When asked what she misses about California...
When asked what she misses about California, surprisingly Laura Imerman, who moved back to Iowa in 2002 after 12 years in California, doesn´t even mention the weather.
"I knew we would miss our church and thought we might have a hard time finding one like it," said Laura. "But we have found a church that we are happy with here too."
Laura is the city administrator for Guthrie Center, population exactly 1,668 as exact as any city administrator can get. With her husband Brick in the military, their tour of duty took them to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and then Hanford, Calif. When the tour was up, they knew they would move back to Iowa.
"California is not the place we wanted to raise our family. It was not safe for the children to play outside," said Laura. "In Iowa you know your neighbors, you feel your kids are safe. And we knew they would be in a much better school system."
Brick is originally from Guthrie Center and Laura from nearby Greenfield. The family had spent several summers in Guthrie Center so their five children could develop some friendships and get a feel for the area before they moved back. Laura said it definitely helped their children, who range in age from nine to 16, adjust to the move. She also knew how life would be different for them in a small school system.
"Being in a smaller school, you have the ability to be involved in everything you want to be involved in and excel in things that you might not even have access to in larger schools, unless you´re a star," she said, borrowing from her own small-town childhood. "Here you have the chance to be the star."
Laura also attributes the small-town climate to her own feelings about getting involved in your community.
"You have a greater feeling that you can get involved and make a difference even just one person can volunteer and make an impact," she said. She contrasts this to their location in California, in a city of more than 40,000, where she noted, "there is no sense of community." She also appreciates the way people treat each other in small communities.
"There´s more respect and caring for those in your community - you know the people and you care. And people treat each other fairly because you´re going to see each other every day. In the big city, you´re just a number."
