A party for Rose

26 years: Over a quarter of a century. That’s how many years Allan Rose has served the City of Waseca as both a council member and a mayor pro tempore.

Rose held his retirement party at the Waseca American Legion, celebrating from 5-9 p.m on Friday, Dec. 30. He was surrounded by plenty of family members and fellow city staff he’s known for decades. There was a pulled pork sandwich meal provided as well as some musical entertainment later in the evening.

The party wasn’t just for Al Rose, though. He shared his special day with granddaughter Cecelia, who turned seven years old. Both had cakes to celebrate the separate occasions. “I’m glad we both got to share our special day together,” Rose said.

He also claimed to have received an education: “I’ve learned so much about city government in my time on the council, how it all works and how to deal with people,” he said. “It’s so much different from being a US senator or a state representative. You deal directly with the people.”

He claimed the close public contact was the part of the job he liked most. “You get to hear their concerns and provide solutions up front. You get to talk to the people in your community every day. You can make yourself a lot more reachable in a local position like a city council member.”

Now that he’s reached the point of retirement, he’s already making plans. “My wife and I have some land out in Arizona that we plan on developing,” he explained. “That’s the first thing I am doing after retirement.”

After reflecting on his time at the city, he concluded that he couldn’t be more grateful for his time. “I am thankful to the people of Waseca for letting me represent them on the council all these years. It’s been a great 26 years.”