Tom Staley
He’s giving his neighbors a place to gather, enjoy
There’s a bridge spanning a ravine near Hutchinson Avenue known by some as “Tom’s Bridge.”
But Tom Staley, the bridge’s namesake, will be first to tell you it’s about more than a bridge: It’s a love for his neighborhood.
“It’s just about having friends and neighbors, that’s really what it’s all about,” Staley said. “I just love the neighborhood, and it’s just fun to help people and be with people, and it’s great to also see what you can do when you come together as a neighborhood. You can really accomplish some amazing things.”
Tom’s Bridge dates back to 2001. That’s when Staley, a second-year University of Iowa medical student, came up with the idea to put a bridge across the ravine, which divides Hutchinson Avenue between Rocky Shore Drive and River Street.
“I just kind of went around and talked to some people and had the idea that it would be cool to put a little wooden bridge there,” Staley said, adding that a lot of people in the neighborhood walk to work and use the bridge to cross the ravine. “It’s a tremendous amount of traffic, and it’s great to see people walking to work.”
The bridge was bought off the Internet and some of Staley’s friends and neighbors helped install some rock decor at the site. Plants and trees also adorn the site, which has been used for neighborhood gatherings and potlucks.
The neighborhood threw a party to unveil the bridge. Staley said some of the best things he heard about the ravine and the bridge came from a child.
“One of the children gave me the best compliment of all and said it was like a fairy land,” Staley said. “Whenever something comes from a child, it’s always a great compliment.”
— Mike McWilliams
