The car is packed and ready to go.  It’s time, once again, to leave one life, one home, and one identity, and exchange it for another. 

I leave the sounds of home behind: the mixture of different languages spoken, my best friend’s laugh as we catch up on life, and the constant rumble of airplanes as their small outlines twinkle in the sky of a rising sun.  I leave the sights of home behind: houses and green lawns covering every inch of space in the neighborhood, frustrating, but manageable, lines of traffic, and the sloping roof of the house I grew up in, along with the pink rose bushes that line the front window. Most importantly, I leave behind my family and friends.  I leave all of this and more for Dubuque, Iowa.

For three hours, the car travels, making its way past large malls, weaving in and out of traffic and down twisting country roads.  The car continues to travel through small towns, until it hits the famous runway, the final stretch.  Highway 20 takes me to my second home in Dubuque, Iowa. A nervous knot arises in my stomach.  It’s time to exchange mind-sets: here are new sights and sounds to get used to, another group of people to love, assignments to worry about…a different life to navigate.

A car jutting out of the edge of a man-made cliff advertising a car dealership passes by in a blur as our car races alongside a freight train.  We appear to be going faster, increasing speed as if the curving ramp up ahead was a launch pad.  Hitting the ramp we fly across the river, suspended by man-made magic.  The river below sparkles like a sequined purse, while the trees wade on the flooded shore, creating a shady refuge for the bobbing birds and swimming fish.  To the north, another bridge crosses over the river like a large stich waiting to be pulled taut. Looking ahead, I see the rolling hills and bluffs of the city, some lying in shadow while others bathe in the sun, sprinkled with Church steeples.

I’ve found my way to a second home, Dubuque, a place I love and value for its sights, sounds, and people, just as much as I admire those of my original home.  Both places are extremely different, one man-made, the other natural, but one factor in my story remains the same: me.  It’s as if I’m the first-person narrator of my own story, my own author, and I have the power to move from world to world.  This portal between these worlds is the strip of Highway 20.  No matter what direction the road takes me, I’ll be home.

With the recession still part of our economy and people still without jobs, news of any business growth is good news. But, a report recently released by the Iowa Department of Economic Growth shows less than satisfying figures.

This report detailed two major economic industries in the state of Iowa- advanced manufacturing and informational technology. The figures show declines in both of these statewide industries in the past five years.

In Dubuque though, this report doesn’t necessarily reflect local area industries.

“I truly believe Dubuque is in a sweet spot,” said Rick Dickinson, director of the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. “We’ve developed a model for economic development that can be replicated across the country.”

Dickinson said that in the past two years, over 3,000 jobs were created in Dubuque, especially with the arrival of IBM. He credits this success to Dubuque’s formula of business retention and expansion.

“[It’s about] really focusing on the people who understand what it’s like to do business in Dubuque. [This is also] combined with recruiting new jobs like IBM and Hormel Progressive Processing,” said Dickinson.

The state of Iowa had stated that advanced manufacturing and informational technology were the key industries the state wanted to expand on, but the figures have showed a decline over the past five years, which discourages Dickinson.

“When I read a report that the state has lagged a bit, it saddens me because I think if they did some of the things we do, they’d be better off and in turn, so would we.”

But for now, Dubuque will stick with their method that has proved successful.

“It’s not one thing; it’s not a silver bullet. It’s about a lot of people pushing the rope instead of pulling it.”

 

Having a place to call their own is something the Muslim community has been looking forward to for a long time.

The Tri-State Islamic Center is in the midst of building their very own mosque in the heart of Dubuque. This plan has been in the work for years, and everyone is looking forward to the final product.

“[A mosque] is a place where we eat together, this is a place where we pray together, this is a place where we have an area to meet,” said Dr. Abid Kassas, the vice-president of the Tri-State Islamic Center.

Currently, the Muslim community has been worshipping in a rented space on Century Drive. The one-room mosque isn’t sufficient enough for their needs. Along with praying together, the families teach school, and have a community area to eat meals together.

The new mosque will be located at Radford Court. The Tri-State Islamic Center is close to finalizing the deal on purchasing the land, and the next step will be building their dream mosque.

With the arrival of IBM a couple years ago, the number of Muslim families has increased from 20 families to 120 families. With this significant increase of families, the Tri-State Islamic Center hopes having a mosque prominent in the community will bring even more Muslim families.

“This [mosque] and the growing population of Muslims will definitely encourage that,” said Navaid Ahmad, the president of the Tri-State Islamic Center.

With this mosque, Dr. Kassas and Navaid hope that this will be an opportunity to educate people more about the Muslim faith.

“I feel the world needs this kind of gathering, and this kinds of mutual understanding and meeting each other,” said Dr. Kassas. “[We need to] not be scared of each other and understand that we’re all the same.”

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul made a short appearance in downtown Dubuque Tuesday afternoon. After a brief speech, he answered public questions for a little over an hour at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC).

Fresh from a Monday night appearance on the “Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, Paul was introduced to the crowd of about 125 by A.J. Spiker, a member of the Republican Party of Iowa, and a co-chair to Ron Paul’s presidential campaign.

“It’s a pleasure to be back in Dubuque,” said Spiker. “The people of Dubuque are very important to the Ron Paul campaign.”

After a slight travel delay, Paul, was introduced as the “Thomas Jefferson of our day.” He entered the NICC classroom to veritable applause and overwhelming approval.

His speech focused on the economic policies that are currently being implemented by President Barack Obama, as well as those he hopes to change if he gains the office.

“People are starting to recognize we have some big problems,” said Paul. “One of the biggest ones is too much spending and too much debt. I think that’s what people are anxious to talk about.”

One of those people is junior Andy Miller, who was in attendance.

“He’s a candidate who is very untraditional, and that’s what I think we need in order to bring about real change in Washington,” Miller said.

Paul proposed vast cuts in foreign aid, the Federal Reserve’s policing of printing money and military spending, as well as retaining the rights to personal liberty and financial freedom.

“You have to live within your means,” he said. “When you’re not earning enough to pay your bills, you have to do something about it. When the (personal) debts are paid down, you can have growth again.

Paul also attacked the U.S.income tax.

“If you have a right to liberty, then you have a right to do whatever you want with your life,” he said. “If you have the incentives to work hard and earn some money, then you have a right to keep your money. That’s what the Founding Fathers understood; they didn’t invent this notion of the income tax. That came later on in 1913 in an attempt to help the government grow.”

This right-wing stance is exactly what young Republicans like Miller want to hear.

“I really like how he focuses on personal liberties,” said Miller. “I like his consistent voting record throughout the duration of his career in politics and his ideas on smaller government and less federal spending.”

Paul will stay in Iowa for the next few days with stops in the town halls of Muscatine, Clinton and Nevada.