Visits
Weekly update #330 5/17/2026 to 5/23/2026
Looking back over the years, I can say that some department visits stick in my head more than others. I am sure that, down the road, this week will be one of them. Before that though, let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
Over the last few weeks, Seymour elementary schools have been touring the downtown area. One of the stops is City Hall, and Clerk Treasurer Boas and I have been sharing about City Hall, departments, and our roles in the community. During a visit this week, I shared that one of the parts of my job is getting to see all the work that goes into a project before it even gets off the ground. The pool rehab project for example is years in the making with another year left before it is finished. Road projects sometimes are completed in 18 months or less, and others are six to seven years in the making as we work through all the hurdles they bring. While this can be exciting, it can also be frustrating because often people will forget the approval process was completed years ago and that it is not a new project, but something started sometimes even before my start as mayor in 2020. To everyone who has worked on bringing the tours around town, thank you.
Congratulations to Seymour Main Street for a successful start to another City Jam season. The weather was a little chilly, but the rain stopped for an evening, the Sounds of Summer rocked out with some classic surfer music, and Crossroads Community Park was packed with a lively audience for the evening. If you missed it, don’t worry because the third Thursday of the month now through September you will have another chance to catch a live performance. Go ahead and plan now for June.
Speaking of recurring events, have you had a chance to visit the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings yet? This week during a visit, we found a new candle, some desk goose decorations, and of course, plenty of baked good choices to choose from. Besides goods, we also found old friends and made some new ones. Good luck to all the vendors for the season, and I will definitely be back soon.
From working on the back of a trash truck to mowing ditches, I have had some memorable experiences while out on department visits. Some jobs I am able to jump right in and be an extra set of hands while others I can join in on training. While training, I often get a little bit of insight to what our employees go through as they perform their jobs. This week, I visited and trained alongside our firefighters from Station 2 at the new training tower located at Freeman Field. While it had been a while since putting on turnout gear and breathing through a mask, it was still a good chance to realize how hard it is to find your way around as you search for victims in a dark unfamiliar setting. I am sure my breathing was elevated as I went through my airtank quicker than others. Thank you to all the firefighters who took a little extra time to allow me the chance to give it a go. I am sure my partner didn’t get as much out of it as other teams, but he should feel good about working with and keeping a rookie safe if the time comes. Today, I think I will leave you with the words of Italian poet Cesare Pavese, "We do not remember days, we remember moments."