The new Windy City

I visited my childhood home of Rock Port, Missouri for the first time since April of 2007 during a trip back to the states a couple of weeks ago. Like most small towns in America, much had remained the same during my over a year absence, but I did notice one very large change: wind turbines. Dozens of huge white wind turbines dotting the horizon.

Rock Port made history while I have been in Guatemala by becoming the first (and still only as far as I am aware) community in the United States to be 100% wind-powered and completely energy independent. My little hometown was all over the national news with a plethora (yes, I know what a plethora is) of articles written and broadcasts made about the achievement including these from ABC, CNN, and NPR. Rock Port even has its own barebones website touting its energy efficiency.

With all the national publicity, Eric Chamberlain, the Rock Port resident who hatched the wind farm idea, has become a “wind power rock star” according to the St. Joseph News-Press. But I knew the “Wind Czar” long before he became famous. Eric was my 8 & under softball coach, and one my most vivid childhood memories comes from a mishap during one of our games. At that age the coach pitches to his/her own team, and Eric was once the unfortunate recipient of my blistering line drive. Normally a pitcher would try to catch a hit heading straight for him, but since putting out one of his own players was not in his best interest, Eric attempted to dodge. He tried but failed, and the ball pegged him right in the inner left thigh. As he immediately doubled over, I stood fixed in the batter’s box concerned about the injury I had inflicted. But despite his obvious pain, Eric continued coaching by yelling at me to, “Run! Run!” A few inches to the right and the hit would have really done some serious damage, but fortunately Eric came away from the incident with just a grapefruit sized black bruise on his leg.

I was only in Rock Port for three days, and I spent more time just hanging out with my family than reacquainting myself with the town. But simply being there conjured up many memories like this one. I had a great childhood in a great community, and it makes me proud that going green is now Rock Port’s claim to fame. And although my mom abhors the wind turbines considering them eyesores, I couldn’t help but look out at them in the horizon from my parents’ house on the hill and be inspired. Rural America is often bashed as being backward and close-minded, but here is a little farming community making headlines (including a blurb on a website called More Hip Than Hippy…the word “hip” have never been associated with Rock Port) for leading the way in renewable wind energy. In the face of population loss and rural brain drain due to limited job opportunities, to use an antiquated agriculture idiom, Rock Port has a tough row to hoe. But despite the challenges, I’ll defer to the town’s slogan in saying that Rock Port has “a proud past and a bold future.”