Nasti little community if you disagree with them! Mike Shaw one of the leaders of the pack!

The oldder citizens do not like the newer people and that they want things better. Downtown should be ripped down. the owners havent put any money into keeping it up.

A pretty little town... not so much. With the sex abuse case in the 80's and the pedophile teacher who admitted to over 100 victims... The bad press of this community just doesn't end. And most of it self inflicted. Now we have a mayors race that is as nasty as it gets. This community always needs a scapegoat for everything. Apparently the current mayor is it. So very sorry that I chose to move to this pretty little town.

Unfortunately moron100 you seem to be correct about the business owners. They seem satisfied that the rent coming in from the apartments on top of the stores is enough. Its very unfortunate that the buildings were allowed to get as bad as they are. Mercyme and lordhelpus you are also correct in my opinion. Mr. Shaw is definately a leader of his network and that is very unfortuate for the citizens who value their freedoms. Especially freedom of speech! I also agree that the current mayor is used as a scapegoat for all the horrible things the council and city administration are allowing to happen in what could be a nice town, despite a troubled history. If I knew then what I know now about the way things happen in Jordan I NEVER would have moved there in a million years! Since I am stuck there for the time being Mayor Ewals will get my vote. He seems to be the only one that is really trying to do what is best for the town and ALL of its citizens.

Jordan has problems, but they're not insurmountable - yet. All that's needed is a recognition of what Jordan's true assets are, and a willingness to cash in on those assets. Making Jordan just like every other town along 169 isn't going to help us. We need to get people to realize Jordan is more than a MacDonald's, Holiday Station and Burger King. Even many of our newer residents don't know there's a lagoon, ball park, and waterfall. Come visit. Get five blocks east of 169, and see what Jordan is, and could be.

Fuddyduddy. Too bad a toxic body incinerator is so close to all the pretty things you mentioned! Unfortunately many of the newer citizens seem not to want to get involved at all. I feel Jordan is a bedroom community for most of them and not sure how that will change. There has been so much growth in every other community bordering Jordan that I fear it is just a drive through for so many. I think the EDA and council should take a tour of New Prague and even Belle Plaine and see how great their old and new sections of town are! It seems they maintain both. I get the feeling that Jordan is giving up one for the other. It has taken years for the breakdown of Jordan and will take a leader who isn't afraid to rock the boat. It seems to me that Mayor Ewals has been trying to do that and look where it has gotten him! Unfortunately the good ole boy network is alive and strong in this town and too many seem to like it that way.

I am sure that our local good old boy network did'nt care to have Our Pretty Little Town in the Star Trib yet again. Although we do have a local weekly newspaper and in a small town that is often the only place some people get their local news from. We don't have a opinion page, our entire paper is the opinion of our local editor.

Moved to Jordan. Waited for the Welcome Wagon ... it never came. A lot of staring but no cookies. Opened a business only to confirm that outsiders are not welcome to voice their opinion, share their experience or volunteer for the now defunct Art Festival or the far and few between Chamber Events. Joined the Chamber to learn that it really isn't one. Closed the business. Learned early on that Jordan is run by a close knit group that decides community issues behind a cloak of secrecy. Then there are City Council members that haven't heard of the First Amendment. Could go on but most would think it was a new reality TV show. No ... it's not a dream.

itsnotadream no it is not a dream for some of the nonconforming citizens it has been more of a nightmare! The accusations hurled at them during Mike Shaw led council meetings have been pretty unbelievable. Yes it is a pretty little community until you see what happens when you try to change the "it's our town" mentality!

I lived there for a long time. And I am disappointed with what people have to say about Jordan. It is a very pretty town and it is a place where everyone wants to know everyone's business. Yes there are bad things that happen here, but is there anywhere where these things don't happen? Every town has their ups and their downs. Every town has crime, and sex offenders and drugs. You can't find from that stuff. It is everywhere. There is no getting away from it. You could move to your own island, and I'd bet you'd still lock your front door. Candidates for mayors never agree, that is why there is multiple candidates. Otherwise, a town would be run by the same person forever. Of course they bicker. You can't say your parents dont bicker and that you don't bicker. It is something that we, as humans, do. Its part of everyday life and without it, we'd all be the same person. I love Jordan. My family has been here for what seems like forever. I am not a well-known member of the family, but I'll get the "Hey, do you happen to be related to..." every once in a while. It makes me happy to know that the people my parents went to school with are the people's kids who I went to school with. I trust they are, deep down, good people, even if I don't agree 100% with them.