Posts Tagged ‘Barb Cummins’

Text by Meredith Hines-Dochterman
Photos by Chris Mackler
The Gazette

BROOKLYN, Iowa — Audrey Carlson and Barb Cummings missed the Brooklyn exit on Highway 63.

“We were way on the other side of the freeway and had to turn back,” Carlson said.

The friends stopped in Brooklyn for its Community of Flags attraction.

Standing underneath the flags fluttering in the wind, the two said they’re happy they added Brooklyn to their list of Iowa sites to visit.

“It is so impressive,” Carlson said.

Brooklyn launched its Community of Flags identity in the early 1990s. What began as a welcome for RAGBRAI riders evolved into a year-round attraction that changed the way people see the community.

Carlson and Cummings are just two of many visitors who make their way to this Poweshiek County community of about 1,400 every year. The two have Brooklyn connections. Carlson lives in Brooklyn Park, Minn. Cummings is from nearby Brook Park, Minn. The day after their stop, another Brooklyn visitor swung through town.

He was from New York.

He wasn’t the first East Coast Brooklynite to pay tribute to the Midwest’s Brooklyn. The Community of Flags Store guest book lists many borough signatures. Gersh Kuntzman, editor of The Brooklyn Paper, spent several days in the community last year.

“He called and said he wanted to visit Brooklyn’s sister city for the caucuses and we said, ‘OK,’” Mayor Loren Rickard said.

Brooklyn doesn’t have a hotel, so Kuntzman stayed with Rickard and his wife, Jodi. Making the trip with Kuntzman was a proclamation signed by Brooklyn President Marty Markowitz, calling Iowa’s Brooklyn “The official Brooklyn of the Midwest.”

The community receives a fair share of comments regarding its sister city. You can’t tell a Brooklyn Bridge joke that hasn’t been heard a million times. Still, people take the kidding in stride because they know their Brooklyn is special.

“We’re a very friendly community with a can-do attitude,” Rickard said. “If people see a need, they open their checkbooks and help.”

The Brooklyn Museum/William Manatt House is one example. The house is home to the Brooklyn Historical Society, but once was the town library. When the library moved out, society members were given one month to raise $50,000 to cover renovation costs and launch the museum.

“We raised $52,000,” said Mary Jo Thompson, vice president of the Brooklyn Historical Society.

The Michael J. Manatt Community Center is another example. The idea began with Michael J. Manatt, but the support of the community made it a reality. The community center opened in April 2008. In one year, it has hosted 42 events with more than 7,700 guests.

“It’s a facility that’s not only outstanding for the community, but also for the county,” said Lorraine Willett, city clerk.

Archie Kuntz of Brooklyn Raceway credits his hometown’s can-do attitude for making his dream of owning a raceway a reality.

“It’s been real nice for me, being local and knowing the people,” Kuntz said.

The races draw a mix of locals and out-of-town visitors. Kuntz tries to offer something for everyone.

“I like to tell people you come for the race and it turns into an event,” he said.

You could say the same thing about Brooklyn itself.

2009 The Gazette