Memorized
Weekly Update #249 10/27/2024 to 11/2/2024
“Got every sunset that she has ever seen memorized” is a song lyric that caught my attention this week. Let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America before I explore the song a little more.
This week kicked off with Seymour Mainstreet’s Downtown Trick or Treat. The laughs and smiles as people collected candy from over 50 participating businesses and community organizations make for an easy memory for that rainy day later. Numbers seemed to be right on par compared to previous years for the two hour event. Immediately following though, the numbers seemed even higher than usual for the Seymour Evening Lions Club Annual Halloween parade. Engine 14 led the way with Seymour Police helping get everyone’s attention for the Seymour Marching Owls and Guard, getting all the ghouls dancing with their over 270 members. Just behind the band was everyone who wanted to join in, and this group seemed much larger than normal and pulled everyone along to the costume contest. Thank you to all who helped organize their part of the evening. Events like these wouldn’t happen without volunteers like you.
This week also saw the completion of this year’s tulip planting on the Burkart Roundabouts. Over 7000 bulbs planted in 2024 brings the total in both to 8000 blooms next spring. For those of you that are not aware we were approached about planting yellow tulips for mental health by a Seymour High School student and that is just what we did in the fall of 2023 with the first 1000 in the roundabout at Walnut and Burkart south of town. For the 2024 planting we asked community members to help us grow our numbers and did they ever with over 19 different donors contributing. We decided to plant the roundabout at O’Brien and Burkart with assorted bulbs to show unity in our community. Thank you to everyone who helped with a donation and everyone who might still be walking a little hunched over from planting. I look forward to seeing the colorful explosion next spring and will think of you all when I do. If you would like to be a part of adding to the total count for 2025’s planting season or see the current list of donors check out Seymour City Hall on social media.
This week, we added two new faces to the training program at Seymour Police Department. Lucas Hayes and Wyatt Steward will both start their training on Monday as they were sworn in on Friday. Both young men come from law enforcement families with each having several members who serve or have served their communities. Gentlemen, I look forward to watching you grow and learn over your careers and thank you for choosing to serve our community.
Time to get back to that opening line from Cody Johnson’s song “The Painter.” Really, I want to share the entire second verse for your consideration
“Got every sunset that she’s ever seen memorized/Saves them away for a rainy day or stormy night/The sky is brighter lookin’ at it through her eyes.” I don’t know what this verse gets you thinking about, but for me it was a reminder that I have seen some amazing things in my years and to not let myself get too wrapped up in today.