WAKARUSA — Party lines and picket signs were laid aside here in downtown Wednesday as dozens of locals took to the streets to celebrate the arrival of President Barack Obama.
The president made a brief stop at this small town’s Monaco RV plant Wednesday afternoon for a speech on the state of the nation’s economy coupled with an announcement of upcoming stimulus funds aimed at giving the local economy a much needed boost.
Due to the event being closed to the public, large crowds gathered at several downtown businesses and eateries to watch the historic speech play out on the television screen.
Still others not content with just a digital image lined the town’s main square for a chance at a glimpse of the president’s passing motorcade.
Shirley Crow of Wakarusa had a prime seat for speech viewing while eating her lunch at the packed downtown eatery Cook’s Pizza.
“I think it’s fantastic for him to pick a town this small to visit,” Crow said. “We were really thrilled when we heard that he was coming to Wakarusa.”
As for the speech, Crow said it was exactly what she was looking for from the president.
“I enjoyed it, and I really think it will bring about some change, but we’ve got to give him some time,” she said. “I mean you can’t do anything over night. People have got to realize what a mess we were in when he took office. It’s going to take a while, and I hope that everyone will give him a chance.”
Liked speech
Cook’s regular Ardythe Sayers, wife of famed football star Gale Sayers, also saw the president’s visit as a potential boon to the local community.
“I’m from Chicago, but I have a summer home here in Wakarusa,” Sayers said. “It’s kind of like our second home, so what happens here is very important to us.”
Sayers said she was counting on the president making good on some of the promises he had made to the area regarding the local economy and saw Wednesday’s speech as an affirmation that those promises are being taken seriously.
“I thought the speech was very good,” Sayers said. “He promised that he was going to do something to help Indiana. He said that quite some time ago, and he said that’s what they’re going to do and I think it’s wonderful.
“He kept his word, to help these communities and to put people back to work, and to me that’s what it’s all about.”
Sayers said she liked the portion of Obama’s speech where he talked about getting the entire nation back to work — not just those of a similar party, community or ideology.
“I liked how he said he wants to get all people back to work, and that’s what we need,” Sayers said. “It’s not about choosing one side or the other, Republicans or Democrats. It’s about putting all people, all Americans back to work, and that’s what I was happy to hear.”
Good for Wakarusa
Dawn Gerber of Wakarusa wasn’t so much concerned about hearing the president’s speech as she was getting her kids a glimpse of the president himself.
“We really just came out for a chance to see the president,” Gerber said. “We were actually over at the Wakarusa Bible Baptist Church taking pictures, and my husband and son both got to see him wave from the back seat, so it was pretty neat.”
For Mac McMally, owner of The Dime Store in downtown Wakarusa, even missing a majority of the televised speech wasn’t enough to dampen his spirits regarding the president’s brief visit.
“I got to see a little bit, but I missed a lot of it because we had so many customers coming in,” McMally said. “I think his coming here is wonderful. He’s made some promises to this area and I think by coming here he’s showing that he’s going to make sure that those promises get fulfilled.”
As for whether or not he feels things are starting to look up for the local community, McMally said recent signs are pointing to a light at the end of the tunnel.
“I have a couple friends that almost lost their businesses, but some things have happened here just recently in the last few weeks that have made it much better,” he said. “I think we’ve turned a corner here and we’re going to go full speed ahead.”
As for the president’s visit to the town Wednesday, McMally said a little recognition from the commander and chief probably won’t hurt the town’s prospects either.
“It doesn’t hurt them,” McMally, “one bit.”
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