Mary Roemer articulates our vision beautifully

Stop the negativity and appreciate South Bend's gifts

MICHIANA POINT OF VIEW

MARY ROEMER

An e-mail from friends was sent to me recently from people who support South Bend. When I read it, I felt gratitude and relief that some people were picking up the ball and expressing appreciation for what we have in South Bend. They are meeting in groups to talk about our city, in terms of support and appreciation and pride.

Negativity is too slippery an attitude not to recognize and amend. A positive attitude is contagious. So, thanks to all of you who are participating in this current effort of promoting straight-up, healthy and positive outlooks.

My family goes back in this community to Elisha Luther, a stagecoach driver between Chicago and Detroit, who was buried in 1812 in the Hamilton Grove Cemetery. Growing up on Angela Boulevard, my five brothers and I were blessed to have wonderful parents who fostered in us a love of learning and a sense of obligation to contribute to the world in which we live. A major irritation for my mother was to hear complaints about South Bend from people who didn't give back.

Some years ago, after my children were grown, I thought it might be a good time to consider moving from South Bend. After all, I had lived most of my life here -- perhaps a change and a challenge were in order. So, I weighed the idea and set out some criteria for my choice of location: four seasons was a must; also, proximity to a major university; easy reach to either mountains or a body of water you couldn't see across; and a short route to a large metropolis. Hmm. I never left.

Quite recently, I read one of those magazine articles about The Ideal City. You know the kind. I made a list, measuring what the magazine editors considered livability and feeling of personal satisfaction existing in some cities compared with South Bend. What I discovered was not a shock, but it was a surprising affirmation of our town.

Affordable residences; lots of trees and trails; a diversity and multitude of cultural opportunities; a fine regional symphony; a mix of museums, including a world class art museum; a farmers' market providing fresh, low-cost food grown within 100 miles; good libraries and a healthy percentage of people who care about literature and learning; movie theaters featuring art films, foreign films and documentaries; community parks scattered throughout; a diversity of religions and strong religious beliefs; and a soul big enough to care for the less fortunate, the struggling and those in need. And with all of that, there is enough room for improvement and plenty of opportunity to contribute.

Unquestionably, among any good city's needs are money, visionary leadership, inspiring architecture and a sense of pizzazz. As we continue to make that happen, we can rejoice in the beginning of renewal of the downtown, in the development of the East Race Village, in the creation of the Eddy Street Commons and in the vitality of some of our neighborhoods. We need to continue to carefully assess how we might be carving thoroughfares that will slice and divide some neighborhoods, thereby making bicycle riding and children's crossing treacherous. We should work diligently as residents with the state Department of Transportation to create intersections that enhance, not injure, the surroundings. We surely will continue to nurture our namesake, the St. Joseph River and its banks.

In my office, I have a coffee cup that is inscribed with the South Bend slogan, Alive with Pride. That cup is one of my favorites.

Mary Roemer lives in South Bend