Opinion: 2005 holds exciting possibilities here, abroad

It is especially disruptive for a writer whose column usually is mailed to subscribers on Friday. The upshot is that the Rusty Saber’s merry Christmas wishes arrived after Christmas, and the same will happen to this New Year’s edition.

Reflecting on the big stories of 2004, I assume many of them will impact what lies ahead in 2005. A safe prediction: The war against terrorism will continue to dominate our national and international news.

Like most Americans, I hope the scheduled January elections in Iraq will be as successful as those in Afghanistan. Pre-election conventional wisdom held that Afghanistan was one of the most unlikely spots in the world for a democratic election, but it happened.

A democratically elected Iraqi government is no more improbable than in Afghanistan. If we can pull off the Iraqi election, it will greatly affect the news for the remainder of 2005 and beyond.

The quest for nuclear weapons by North Korea and Iran, and how the peace-loving nations of the world join together to deter it, will doubtless be a profound 2005 event. We can relax and enjoy a collective sigh of relief because 2004 was a presidential election year, meaning that 2005 should see less uncivil conduct.

Then again, animosities will probably begin heating up in anticipation of the 2008 election. A neat 2005 prediction would be that politicians from both parties – and their followers – could undergo social and political lobotomies leading to sudden bizarre urges to reach across party lines and work with each other for the good of the nation and not themselves. It’s a great prediction, indeed … but don’t hold your breath.

The coming year should be an excellent one for the Springfield area. Residents of the smaller communities surrounding Springfield may question the rewards of growth. Growth is at a phenomenal pace, and that translates to a robust economy for us all. The price will be the loss of individual small-town identities as they become remnants of a larger metropolitan area. With an eye on a bustling economy only, this growth is good news.

In the past, I have listed traffic control as a chief problem to be tackled by local leaders. I thought traffic was chaotic and becoming more so. I would rather have bamboo shoots stuck under my fingernails and set afire than be anywhere near James River Freeway or 65 Bypass at rush hour.

I may have to eat those words: recently, three acquaintances who have been away for a while said they are happy to be back in Springfield because travel is so much easier here than where they have been. While I moan and groan about how long it takes to get where I’m going, they say it’s refreshing to get through traffic so easily.

OK, I was wrong. I’ll just stay home during rush hour.

It was the big story in 2004; it will be the same in 2005. Like the mystical phoenix rising from its ashes, the rise of downtown Springfield from the ashes of neglect will be a local story of the year.

Refurbished buildings house trendy loft apartments, and stores and restaurants are thriving. Jordan Valley Park is a reality. Hammons Field is a magnificent addition to other first-rate facilities.

Not being a tourism expert, I don’t know if a double-A minor league baseball team will be a magnet for tourism. It will be a St. Louis Cardinals farm team, meaning it will bring out area fans in droves.

I predict that 2005 will witness the beginning of a flow of conventions and tourist groups visiting Jordan Valley and the rest of the downtown area, as well as Bass Pro Shops and the Wonders of Wildlife American National Fish and Wildlife Museum. For sure it will be a happy new year, which is my wish to one and all.

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.