Editors note 5/26/22

A shiny new fire station at 11th and Ash in Springfield will lift the economy and spirit of the Harvard Park neighborhood. Thank you Mayor Jim Langfelder, Fire Chief Brandon Blough and the Springfield City Council for sticking with the plan to build there, despite the need for mitigation of hazardous materials left from the demolished Honeywell-Hobbs manufacturing plant. If the city doesn't take on environmental remediation of the site, nobody else will, leaving that full city block a desert. Harvard Park is home to one of Springfield's most active neighborhood associations, demonstrating that residents care. Harvard Park Elementary, down the street from the site, is one of Springfield's largest and neediest schools, with some of its smartest kids. First Church of the Brethren, across the street, just celebrated its centennial and is looking forward to many more years of compassionate service. Springfield needs to revitalize its old neighborhoods, and Harvard Park is a great place to invest. –Fletcher Farrar, editor