A Renaissance in New London

New London is having a boom of sorts. New businesses are popping up all over, and a new subdivision on South Pine has sprouted some lovely homes. New London is now home to a florist/gift shop/coffee bar. They are Simply Golden Floral Designs and Mercedes Sweet Treats in the former Journal office building. There is a T-shirt design company, Maleo Custom Designs, in the former Burkhart/Linkin Center building. Unique Boutique has many interesting items, so make sure to stop there too.

If one wants to eat lunch or dinner there is the Short Stop, Oakie J’s Lunchbox, Casey’s, and the Jet Stop. The Short Stop and Oakie J’s provide dining in. The tenderloins at the Short Stop are something to behold.

New London is so lucky to have a very active VFW Auxiliary. They also serve food on various dates and times. Check their Facebook page for notices.

The school runs a food pantry with Scott Kracht at the helm. On March 13, they will be adjusting the hours they are open. It will be 4 to 6 pm on Thursday and Saturday from 9 to 11 am. They have nonprofit status and can now take checks. The pantry is open to anyone that lives in the New London School district or has children that attend school in New London.

Kudos to the volunteers that man the food pantry. The board is Laurie McBeth, Pres., Pat Allen, VP, Mary Long, Sec. and Vicki Anderson, Treas. Regular volunteers include Virginia Ekstrand, Ann Williams, Cheryl Ullrich, Mike McBeth, Wayne Long, and Elaine Raines. They give their time and effort to make the food pantry a success. The NHS and other student groups are always available to unload. The administration is also available to assist when needed.

Who, and I repeat who, gets to have a cheesecake business right in town? We do! Shut Your Pie Hole Cheesecakes is located on South Pine. Don’t miss out trying one, two, or several different flavors. You won’t be disappointed.

Think about it, a town of approximately 1,900 souls and we have lawyers, a nurse practioner, a dentist, chiropractors, two optometrists, and Rod and company who can fix almost any auto problem. We have a wonderful library and a lovely community hall that can be rented out for various occasions.

Then the truly special Dover Museum, bursting with exhibits, genealogy information, special events, and helpful volunteers, is one of the town’s crown jewels. The people that donate their time to have it open from May to October are friendly and helpful. Go explore!

Dollar General is getting a face lift right now and will soon be offering more choices.

Then we can all look with pride at our wonderful school. With the completion of the JH/Elementary gym, it has everything a school in the 21st century might need. The school board has just given the green light to a group that wants to add an Ag. curriculum and an FFA chapter. The school has never looked better or offered so much!

Catching up with Mayor Kirk Miller, he too is delighted with this boom happening in New London. “It’s exciting to see new businesses opening shops on Main Street. With growth comes sprucing up, and Main Street is looking great.”

The Mayor is also quite pleased with the Pine Street Subdivision. As he looks at all the new homes, he can’t help but feel somewhat vindicated. It was his vision that helped keep that dream alive.

While I haven’t named every business in town, New London is thriving. It is a great place to call home, and let’s keep it that way by buying local whenever we can!

My only wish…I wish the Alamo was still up and running.