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04/27/2003 Archived Entry: "Everyone is going in the same direction....for a change."

EVERYONE IS GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION....A POSTIVE STEP FOR ELLSWORTH COUNTY

In an unprecedented effort, Ellsworth County Community Development, the Ellsworth-Kanopolis Chamber of Commerce and Ellsworth County Economic Development, Inc. are harnessing efforts and putting together a marketing package for recruiting new residents, according to information from Sarah Grace Geiger in response to one of my blogs. What a wonderful attempt at unifying the community this could be...a marvelous step forward. YES!!!

She describes the steps as follows:

First step: hosting “commuter coffees” at major employers in town. Ask them to fill out a survey of information such as family size, occupation, what would entice them to move here, etc. Give them cookies and a chance to win a model house/doll house.

Second step: engage the community. The group will recruite about 15 people to become part of a team to develop a 1,5, and 10 year strategy for increasing population. This team involves people throughout the community—mostly younger with families. The hope is that the results will include an incentive package—financial incentives.

Third: engage the plan, get to work, get families to move to town and get more students into our school.

This program deserves all our support. Other groups could work on financial incentives to encourage people to move to town. We need to increase our number of school age children as that is essential to our vitality and existence as a town.

I site Wakeeney as an example again. They have 79 seniors in their graduating class and 11 students in kindergarten. Something has to happen fast in Wakeeney to turn that around. And we are showing the same trends in our school population, so it is mandatory that we do something now.

What this group is doing is the right thing. They deserve our support.

Replies: 1 Comment

Peg, I'm interested in being on this committee if they are accepting applicants. Do you have more info? Please share.
Thanks!

Posted by Deneen Shively @ 04/28/2003 11:00 AM CST