Goessel's self-professing green-horn land developer Duane Unruh deserves commendation for leading his extended family into a less-than-sure-bet investment in the future of their community through the Harvest Meadow housing addition (see story, Page 1). Unruh challenged fellow Goessel residents at a public meeting Friday to be ambassadors and unofficial sales representatives for the project, which seeks to attract new families to the town and school system.
Whether the project will be successful is anybody's guess, but tight-knit and determined Goessel might just pull it off. We wish the Unruh family and the town great success; all of us in Marion County win if they do.
What prompts particular commendation is the family's willingness to invest personal capital into a project intended first and foremost to help build a better town. If the family happens to come out ahead financially in the process, all the better. In days gone by, folks with capital seemed more willing to invest as much for the sake of community advancement as personal gain. Sadly, their breed has dwindled through the decades. Duane Unruh and family give us hope the breed is not yet extinct. -DR
