The Trail
Weekly update #287 7/20/2025 to 7/26/2025
Is it the journey or the destination that makes all the memories? Before that though, let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
This week, the Seymour Police Department installed two more radar signs near schools. The signs are designed to flash when school is in session and display your speed as you approach the 20 mile per hour zone. SPD purchased the signs to help bring awareness and remind drivers to slow down and help keep themselves and others safe. Last year both property damage and personal injury accidents were up compared to 2023. At the midway point of 2025 both are down slightly, and the hope is small reminders like the signs will help keep them that way through the end of the year. To borrow a slogan that several state departments of transportation use, “buckle up phone down” is a way to remind everyone to avoid distracted driving.
During last week’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting we heard several requests for events. The three events that Seymour Main Street asked for were Ghouls and Goblets and Downtown Trick or Treat both in October and Jingle All the 5K in December. Some of the other items were the use of the Farmer’s Market lot for food trucks. These are just a few of the items BOW hears on a regular basis. Thank you to Seymour Main Street and everyone that offers fun events here in Seymour year after year.
For the second time in my time serving as mayor I participated in the Public Safety Goat Milking contest at the Jackson County Fair. Back in 2021, Seymour Fire Department asked if I would fill a spot on their team, and we finished in fifth place. This year, I was asked by the Seymour Police Department to lend a hand, and while the announcer thought we won, we came up a gulp short. Congratulations to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department on this year's win, and thank you to everyone who participated and had some fun along the way.
This week, I had a few moments that made me stop and think about a quote from author Louis L’Amour, "The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for." The first moment was a text from an old friend asking if we were about to be empty nesters. I reminded him that we are getting closer but not yet. His response said it best as he simply said, “Crazy, dude!” He is correct, and it does feel crazy that we are almost into the next phase of parenthood, but the journey has been amazing as we watched our daughters learn and grow. Another of those moments is helping one of our daughters and her husband do some renovations as they prepare their new home for our coming-soon grandchild. It doesn’t feel that long ago that my wife and I were the 20-somethings getting ready for our first child with our families helping get our new home ready and making memories and sharing laughs as we went. Now here we are in the next phase as the parents. I have been blessed in life that I have often remembered to stop and enjoy the moments. The years coaching my girls in travel softball and all the amazing friends we gained along the way. The quick to return visual of each of them taking their hands off the handlebars for the first time and the excitement they had when they could go several pedals that way. The silly games we played in the car and each of them have their own different memories with and without their sisters. This week, I did something I hadn’t done in a while and snapped some pictures of the flowers in the yard and have enjoyed them more than a few times since. So as Louis L’Amour said, “The trail is the thing,” and I hope you remember not to travel too fast and miss anything.