harry S Truman walked the streets of Grandview, the same streets we frequent today. He cultivated the family farm and dreams of his own during his time here. He helped to create a momentum for this city to prosper, and despite our ups and downs, we continue to walk down his path.

He was quoted once as saying, “Prosperous farmers make for a prosperous nation, and when farmers are in trouble, the nation is in trouble.”

When Grandview is successful and thriving, the community benefits in many ways. We can thank the police department, city leadership, and others for the reduction in crime in our city. And, I do. Very much so. However, I think we also need to look inward, and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. It truly does take a village, and I’m lucky to be a part of this one.