Todays Gazette comes to you on the day of the 2009 Presidential
inauguration.
Congratulations President Obama!!!
------------------------
The current temperature is 23 degrees.
The "feels like" temperature is +8
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 26/10
Normal H/L temp for this date is 15/-5
It was 49 degrees on this date in 1944
==========================
"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
==========================
L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
---------------------------
Even though it has been 4 days since the last Gazette, for reasons I
know not, I have felt just a bit under the weather. I'm pretty sure it
wasn't anything to do with peanuts or peanut butter. However, if what I
hear on the news lately is correct. I'm reminded of the song,.. "If
your gonna eat peanut butter, you better have a crapper in your van."
-----------------------------
I have asked for a lot of things in the Gazette over the years. This is
the first time for UND Hockey Tickets.
Diane wrote; >>> Hi Gary!!!
We are enjoying the updates of Grafton on the Shivercity Gazette!!!
Do you know of anyone who has tickets for this coming Saturday night
game against Denver,... do you???? We need a total of 8 tickets, as we
are going to entertain the "lake bunch" . Like they say it's not
always what you know it's who you know. Thanks and hopefully we will be
hearing from someone with tickets to sell to us!!!! Stay warm, Diane.
<<<< Thanks for the note Diane. There might be some out there,... maybe.
If anyone has any tickets for Saturdays game, it sounds like there is
someone looking to buy them.
-----------------------------------
Dennis Sevigny shared the following thoughts regarding the question,
"What does this community have to offer?".
Dennis wrote. >>>>
Gary,
I was surprised to see that Denise had sent you information of the
Grafton's Needs Assessment, that was completed so many years ago. Let
me add some information.
When that survey was done it was an attempt to be all inclusive of
community needs. The survey was designed to obtain pertinent information
from every household. The survey was compiled from all entities of the
community and it was published in the Record as a full page survey. Many
news articles and advertisements in the newspaper and on the radio were
designed to inform and mobilize the citizenry. A large group of
people were involved and excited about their community and demonstrated
a vested interest in the future of Grafton. Many people actually went
door to door to collect the survey and also carried a copy and had them
completed while they waited (Tim DeSautel sustained a dog bite in the
process). We attempted to allow everyone to express their opinion.
One of the results of the survey (at that time) was a concern about the
medical community of Grafton (more doctors, etc.). That survey prompted
a significant effort to improve the medical care in Grafton. The
wonderful medical community that we enjoy today was an offshoot of that
survey and the processes that followed. There were other concerns
expressed and many of them were addressed over time.
I think that Denise had a wonderful suggestion about revisiting that
process.
In my current position at Northland College, I work with business and
industry in numerous communities in Northwest Minnesota. I work with
Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development groups in Northwest
Minnesota and Northeast North Dakota (Grafton is one community I have
not worked with) . Many communities have somewhat the same phenomenon
occurring. Vacant buildings are present in the downtown district in all
communities.
I must applaud the efforts of Keith Bjorneby (member of the Economic
Development committee for the City of Grafton) to take the time to visit
with downtown business owners to obtain input. The city needs direction
to orchestrate a positive outcome.
It is time to plan for the future of Grafton. We need to assess our
present condition, explore our options and formulate a plan. We cannot
simply allow the problem to exist without a pro-active approach. Selling
the building at auction to someone that will not significantly improve
the property may only exacerbate the current situation.
It is a very complex problem and we need to do more than look at the
state of the buildings and point fingers and assign blame. After all, it
is our community, we have the responsibility to plan its future and
improve what we can.
That being said, we do not have the luxury of entering a long involved
process with no apparent conclusion. We need to encompass a plan that
emphasizes the character and viability of downtown and serves the
functional needs of the community. We need to overcome some obstacles in
this process. Everyone involved in the process and anyone wanting to be
involved bears some responsibility to act. We have numerous groups and
organizations that are present in our community that should become
involved in the process.
A diversity of ownership does exist and that diversity, in this case,
leads to deterioration of sites and buildings and prevents needed
improvement to the downtown district. The City of Grafton is one of
those diverse owners. The city does not want to own those properties and
appears to be unwilling or unable to expend the necessary funds to
improve the property. In their defense, they need more community input
and involvement to truly do what is best for the community.
Enough said. Let's keep it positive. Let's formulate a plan. Grafton is
a great community and we may be able to make it better.
Dennis Sevigny
--------------------------------
Every path has a few puddles.
==========================
GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
==========================
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those who mind don't
matter.... and those who matter don't mind."
Or so it seems to me
Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they
are,..... before it's too late.
No comments:
Post a Comment