Published: August 12, 2008 09:40 am         

Balancing memories with future's dreams

Political leaders of Denver, the site of the Democratic National Convention, are trying to walk a fine line between downplaying a Wild West image yet giving a nod to the city’s heritage.

Organizers are anxious to emphasize a contemporary economy and a model of intergovernmental cooperation resulting in a plan to expand light rail and bus service in the Denver metro area.

But this isn’t unusual for any city, whether it’s in the West or Midwest. Tradition has a stronger hold on some community leaders, and often residents feel the tug of the past as it impacts the future.

This isn’t necessarily bad, either. But sometimes the emotion of nostalgia clouds a clear-eyed vision of the future.

For instance, people can become enamored of buildings, as if their identity is somehow tied to the structure’s existence. A legitimately historical structure may deserve protection, but too often old public buildings are merely rundown symbols of an uninspiring past.

Goshen city leaders made a decision in the 1980s to break with a longtime tradition. Cruising was eliminated in an effort to protect the downtown, and, two decades later, that decision has ultimately aided a renaissance of the area. Coupled with other efforts to move the Lincoln Avenue scrapyard and pursue a cleanup along the millrace and river, Goshen’s downtown is flourishing.

Denverites are right to celebrate their past, but there also is no harm in pointing out it is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. But every community leader has to learn to balance the memories of the past with the dreams of the future.