LAHARPE — For all of the good in town — neighbors helping neighbors, infrastructure upgrades, etc. — LaHarpe still has plenty of issues that, if not addressed, will eventually threaten the community’s future.
So said a small group of residents who gathered this week for a community conversation, hosted by Thrive Allen County.
The hour-plus powwow tackled the town’s strengths and struggles, with plenty to boast about, but often with a blunt assessment on what needs help.
First the good news.
A small but ambitious set of volunteers has helped with several improvements in recent years, from LaHarpe PRIDE handling annual clean-up day projects, helping install several additions to the city park, including a zipline and playground apparatus; and the LaHarpe Days Committee becoming more active on a regular basis in order to fund the summer festival.
More so, the LaHarpe City Council has proven to be responsive in addressing challenges, such as recent upgrades to LaHarpe’s electric grid and plans to do the same to the sewer system.
Likewise, the city has an attractive set of incentives to encourage folks to either build homes or bring businesses to town, noted Harry Lee Jr., a long-time resident and LaHarpe PRIDE member.
“There’s a whole bunch of things going well,” he said. “LaHarpe PRIDE is doing a lot of different things with a great deal of success. … If it needs to be done, we seem to find a way to find the resources to do it. We tackle some big things and some little things.”
Thrive’s community engagement coordinator Summer Boren noted the Regional Rural Technology Center at the old Diebolt Lumber grounds just east of town draws dozens of students from across the region on a daily basis.
Lee noted Ray Maloney, owner of Ray’s Metal Depot, was perhaps the singular most responsible individual in getting the RRTC off the ground, by first donating the facilities after he bought the old lumber yard property, and then helped school and state officials get the dominoes in place to bring in community college instructors for such things as welding, construction, wind energy, nursing and automotive repair classes.
Maloney’s efforts illustrate “that we have people who care about the community,” Lee said.
Even another cited room for improvement — LaHarpe’s streets — should be alleviated over the summer, noted Sharlyn Thompson, a LaHarpe city councilwoman.
Through an agreement with the county, many of LaHarpe’s worst streets will be resurfaced by county crews starting in June.
BUT NOT all is golden.
Despite the building incentives, LaHarpe has struggled for years in enticing new development.
