Friday, May 29, 2009

Weekly Column: The Man from Oxford, Mississippi


William Faulkner was one of the greatest novelists in American history. He became a world famous man of letters and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949. He also won two Pulitzer Prizes and had a stamp issued in his honor years after his death. Along with Hemingway and Capote, he helped create the best American literature of the 20th century.

Though Faulkner was also a successful screenwriter and spent considerable time in Hollywood, he lived off and on throughout his life in the small city of Oxford, Mississippi. Today, the town of 17,000 still celebrates its most famous son. Rowan Oak, his home, is now owned and operated by the University of Mississippi and is a National Historic Landmark. Visitors regular arrive for tours.

But Faulkner didn’t just live in Oxford; Oxford lived in him. The values of that community informed his writing and his thinking. He later admitted that Oxford was the basis for his fictional town of Jefferson.

At times he downplayed the influence of the town on his writing. But beneath the surface, his words could not hide the reality. Read his response to a question during an interview with The Paris Review in the 1950s:

“INTERVIEWER
How much of your writing is based on personal experience?

FAULKNER
I can’t say. I never counted up. Because “how much” is not important. A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination—any two of which, at times any one of which—can supply the lack of the others. With me, a story usually begins with a single idea or memory or mental picture. The writing of the story is simply a matter of working up to that moment, to explain why it happened or what it caused to follow. A writer is trying to create believable people in credible moving situations in the most moving way he can. Obviously he must use as one of his tools the environment which he knows. I would say that music is the easiest means in which to express, since it came first in man’s experience and history. But since words are my talent, I must try to express clumsily in words what the pure music would have done better. That is, music would express better and simpler, but I prefer to use words, as I prefer to read rather than listen. I prefer silence to sound, and the image produced by words occurs in silence. That is, the thunder and the music of the prose take place in silence.”

The key phrase in this passage in Faulkner’s admission that a “story usually begins with a single memory….” And from where did his memories come? From Oxford.

And so it is with all Americans from small and mid-sized cities. They are shaped by their pasts. They carry with them the memories and the values of those places. Oxford, Mississippi is one such town. In addition to Faulkner, it is rich in Civil War and civil rights history. Today, Oxford remains a vibrant college town and in the fall of 2008 hosted the first presidential debate between Senator Obama and Senator McCain.

But it perhaps will always be best known by its most famous product. One cannot read a Faulkner book without reading about the influence of Oxford, Mississippi.





Thursday, May 28, 2009

Daily Blog: Alexandria's Library

In terms of size, there’s a great difference between Alexandria, Ohio (population 500) and Alexandria, Egypt (population 6 million).

But there is one, perhaps unexpected, way the two places share an important commonality – the library.

On the Internet for the Alexandria (Ohio) Public Library you will find the following, “the Alexandria Public Library is THE gathering place of this Licking County Village.”

Much the same is being said about the new Alexandria Library in Egypt’s second largest city. A recent article in Travel and Leisure magazine, May 2009, p. 78 says the new Bibliotheca Alexandria in Egypt has become “a gathering place.” The new library opened in 2002 – amid questions about “whether a brick-and-mortar library is still relevant in the Internet era.” But the visionary library director responds, “This was an institution that was born digital.” In the span of six years it is now hosting “more than 500 events – lectures, conferences, concerts, exhibitions – and some 1.4 million visitors a year.”

The library in Egypt is described as an “oasis of culture, democracy and free speech.” In Ohio the library’s motto is “Envision, Enlighten, Educate.” Together, they remind us that the significance of the library is not merely historical.

Rising above time and geography the library can still be a valued “gathering place” in the 21st century.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Daily Blog: De Pere: Shooting the Rapids

The citizens of De Pere, Wisconsin (population 22,495) can look back on some significant days in the history of their town.

There was the time in 1890 when the town on the east side of the Fox River was annexed into De Pere, which was on the river’s west side – resulting today in De Pere being the only city in the state of Wisconsin with two school districts.

Earlier, there was a time in 1671 when the St. Francis Xavier Mission was founded at the last set of Fox River rapids before arriving at the Bay of Green Bay. The Mission eventually became the city of De Pere.

But, to its credit, De Pere is looking ahead, beyond the economic rapids, with plans to upgrade and grow their city.

To fund their plans, De Pere is selling municipal bonds as part of a new federal program called Build America Bonds, a new opportunity to assist with municipal infrastructure projects.

According to Business Week, May 18, 2009, p. 25, early reports indicate an encouraging response from investors.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Daily Blog: Streator, Illinois

On Monday of this week, Americans gathered to remember the few who have sacrificed to protect the freedom of the many:


http://community.fox4kc.com/_Small-Town-Heroes-from-the-Heartland/BLOG/289172/96364.html

In this article, the author describes the Memorial Day ceremony in Streator, Illinois, population 17,000. Streator, like so many other mid-sized cities, has strong military connections, including producing a Medal of Honor winner. But it's the sense of community that makes Streator so special. The author quotes Russell Kirk who described the unique spirit of community in small cities this way:

"Although Americans have been attached strongly to privacy and private rights, they also have been a people conspicuous for a successful spirit of community. In a genuine community, the decisions most directly affecting the lives of citizens are made locally and voluntarily. Some of these functions are carried out by local political bodies, others by private associations: so long as they are kept local, and are marked by the general agreement of those affected, they constitute healthy community."

And so Streator and other similar cities remember their past...and look to the future.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Daily Column: Going, Going, Gone?

It was tucked away amid a page of one paragraph notes. Atop the page: “Trends, movies, and books we’re talking about this month.” (see National Geographic Traveler, May/June 2008, p.30)

The “book” was titled Vanishing America: The End of Main Street. The book was described as offering “a provocative portrait of the silent emptiness that has descended upon vanishing small communities.”

The terse response from Andrew Nelson in National Geographic: “Texture, variety, human scale – these are what we stand to lose when these places disappear. Consider it a call to arms.”

Some 56 pages later in the same issue was another response, albeit unconnected and indirect.

It was sub-titled “Age-old traditions and contemporary joie de vivre enliven the streets of artsy Arles.”

Over two pages Raphael Kadushin takes the reader on a delightful walk through the streets of this five-figure city (population 52,600) near the southern coast of France. It is a story of a town that has fought off the threat of “silent emptiness” since the days of Julius Caesar and reached its peak of influence in the 4th and 5th centuries. And it was the place where Vincent van Gogh painted in 1888-1889.

Kadushin writes:

“In fact the city was born to be painted, and the Dutchman captured its sensual beauty fully, in the explosion of light and color that seems to radiate off his canvases. And nothing much has changed since his prolific stay. Often called the spiritual capital of Provence, Arles is still languidly holding its pose for the artists and art-lovers who continue to pass through, drawn by its ancient ruins and the city’s soft, timeless palette: the green leafy squares, the candy-colored shutters of the 18th-century stone manors, and the vaulting blue sky.”

A few samples of Kadushin’s walking tour through a city that has heard its own “call to arms:”

“Begin your walk of Arles’s compact old town in the anchoring square cum alfresco drawing room that characterizes most Provencal towns. In Arles, that meeting place is called the Place du Forum, which started life as part of the old Roman forum, when Julius Caesar established a colony here. The Café Van Gogh, one of the most tourist-happy cafés on the square, has been repainted sunflower yellow, to approximate its glowing likeness in an Gogh’s painting . . .”

“. . . head down the street to Les Arénes…a first-century Roman amphitheater that used to host gladiator games. Now it stages both summer bullfights and bull games.”

“. . . stroll south past the Théāter Antique, a first-century B.C. ruin marked by two tenacious, still standing Corinthian columns, and the sublime setting for summer concerts and an annual photography festival.

“. . . If it’s Saturday morning or the first Wednesday of the month, head to the southern entrance of the park and the outdoor market . . . the best, bulging one-stop showcase of Provencal produce and artistry.”

And the walk, like the life of 2000-year-old Arles, goes on.

(To read the entire article, "A Walk in Provence," see National Geographic Traveler, May/June 2008, p. 86)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Daily Blog: Building a City to Last

Jim Collins has written two very successful books, Built to Last and Good to Great, both from the context of the business organization. But much of what he says about a business can apply to a city.

In the April 2009 issue of Inc. magazine Collins describes the next 30 years as being filled with uncertainty, chaos, turbulence and risk.

Several insights Collins provides are worthy of consideration by those who care about the future of the four- and five-figure cities in which they live. Here are two:

• Have a “culture of people who A. share a set of values, B. have very clear responsibilities, and C. perform
• Remember “creativity and discipline go hand in hand”

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Daily Blog: It Started with the Silkworm

In 1959 the city of Koromo, Japan changed its name.

In the late 1800’s and through the early 1900’s Koromo’s economy was largely dependent on the silkworm. As the demand for raw silk declined, so did the city.

By the 1930’s Koromo’s population was less than 20,000. A new strategy was needed.

So in 1934 this five-figure city invited a newly formed company named Toyota to establish its base in Koromo.

The strategy was so successful that in 1959 Koromo changed its name to Toyota City.

Today the population of Toyota City is in excess of 400,000 – and an estimated “70% of its . . . residents rely on the auto industry for their livelihood, so when Toyota suffers, its hometown suffers.”

Or, as one local citizen of Toyota City said, “Toyota is a global company, but its spirit is local.”

To read more about the trouble in Toyota City, go to Business Week, April 27, 2009, p. 50.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Daily Blog: Most Secure Mid-sized Cities

The fourth annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live survey was released recently by Farmers Insurance Group of Companies:

http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/secure.aspx

The survey ranks large, medium and small cities. And a very specific criteria is used. According to the survey:

"Health, prosperity, safety and security are all desirable aspects when it comes to seeking a place to live, work or raise a family. According to our fourth annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live rankings from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies®, the city that best meets those qualifications is Corvallis, Ore.

"The rankings took into consideration crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, environmental hazards, terrorism threats, air quality, life expectancy and job loss numbers in 379 U.S. municipalities."

Corvallis, Oregon is home to Oregon State University as well as some 50,000 residents, including Craig Robinson, the head coach of the OSU basketball team and President Obama's brother-in-law.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Daily Blog: Shawano, WI



Much has been made car dealerships being closed. But less attention has been paid to the impact this could have on mid-sized cities:

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=10371871

Shawano, Wisconsin has just under 10,000 residents. And folks worried that the local Chrysler dealership run by Jeff Roloff might lose its franchise rights:

"'If you take the car dealers out of a town this size, that's a huge amount of the commerce and the tax base and revenue and the jobs we provide,' Roloff said."

Roloff survived. Others weren't so lucky. Some 800 dealers nationwide lost their franchise rights, many of them in small cities. In Shawano, people are happy to know that their local dealership will remain in business. In a city this size, people depend on a dealership to create jobs. But more important, people depend on the dealerhip to take care of them and treat them as friends, not just customers:

"'I bought my first brand-new vehicle here in '69,' John Meyer told us. 'I think Rick and Jeff could probably name all their customers. I don't think you can do that in a bigger city.'"


Friday, May 15, 2009

Weekly Column: Rube-ophobia

On Friday, April 18, 1997, the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota experienced a flood that forced 60,000 people out of their homes and sparked a fire that raged in the downtown area. Many feared the city might never recover.

But it did. And today it's a thriving city of more than 50,000 residents.

This week, Ned Hill, one of the economic consultants who had given advice on rebuilding the city, returned to Grand Forks to comment on the success of the city's revitalization:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/118966/

His speech is worth reading. He outlines the key steps the community took to rebuild, including measures to revitalize education, commerce and culture. But perhaps the one key that tied together all these together was avoiding what Hill calls rube-ophobia. As he said in his speech this week:

"Do you know what 'rube-ophobia' is? 'Rube-ophobia' is the fear that others will think you’re a rube for who you are, what you are and what you do."

He argues that only Grand Forks can be Grand Forks. No other community can offer what it can offer. That's good advice for any community whether its rebuilding or just getting started: be yourself.

The rest of the speech is below:

When we came in here in 2001-2002, this was a community that was just out-and-out exhausted. It was a community that had learned to work together. It was a community that was starting to learn how to trust each other.

And it was a community that had made incredibly hard decisions.

I’ve been to two other post-disaster communities — New York City after the terrorist attacks and New Orleans after Katrina. And nowhere did I see a community that came together with such a selfless sense of purpose and the ability to make the hardest decisions I’ve seen.

You drew lines on a map that were more than lines on a map. They represented people losing their homes, and you had to figure out how to make those people whole as well as how to prevent future disasters.

There’s something else you folks did. You made hard choices that kept this community together as a whole. Last night, we talked about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency came in here and said, “Expect half your population to leave.” That didn’t happen.

In fact, what came out of the flood really was a phoenix community — a community that not only had a spirit of fight, a spirit of toughness, a spirit of “hell no, we aren’t going to leave,” but a community where people came together and decided that we are going to get it done.

o o o

We had several themes that came out of our visit here in 2001-2002. One of them was the need to “Augment Leadership.”

There was a serious leadership problem in the Grand Cities, and I have to say, that problem still exists. There are still way too many hats and not enough heads.

You already do leadership training in this community. You’ve got every leadership training program known, but the system still may be broken because we don’t see an expanding pool of people being allowed to play.

You need a resource bank, so that somebody who’s looking for a board member, they don’t just go to the same old folks. They go to the resource bank and say, “Hey, who are the up-and-coming stars?” and “Who could stand a little experience by being the junior member of a board?”

You have to be intentional about it. You don’t do change accidently.

A couple things you might want to consider:

To get young people here, you might want to pair recent college graduates with local businesses or entrepreneurial executives for a period of months or years.

Do you want to cure the brain drain? I’ve got the quickest way to do it; it’s called a paycheck. You want to attract somebody back in town? Quick way to do it: It’s a paycheck.

So, one of the things is management internship programs. Small companies can’t afford a lot of cost; how do you make that work?

One way is with cooperative education — partnerships with universities that combine classroom training with practical workplace experience. In Ohio, we’re spending $15 million a year to turn Ohio into the co-op capital of the nation.

It all goes back to that same idea: If you want to hold on to them, get them a job.

o o o

Above all else, please avoid “rube-ophobia.” Do you know what “rube-ophobia” is? “Rube-ophobia” is the fear that others will think you’re a rube for who you are, what you are and what you do.

What happens is, most areas downplay their real strengths and emphasize imagined strengths. And if you emphasize strengths that don’t have just because you’re afraid people will look down on you for who you are, then you’ve proven you’re a bigger rube than they would have thought you were to begin with.

The Cowboy Hall of Fame only works in Oklahoma City. It’s not going to work anywhere else. It’s one of my favorite buildings in North America, Why? Because it’s a gorgeous building, and it fits in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City is not “rube-ophobic.” By putting the building up, they showed strength and character and that they know where they’re from.

So, celebrate what makes you distinctive. Celebrate those values — but make certain that you’re open enough so that people who are coming into your community get to be part of it.

o o o

Another challenge that I mentioned in 2001-2002 was “Remove the barriers to investment and participation.” I didn’t really think you were going to do that.

But as I’ve talked to people, I’ve found that the anti-business attitudes have largely melted away. They’ve melted away because of conversation; they melted away out of trust.

It doesn’t mean there’s no arguing. America is a democracy, and it’s messy. But that incredible level of distrust that we observed in ’02 seems to have largely gone away.

That is a fantastic testament to the leadership of this community.

o o o

As for your higher education community: We were very nervous about that in ’02. We thought they were insular; we thought they were shell-shocked; we didn’t think there was a vision at UND.

Oh, how wrong we were.

UND took huge risks: It raised its standards. You can’t have a competitive university without standards and an expectation that students are going to do the work, and the university did that.

We saw a university that was barely a research university now that has new and strong pillars to build from. The Energy and Environmental Research Center always was there. The Odegard Aerospace School always was there.

But now, we’re seeing your engineering school step up to the plate where it hadn’t before. And we’re also seeing the medical sciences step up. These are huge testaments to what this community has done by way of partnering with the university.

o o o

This is one of the most kid-centered communities I’ve ever seen. We saw that in ’01-02; why? Because we tried to hold meetings on Wednesday nights. You can’t get anybody to a meeting here Wednesday nights. I’m not going up against church dinners any more. I’ve just given up.

But the fact is that that this “kid-centered” quality is an important value to the people who want to live here, and that’s a large part of why people come. You have exceptional public education services. You have a child-centered culture.

In one way, your status as a child-centered community could be a weakness because it demands such time commitments from adults. Maybe that’s why there are so few people serving on boards: They spend so much time with kids. They’re coaching soccer and so on.

Why don’t you use those youth activities as a “leadership capture”? Because, let me tell you, if you can coach youth soccer or youth baseball and manage the parents, you can manage a board. It’s easy after that.

o o o

Why is the State Mill and Elevator still such an underused resource? Why aren’t you developing brands — value-added products — that really make North Dakota a brand and that let the mill create more wealth for farmers?

o o o

This community is the ultimate comeback story. And think about it: You made it through the flood, and nobody stole anything. You should celebrate that fact, because it means there is a level of trust, a level of honesty here that makes this an easy place to run a business.

And the fact is that you’ve got an efficient government — despite what the anti-tax guys tell you. You should make that “efficient government” one of your selling points, too.



Thursday, May 14, 2009

Daily Blog: Ups and Downs of Chappell Hill

According to the 2000 census the population of Chappell Hill, Texas was about 300.

But the Chappell Hill zip code contains a bit more than 1,300 people – which one might say allows it to qualify as a four-figure city.

The National Register of Historic Places certainly considers it worthy of recognition – the Chappell Hill Main Street has been designated as a National Register Historic District.

Since its founding in 1847, Chappell Hill has had its ups (such as the boom days of the cotton economy) and its downs (a yellow fever epidemic decimated the town in 1867).

Today it enjoys a tourist economy, largely by virtue of its proximity to the Houston area.

Read about a Greek Revival hotel (now a bed-and-breakfast called the Stagecoach Inn), the Monastery Miniature Horse Farm and more of the current features nestled among the bluebonnets and historic homes of Chappell Hill (Texas Highways, April 2009, p. 52).

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Daily Blog: Pensacola: Pride in the Past

Next month, Pensacola (population 56,000) will celebrate an anniversary.

Fiesta Days (June 4-11) are always a favorite time of the year in Pensacola. But this year “the city is marking its 450th anniversary with an ongoing birthday bash.”

A special celebration is appropriate when you are “the oldest European settlement in the United States.”

Earlier this year, in February, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain visited Pensacola to celebrate this city “which contains so much of a shared history of Spain and the United States.”

Few cities have as visible an interest in their city as Pensacola, “for more than 20 years” archaeologists have conducted digs at sites throughout the city.

Both “locals and even tourists” have been welcomed to “engage in their past.”

“That’s,” one local archaeologist said, “one of the great things about living in a city this old.”

Click here to read more about Pensacola (Smithsonian, May 2009, p. 68)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Daily Blog: Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land, Texas, population 79,000, has been chosen as one of Forbes' "25 Top Towns to Live Well."

http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/05/12/37817

According to the article:

"Characteristics like the number of museums, parks, bars and restaurants and cultural institutions per capita were considered, as were factors indicative of a favorable business environment. Those factors include patents, venture capital funding, sole-proprietorships, start-ups and small businesses per capita."

Sugar Land did especially well on cost of living, where affordable prices can help stretch a salary a long way.


This is another mid-sized city that makes up in value what it lacks in size.


Monday, May 11, 2009

Daily Blog: Mason City, Iowa

In these tough economic times, many small cities are fighting back. Mason City, Iowa, population 29,000, is one of them:

http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Mason-City-Trying-to-Boost-Downtown-Business/q6m-3utaFESQPph2PB1zdQ.cspx


The town's focus is to re-vitalize the downtown area. The Mason City Downtown Association is committed to bringing new businesses into the old downtown. And the latest addition is creating a new Saturday's farmer's market in the city hall parking lot.

Downtown re-vitalization efforts like the one in Mason City do more than just create commerce, they create community. A farmer's market is a great way to bring people together around a common purpose.

Hopefully, it will bring more business to city. Certainly, it will bring more togetherness among the residents.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Weekly Column: And the Winner is...Owego!

One way of deciding on the best small towns in America is to ask the people who know them best.

That’s what Budget Travel magazine did. Their readers were invited to vote for the “Coolest Small Town in America.” The results of their poll were recently announced. In this case only towns with a population of less than 10,000 were eligible for consideration.

According to Budget Travel editor-in-chief Nina Willdorf, “three really good markers” emerged in the polling.

It seems that in a “really cool small town:”

1. “You have to be able to get a really good cup of coffee.
2. When people leave for the big city, they realize they’ve made a mistake and come back home.
3. You’ll see more art galleries than country stores.”

Another probable characteristic is local pride: the ranking is determined by number of votes received. Owego, N.Y. (number one in this poll) garnered 24,692 votes – even though its population is 3,794).

The largest small town in the top ten is Silverton, Oregon, population 9,433, which boasts 14 downtown murals including one by Norman Rockwell.

The smallest town in the top ten is Onacock, Virginia (population 1,406, yet receiving 5,805 votes), an old-school fishing village with “remarkable views.”

And then there is Jim Thorpe, PA (population 4,878) located in some of the best mountain-biking terrain in the U.S.

In these ten “four-figure cities” it’s nice to see the evidence that enthusiasm and excitement for “our town” is high even in the places where the population is low.

To read more about the top ten coolest small towns in America see the report from the CBS Early Show which announced the results.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/15/earlyshow/living/travel/main4946306.shtml

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Daily Blog: Regarding Charleston

Lists are endlessly made of America’s top cities – top cities for tourists, top cities for history, top cities for culture, and on and on.

One city that seems to find its way into many of the “top cities” lists is Charleston. Perhaps that’s the reason for Forbes Life’s recent and singular compliment: “Pound for Pound, America’s Finest City.”

One of the continuing challenges facing a city is to resolve the tension that exists between its past, present and future. That’s a challenge that Charleston has met well.

As Richard Nalley writes, “The place, to put it mildly, is not afflicted with the amnesia effects of American Progress. Around here, the new must always accommodate itself to the stubborn tenacity of what came before.”

The 2000 census listed Charleston’s population as 96,650 – ranking with the best is in reach even when ranking with the biggest isn’t.

I’m reminded of the words of Charleston’s long-time mayor, Joseph P. Riley, Jr., who said several years ago, “Sometimes, if you paint on a smaller canvas, you can make a more beautiful picture.”

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Daily Blog: A Centerpiece for the City

Near the end of this month of May, the town of Chartres, France (population 40,361) will be expecting 8,000 to 10,000 visitors.

It happens every year. The visitors are called pilgrims and they will be arriving by foot after a 65-mile, three-day journey from Paris.

The current pilgrimage begins at the Notre Dame de Paris and ends up at the Notre Dame de Chartres. The church dates back to the 12th century – as do the pilgrimages. Through the subsequent centuries the cathedral (which contains perhaps the most famous labyrinth) is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic style architecture and has been the centerpiece of Chartres and is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The story of Chartres and its cathedral reminds us of the way history and architecture can combine over the centuries to complement cities of all sizes.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Daily Blog: Santa Fe

This summer, American Style magazine will issue its list of the top small cities for arts in America:
http://www.americanstyle.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&type=gen&mod=Core+Pages&gid=BF7A33DB358B4A268682E0A0680F183C

Coming in first will be Santa Fe, New Mexico, population 72,000. As the magazine notes:

"It may be the number one small town on our readers’ list, but Santa Fe is anything but small when it comes to the arts. The area in and around Canyon Road boasts nearly 50 galleries alone, housed in authentic, restored adobe buildings in an effort that garnered a nod from the American Planning Association, which named it one of the 10 Great Streets for 2007."

Perhaps the most important of all Santa Fe's museums is the one dedicated to the work of Georgia O'Keefe. One of the greatest artists of the 20th century, O'Keefe re-located to Santa Fe in 1949 and lived and worked there until her death in 1986. Today, her museum hosts visitors from around the world.

This is just another example of a mid-sized American city that is famous throughout the world.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Daily Blog: Kennett, Missouri's Favorite Daughter

Kennett, Missouri is the home of 11,260 residents and one multiple Grammy winner:

http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10290391&nav=0jsh


Last week Sheryl Crow returned home to see a street named in her honor. While she was there, she took time to praise this mid-sized city as "the heart and soul of what this country is based on." And she specifically praised the city for nurturing her dreams:

"'There were always people around me saying you can do whatever you want, you can be whatever you want. If you can see it, you can be it. I always say get into the work and not the outcome because the work is where it's at,' said Crow."

That sense of support and community helped create an artist who has won nine Grammy Awards. All across America, there are many other Kennetts where dreams are born and fostered. What mid-sized cities lack in size, they make up for in intimacy and community. Just ask Sheryl Crow.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Weekly Column: Border Communities Fight the Swine Flu Scare

The worst of times often brings out the best in people. And the same is true for communities.

The swine flu scare has gripped the nation’s attention. But in the small cities on the US-Mexico border, the community values of compassion, common sense and courage are helping keep people safe and communities together:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103632336

The article notes that “thousands of Mexicans and Americans criss-cross the border each day, providing unique challenges for communities where international travel is a daily event. In dozens of towns across the Southwest, it's a short walk from downtown on the U.S. side to their Mexican neighbors' el centro.”

Thus, these communities have to find ways to stay open for business. They can’t just shut down.

Yet on the surface level, it appears that the border cities are taking a hard hit from the swine flu scare. Economically, the statistics are staggering. According to the article, McAllen, Texas, population 100,000, is reeling:

“Steve Ahlenius, president of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, said flu worries are having a devastating impact on local businesses. In the past seven to 10 days, the number of bus passengers from Mexico into the McAllen area has dropped 30 percent, and bridge traffic has fallen 17 percent, he said. McAllen, which is across the border from the Mexican city of Reynosa, is a popular shopping destination for Mexicans.”

Schools are taking a hit, too. Rio Grande City, population 11,000, had to close schools after a couple of students got sick.

But look beneath the surface of these headlines and there are stories of communities coming together and fighting back together. Government plays a role in this. Customs and Border Protection agents hand out masks and gloves to potential carriers. And churches are doing their part, too. Many still hold regular services, but simply discourage worshippers from holding hands. These are small steps that keep people safe but also keep the normal community life going.

But the biggest step of all is that the mid-sized cities on the border have refused to shut down and refused to change their unique brand of bicultural community. Many residents have family on both sides of the border; many families have members who work on both sides of the border. So when people talk about perhaps closing down the border, the communities in this area don’t want to hear about it.

As one church spokeswoman, Brenda Riojas, put it:

"’We have bridges that connect us to Matamoros and Reynosa.’ But, Riojas said, the populations on both sides of the border are also linked by family, work, school and culture. ‘We say, es un entre cambio — an interchange.’"

And so these communities insist on remaining as they are. Often, much is made of all that is wrong with America; but too little attention is paid to all that is right with America. The mid-sized cities of the US-Mexico border are showing that even in the face of a grave public health crisis, a community can fight back together. And in so doing they can grow closer and get stronger.