2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures bomb books budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal portland mayor president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties timber payments transportation union university of oregon violence washington water wildfire women

We're too early into our process to predict its degree of success long-term, but I'm encouraged with what I've seen so far. Ultimately it takes leadership and broad-based support, because it truly is a grass-roots, volunteer-driven community effort. You need local government, business, property owner, citizen and media support, to name a few. But as I said before, it will take time & patience and strong leadership. You must be willing to celebrate the small successes and understand that transformation will not take place overnight.

One last thought about downtowns: Among other things, a classic & authentic downtown is part commercial district, part park and part living history museum. First and foremost, it is a commercial district. Focus on the other two and forget that it must be a vital business and all you have is a nice place to visit, but no real economic development. Focus on just the history part and you just have a museum. Focus just on the commercial part and all you have is another run-of-the-mill commercial strip. What makes downtowns special is the combination of all three - it becomes the economic, cultural and social center of the community - it's heart and soul.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context

David,

Well, that's my glass-half-full naive viewpoint, perhaps! There are pitfalls, of course. And it is NOT easy to get volunteer-driven intiatives off the ground and running. I never said it was easy. And if it were, every town in America would have done it. It takes time and patience and some degree of skill I suppose. A community has to be ready for the approach to work - which is why I say that in the end it really doesn't matter what is or isn't coming out of Salem or D.C. - a downtown revitalization effort will succeed or fail on its own merits.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context

Historically, the very reason rural areas even existed was due to their proximity to a natural resource. As economies change, rural communities are forced to reinvent themselves, to change the reason for which they exist. More often than not, this means they are transiitioning into a more diverse economy - the irony is that the very thing that will save them economically is the the thing that makes them very vulnerable. Why? Because now they're forced to compete on the same level for the same talent and the same businesses and the same investments with other more affluent, populated and connected communities. I believe it is this factor, not their respective voting records or local government policies, that has led to current rural struggles. But this choice was actually the better of the two, because the only other alternative was to keep going the status quo, and that has proven to be an even more perilous path.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context

That property is zoned heavy industrial and would remain so until it is suggested that the zoning be changed, at which time a lenghthy public process would ensue. Likely, we won't know for quite some time the long-term future of this site. It is way too soon to begin planning for something other than a heavy industrial use at that site. With or without Boise at that site, Union County remains in need of good-paying family-wage jobs. Whatever locates or remains at this site would need to contribute significantly to the local economy in similar ways to what we've enjoyed with Boise's presence. But for now, it remains Boise's site, and until we're told otherwise, it's likely best to support Boise's efforts to reopen in the future.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context

Remote rural communities that have at best a stagnant population growth can only really grow their economies by focusing on export-based industries, also known as traded sector industries. Generally speaking these types of industries can be catagorized by those that sell their products or services to a geographic market area far beyond that in which they are physically located. Manufacturing and resource-based industries are the classic examples of this, although in the modern economy there are many other, especially service-based industries, that also fit within this category. Even tourism can be considered as an export-based industry, so long as it is bringing new money into the local economy. The bottom line is that unless a community wants to aggressively (overtly or inadvertently) pursue poplulation growth as a strategy (which most will not, and for good reason), then in order to grow its economy a community must focus on importing new wealth. This doesn't mean, however, that the only strategy is business attraction and recruitment - those are very expensive and risky propositions, especially for remote rural areas. But this also does not conclude recruitment should be ignored as a strategy - it should be merely be ranked in priority below existing business retention & expansion and entrepreneurial development. A community can only grow businesses and jobs three ways: new from the dirt (entrepreneurial development), from existing (business retention & expansion) or new from outside (recruitment/ relocation). And, as Adam Smith noted, businesses need three basic things: access to capital, land and labor. Communities need to carefully assess and provide good access to these three things and focus on finance, workforce and availability of infrastructure & shovel-ready land.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context

It was unfortunate there was not adequate time to talk about La Grande's downtown revitalization efforts while TOL was at Eastern Oregon University last night. I was in the studio audience prepared to talk on this topic, but the conversation did not turn in that direction. La Grande is one of a small group of Oregon communities in the "Transforming" Main Street program category. We just kicked off our program in January of this year. Needless to say, I strongly believe that downtown revitalization is a very important element to rural economic development, especially at this time. The benefits are many: support for local, small businesses; a restoration of local history and community pride; an improved visitor attraction; a community rallying project that relies little on state or federal government support to be successful; increasing opportunities for entrepreneurs, etc. If a community folllows a comprehensive approach to downtown revilatization (such as the Main Street program) and gets as many stakeholders involved as possible, there is almost no way to fail in this effort. It is a project that forces a community to look inward, work together and invest in the past and the future at the same time.

--Charlie Mitchell, Community & Economic Development Director, City of La Grande

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
view in context