For several years, Kum & Go has played a valuable part in preserving the friendly atmosphere I have seen Campustown offer.

They close off their parking lot for Veishea so Porta-Potties can be installed, thus limiting the access to their station for fuel sales.

Last year, when Jimmy John’s cited a city ordinance against the gyro stand because it wasn’t equipped with a restroom, the management of Kum & Go stood in and said they would allow the use of their restroom, keeping the gyro stand from disappearing from our community.

So it disturbs me that a business that has offered and contributed monetarily and expressively to Campustown, Ames and Iowa State, suffered the damage it did.

Kum & Go is only one example, and it isn’t limited to the stores that were damaged.

There is a divide forming in the Welch Avenue district, and the stakes are real. Insurance rates are sure to go up, even for the ones that don’t make claims. How much? It is too soon to tell. How badly will it hurt future support for Veishea, Iowa State and Ames? That is up to all of us to manage.

Tim Legg

Senior

Computer Engineering