by Robert M. Traxler

Let’s discuss folks’ preconceived opinions of the greater Moline, Dorr, Hopkins, Martin and Wayland areas. Some of you good folks who have lived here your whole lives and only visited other areas may just be saying how horrible our little corner of America is. Well that is your opinion, but I will disagree and disagree a good bit.

One of the many good things that a career in the military provides is a mobility not found in many careers. Having lived in 11 states and three countries and continents and visited more than 20 other nations, residing overseas for nine years, we have a good idea of what is a good place to live.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence also applies to other places to call home. Few people like where they live and are itching to move to other places.

California had great weather and the view of the Pacific was marvelous, but it also had problems: crime, cost and unfriendly folks.

Europe was historic and some of it was neat to see, but ever wonder why most Europeans want to come to America?

Alaska was wild (1970 to 1973) but costly and a bit cold. Korea was incredible; the Asian society differs from ours, but three years was enough.

South America and Central America were depressing; I was not at any 5-star resorts. To say it is poor, dangerous and unstable is an understatement.

The American south has its charms, but the change of seasons is nice to see. Northern Virginia, the D.C. area, was packed full of history and very enlightening, but a very strange place to live. Move there for a few years and you will understand the “drain the swamp” movement.

From Washington State to Georgia, California to Massachusetts and places in-between, southwestern Michigan, our area, is without equal. Foreign visitors are not convinced Lake Michigan is not an ocean; lakes and rivers abound, and our winter sports, while not on par with Colorado, are darn good.

We retired in the Chicago suburbs; I was at Ft. Sheridan, north of the city. Many of our residents will wish they lived near a major city; just why puzzles me with cost, crime, taxes, traffic and more.

We live on a dirt road in Dorr, in a great home we had built to our modest specifications. We enjoy more land than our village in Illinois had in most of the parks. We live closer to a mall, theaters and other amenities here than the in the ‘burbs. The largest benefit is the proximity and quality of medical care. We are blessed to have a number of hospitals that compete with each other, making service and quality very good.

Furthermore, after we moved to Dorr we got our first tax bill; I read it and promptly went to the township to register a complaint it was too low to be correct, but it was correct. Taxes were less than half of what they were in the Chicago ‘burbs, and no tax on food; Illinois has a 6% tax on food.

Saving the best for last, the good folks of our corner of the planet are the most pleasant and friendly of any other place we have lived. Taking all the factors into consideration, be happy you call one of our five communities home.

Ask any military person what the best part of deployment is and they will say it is coming home.