Forbes Most Liveable Cities

1. Portland, OR
2. Bethesda, MD
3. Des Moines, IA
4. Stamford, CT
5. Tulsa, OK
6. Weatherby Lake, MO

Ok, I did some minor editing on the story. Some of the criteria included: Income growth, cost of living, culture, crime and unemployment. Can't tell you much about income, COL or unemployment. We do have the Music in the Park series sponsored by the Park Board this summer, so we got the culture covered. I think you would have to agree, thanks to the Police Department, our crime rate is trivial. Anything else in common? Three of the top five are on the water (albeit a big pond). Our crown jewel? The Lake of course. Without it we are just another Wildwood or Gladstone, ok places to live. The quality of the water goes down, so do we, no matter what tier you live on. My wish? The new BOA and the WLIC board become more aggressive and visible in their efforts to protect your lake. If you drive down Barry Road, like I do every day, you have be concerned...aren't you?

One of the tag lines in the Forbes article is "The Good Life". I'll go one up for WL, "The Great Life". I hope we can keep it that way.