The new Be the Light Park in downtown Bettendorf was dedicated Tuesday, June 13. It includes a concrete patio, landscaping, picnic seating and on-street parking with plans to host small events, food trucks and community visitors.
Dedicated to the late Ascentra Credit Union chief Dale Owen is “a creative way for the city to add a unique touch to the types of areas it’s creating in the downtown area, provides a positive message to its residents and visitors, and honors a great person, who was passionate about the growth and development of Bettendorf,” said Jennifer Naeve, Ascentra’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
A short ceremony (at 1108 State St.) started the event with local dignitaries, Ascentra leadership and Dale’s wife Angie talking about his impact on the downtown area and its community.
Speakers included Ascentra board chair Tom Gibbs; vice chair Larry Ridenour; Bettendorf city administrator Decker Ploehn; Downtown Bettendorf Organization executive director Ryan Jantzi; and Ascentra president/CEO Linda Andry.
“This park, sitting at the entrance to the city of Bettendorf serves as a gift to all of us, to remember Dale, remember Paul (Lensmeyer – Dale’s predecessor as President and CEO), and encourage members of our community to serve and be the light to others,” Andery said in a Wednesday Ascentra release.
The date of this dedication was strategically scheduled for June 13, National Random Acts of Light Day, a day that encourages us to bring light to the darkness of cancer by surprising someone with an act of kindness. Owen passed from pancreatic cancer in November 2020 at age 52.
Many Ascentra staff members started their day walking around the downtown area doing acts of kindness for Bettendorf residents. It started with buying breakfast at Stacks and Hardees, buying coffee at QC Fuel and filling up gas tanks at BP.
They then cleaned up areas near the I-74 bridge and the new park, followed by handing out $10 bills to patrons of Sportsfans and Riverside Grille during lunch. “It was important to us to not only celebrate what the day signifies, but to also honor Dale by being the light for others,” said Naeve.
In addition to these activities, Andry announced that Ascentra Credit Union would also be making multiple $5,000 donations to organizations near and dear to Dale and Paul’s hearts totaling $50,000. The organizations are:
- Downtown Bettendorf Organization
- Bettendorf Development Corporation
- Bettendorf Business Network
- Iowa Quad Cities Rotary Club
- Bettendorf Library Foundation
- Friends of Bettendorf Library
- Bettendorf Family Museum
- Quad Cities Community Foundation
And in the spirit of Random Acts of Light Day:
- The Brantley Francis Foundation
- Gilda’s Club of the Quad Cities
The ceremony ended with the unveiling of a new park sign, constructed by Riverbend Signworks, showcasing the Ascentra-designed “Be the Light Logo” with an inscription on the back (facing the patio) stating: “This park is dedicated to Dale Owen (1968 – 2020), President and CEO of Ascentra Credit Union, for his commitment to the growth and development of the Downtown Bettendorf area. Dale left us with a simple message of inspiration to ‘be the light’.”
Two Purple Robe Locust trees were also planted on the park grounds, one for Dale and the other for Paul Lensmeyer. They include tree charms hanging around their trunks memorializing the two leaders with their messages. “Be the Light” for Dale and “Listening, Caring, Doing What’s Right” for Paul.
