While I have to agree about Shakopee's atrocious rows of bland-colored townhomes and the loss of some of its small-town feel, Shakopee is still ways ahead of most suburbs.

I wouldn't have taken a job here if this was just another Maple Grove or Woodbury. We have a gorgeous downtown and river, great historical houses, a large industrial park with a variety of businesses and great entertainment venues like Murphy's Landing, Valleyfair, Raceway Park and Canterbury Park. We still have some farmland and it's easy to get away into the countryside.

If you choose to get involved at all, you will find Shakopee still has a small-town community where people know each other and have a stake in their town. Although newer neighborhoods south of 169 may feel more like a bedroom community, you'll find that more and more newcomers are becoming integrated here.

The last time I lived in Shakopee was in 1984 when I graduated Shakopee High School and went off to the Army. I always said that Shakopee would be a great place to raise my kids. After the Army, I moved to a town in western Washington that reminded me of growing up in Shakopee. I have visited Shakopee several times since 1984, and other than my high school buddies, Shakopee is not the same town I grew up in. Even the church(it used to be Shakopee Baptist near Juba's SuperValu and the mall) I grew up in isn't the same.

I think the turning point was the gambling business that exploded in the 80's and 90's. It use to be a farming community. But not anymore. I guess you can't go home.

You should update your article. Examiner.com is NOT reader-generated content about metro communities. Examiner.com hires local writers to add content to their site. Any old reader cannot go to the site and write articles.