So, after 25 years are we still an All-America City?

Twenty-five years ago this month, a contingent of community leaders descended upon San Antonio, Texas, and came home with more than sunburn, heartburn and souvenirs of the Alamo.

That's right, it's been a quarter-of-a-century since the City of Greencastle emerged from the gloom-and-doom of the IBM departure to reign as one of the 10 chosen All-America Cities for 1991. A quarter century since President George Herbert Walker Bush hosted the winners in the Rose Garden.

Representatives of the National League of Cities, which hosted the 30 finalists at San Antonio, asserted the notion that once a city is an All-America City, it's always an All-America City.

Whether that rings true or not, we can always go to Ernest Hemingway for support. "If a man has something once," he famously wrote in "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "always something of it remains."

So something of our All-America City status certainly remains. The new jobs created in the aftermath of the IBM departure? The improving downtown that began with the Main Street Greencastle project in the late 1980s? A renewed can-do attitude throughout the community?

At the Putnam County Community Foundation annual meeting Wednesday night, Todd Lewis recalled what the community was like 30 years ago. No Big Walnut Sport Park. No People Pathways. No Putnam County Museum. No Greencastle Ivy Tech campus. No Nature Park at DePauw University.

That got me wondering about whether or not in the strictest sense, after 25 years, are we still worthy of being known as an All-America City?

Before we tackle that question, let's set the wayback machine to 1991.

The Greencastle All-America City Committee had focused its narrative on the post-IBM recovery (the departure announcement, incidentally, came 30 years ago this November) and how the community had helped turn 985 lost jobs into more than 2,000 new ones. Sidebar stories conveyed the successes of the Greencastle Main Street project and the new Opportunity Housing program.

And on a sultry Saturday night in San Antonio, Greencastle joined nine others as 1991 All-America Cities -- Gadsden, Ala.; Baltimore; Gothenburg, Neb.; Newark, N.J.; Albany, N.Y.; Greensboro, N.C.; Dayton, Ohio; Austin, Texas, and Winchester, Va.

The All-America City Award remains acknowledgment of a community determined to survive, led by a core of civic leaders but bolstered by many. It was Dave Murray who described that effort as "a small army of people that got sucked into the vortex of this economic dislocation."

Those very people were immortalized by then-mayor Mike Harmless who methodically punctuated his remarks to the All-America City panel (a group led by pollster George Gallup) with the phrase: "People make the difference in my hometown."

In passing judgment on Greencastle's All-America City status after 25 years, it is important to recall the "community vision" portion of the 12-page written application that vaulted us into finalist status at San Antonio. It read: "Greencastle thinks of itself as a community that looks to the future, while treasuring the past and embracing its rural background."

That is certainly still true, I feel safe in saying.

Still an All-America City? Honestly, I think we're better than we were in 1991. Far better actually.

Not only can we embrace all those things Todd Lewis mentioned as unheard-of back in 1986 but even more recent developments.

For example, look at the recent successes of the Heritage Preservation Society in having three neighborhoods designated as historic districts, earning a state grant to fund brochures to share with visitors and potential homebuyers, all while working toward an expensive but vital restoration of the Civil War Monument at Forest Hill Cemetery.

The grant and scholarship award figures shared by the Putnam County Community Foundation are eye-popping (see story, Page 1).

And certainly the Stellar Communities Grant is the most visible of what has been happening in this community. The obvious excitement that has accompanied the downtown revival -- thanks to an infusion of some $19 million into the community -- should be a catalyst for many more good things over the next 25 years.

From all reports DePauw graduates on hand for alumni reunions last weekend were amazed at the difference in Greencastle, especially the downtown area, and couldn't stop talking about it as they visited Eli's Books, Starbucks, Music on the Square, The Swizzle Stick and other locales that have arrived since they last visited.

Add to that the future additions of Wasser Brewing Co., Tap 24, an ice cream shop and Lynda Dunbar's Completely Nuts and Candy Co. coming downtown.

To some folks, community growth can only be quantified by an Applebee's or Home Depot or Target store eventually calling us home. But growing as a community is much more than that.

So what do we have to show for the past 25 years?

Growing recreational opportunities embodied by Big Walnut Sports Park, the DePauw Nature Park and People Pathways trails. A reinvigorated relationship between community and university.

Expansions at all of our major industries.

One of the finest small-town airports in the Midwest.

Heck, we've even become a two-Mexican restaurant town (not bad when you realize 25 years ago, local dining diversity meant a choice of chicken -- fried, barbecued or broasted).

Unfortunately, despite every step forward, we often end up with an empty storefront or another fireworks store fill-in, which stands as testament to the fact more work and effort is yet to be done in this All-America City.

After all, for years, the first thing often mentioned about Greencastle was essentially that "it's a great place to raise a family."

And yes, I'll confess to having used the "old shoe" analogy in describing our community. That analogy was even part of the intro to the 1991 All-America City application.

Greencastle was indeed like an old shoe -- "easy to slip in and out of ... in need of a little polish, perhaps, but all in all, very comfortable."

To say that we encompass that comfortable old shoe isn't quite right. And it's far too trite to remind ourselves if the shoe fits, wear it.

We can't afford to be loafers, of course, but that's a little too cheesy.

So like we said in this space five years ago, it's time to lace up our running shoes, and just like we did 25 years ago, sprint out ahead of the pack.

That's the way All-Americans perform.