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You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was. That old aphorism could well be the motto for new initiatives in four South County communities.
In a recent story, we reported on renewed activity in Riddle, Myrtle Creek, Canyonville and Glendale as each community launches improvement plans.
“We have a lot of resources and desire and we’re fed up — it’s like we’ve been in a holding pattern for too long,” Linda Johnson, a Myrtle Creek merchant, told News-Review reporter Cara Pallone. “It’s our time.”
Like residents in most of Oregon, Douglas County residents worry about the balance of preserving what we love while capturing enough growth to provide opportunity for our children.
That we are failing to strike that balance is first evident in the high average age of our residents, resulting from the migration of young people to areas where jobs and opportunity are more readily found.
Growth does not come naturally or easily to communities that are relatively remote from consuming populations and that do not offer high-demand resources — whether they be human, technological or raw materials.
Douglas County and most of Oregon face steep competition for opportunity from communities throughout the West, the nation, and around the world that very aggressively solicit jobs that we’d like to see here.
Myrtle Creek, Riddle and Canyonville are all looking at a national program called Main Street, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
That program has been the foundation for several communities’ efforts to improve their downtown districts.
While participation in the program remains in the exploration stage, people in these communities are taking action now.
In Myrtle Creek, residents recently pulled weeds, trimmed trees, picked up trash and pressure-washed the sidewalks. In Riddle, residents have identified businesses they would like to see move to the community. Canyonville seeks to bring in more tourism and businesses and Glendale is pushing conservation, renewable and recycling initiatives.
Communities become strong because of planning and grass-roots activities just like these. They not only build a community that is desirable for their residents, they build environments where people and businesses like to locate. That builds jobs, opportunities and economic strength.
Congratulations to these communities upon the commencement of a good start.
In a recent story, we reported on renewed activity in Riddle, Myrtle Creek, Canyonville and Glendale as each community launches improvement plans.
“We have a lot of resources and desire and we’re fed up — it’s like we’ve been in a holding pattern for too long,” Linda Johnson, a Myrtle Creek merchant, told News-Review reporter Cara Pallone. “It’s our time.”
Like residents in most of Oregon, Douglas County residents worry about the balance of preserving what we love while capturing enough growth to provide opportunity for our children.
That we are failing to strike that balance is first evident in the high average age of our residents, resulting from the migration of young people to areas where jobs and opportunity are more readily found.
Growth does not come naturally or easily to communities that are relatively remote from consuming populations and that do not offer high-demand resources — whether they be human, technological or raw materials.
Douglas County and most of Oregon face steep competition for opportunity from communities throughout the West, the nation, and around the world that very aggressively solicit jobs that we’d like to see here.
Myrtle Creek, Riddle and Canyonville are all looking at a national program called Main Street, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
That program has been the foundation for several communities’ efforts to improve their downtown districts.
While participation in the program remains in the exploration stage, people in these communities are taking action now.
In Myrtle Creek, residents recently pulled weeds, trimmed trees, picked up trash and pressure-washed the sidewalks. In Riddle, residents have identified businesses they would like to see move to the community. Canyonville seeks to bring in more tourism and businesses and Glendale is pushing conservation, renewable and recycling initiatives.
Communities become strong because of planning and grass-roots activities just like these. They not only build a community that is desirable for their residents, they build environments where people and businesses like to locate. That builds jobs, opportunities and economic strength.
Congratulations to these communities upon the commencement of a good start.
