Believe me. It's nothing scientific, nor remotely accurate. Call it a gut feeling, or a sharper focus on my crystal ball.
Spring Business Plantings
Now that the weather has turned nicer, some folks get to thinking about planting and growing. Is this the traditional time when folks consider new business ventures? Over the past 12 months, our office can probably count on one hand the number of calls we've received from folks thinking about bringing a new business to town. So what's different this month that's got folks not from here thinking about us?
Reeling in a Big One
Over the past few days four or five folks from outside of Marshall called to talk about bringing new businesses to our community. Several of them were specific to mention fast food operations. Granted, they were probably just "fishing expeditions," and they were looking for a new pond.
The fact that we're on so many folks' radar screen for business expansion and development can make a person downright giddy!
Maybe it's the eternal optimist, but dog gone it, here's thinking out loud that our community is getting poised for some fun new stuff.
That's my opinion. How about yours?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Bring Back the Victory Garden
The first 2
One of my mother's favorite pictures was a black and white photo that showed her mother kneeling in a garden holding a huge head of lettuce. The picture was taken in 1943 or 1944 and showed my beaming grandmother tending to her victory garden.
Plus 1
Was having lunch with our City Administrator this week and he mentioned that the City was ready to seed the lot where the former Middle School (Junior High) once stood. Seems that it will become "park area" until it can be sold or offered for some sort of development.
Plus 1
Later in the day I was visiting with someone from the Minnesota Military Family Assistance Center. He had told me about recently attending an auction where he had bought a box of old WWII military posters. He was especially proud of one that promoted the creation and maintenance of Victory Gardens. A 1940's program to support the war effort.
2 + 2
In this day and age that focuses upon "Going Green" the thought had occurred to me that couldn't that former Middle School site be tentatively used for Victory Gardens?
The one square block site could be parcelled into multiple garden sites and offered to groups, organizations, families, or individuals to turn them into our very own Victory Gardens. Plots could range in size from say 10' X 10' to possibly as large as 20' X 100'. Someone with greater Gardening experience then me would have a better idea on how to put this together.
While a green space park area in the interim sounds nice, a fully developed Victory Garden area seems to me to be even more appealing.
That's my opinion. What about yours?
One of my mother's favorite pictures was a black and white photo that showed her mother kneeling in a garden holding a huge head of lettuce. The picture was taken in 1943 or 1944 and showed my beaming grandmother tending to her victory garden.
Plus 1
Was having lunch with our City Administrator this week and he mentioned that the City was ready to seed the lot where the former Middle School (Junior High) once stood. Seems that it will become "park area" until it can be sold or offered for some sort of development.
Plus 1
Later in the day I was visiting with someone from the Minnesota Military Family Assistance Center. He had told me about recently attending an auction where he had bought a box of old WWII military posters. He was especially proud of one that promoted the creation and maintenance of Victory Gardens. A 1940's program to support the war effort.
2 + 2
In this day and age that focuses upon "Going Green" the thought had occurred to me that couldn't that former Middle School site be tentatively used for Victory Gardens?
The one square block site could be parcelled into multiple garden sites and offered to groups, organizations, families, or individuals to turn them into our very own Victory Gardens. Plots could range in size from say 10' X 10' to possibly as large as 20' X 100'. Someone with greater Gardening experience then me would have a better idea on how to put this together.
While a green space park area in the interim sounds nice, a fully developed Victory Garden area seems to me to be even more appealing.
That's my opinion. What about yours?
Monday, April 6, 2009
The 151. Be Strong. Stay safe. Hurry Home.
Saturday's send off ceremony was a poignant reminder that our country is still at war.
Over 100 Soldiers of the 151st Alpha Battery of the Minnesota National Guard stood at attention in the PE Gym at SMSU Saturday morning to receive their orders for deployment. How somber and prideful it was to sit in a crowded gym along with family, friends, neighbors, and citizens to demonstrate to these soldiers our community and region's support of their efforts and the sacrifice.
Having attended a number of similar send off ceremonies for deploying troops over the past 7 years, several things come to mind:
*What an incredible commitment these men and women and their families are making on our behalf.
*What can we do to be good neighbors for the families during deployment?
*Never assume that the national guard and its wonderful support group will shoulder the entire burden of helping families in need during the deployment of their loved ones
*What a terrible burden to bear for the Governor sending these men and women into a war zone
*We can only hope and pray for their safe return
*Looking forward to the summer of 2010 when we can attend a welcome home celebration
To the 151st:
Thank you.
Stay safe during your mission.
Hurry home from your deployment.
Over 100 Soldiers of the 151st Alpha Battery of the Minnesota National Guard stood at attention in the PE Gym at SMSU Saturday morning to receive their orders for deployment. How somber and prideful it was to sit in a crowded gym along with family, friends, neighbors, and citizens to demonstrate to these soldiers our community and region's support of their efforts and the sacrifice.
Having attended a number of similar send off ceremonies for deploying troops over the past 7 years, several things come to mind:
*What an incredible commitment these men and women and their families are making on our behalf.
*What can we do to be good neighbors for the families during deployment?
*Never assume that the national guard and its wonderful support group will shoulder the entire burden of helping families in need during the deployment of their loved ones
*What a terrible burden to bear for the Governor sending these men and women into a war zone
*We can only hope and pray for their safe return
*Looking forward to the summer of 2010 when we can attend a welcome home celebration
To the 151st:
Thank you.
Stay safe during your mission.
Hurry home from your deployment.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
tweet wired sputter and hooked
My good buddy Dick Hakes writes a chamber industry newsletter. Recently exchanged the following emails about him having to update the technology of writing and distributing his newsletter for chamber executives across the country. Dick has spent time in our community and knows a few folks around town:
Dan,
You asked me to update you on ChamberPost....well in the process, I was informed that our generous hosts (Buena Vista University) have decided to discontinue the listserv. Not in their game plan...which I can understand. Anyway, if I develop something new, I'll let you know. Several have suggested a LinkedIn group. Are you in that already?
Dick
Hello Dick…
This Social Networking “craze” is truly interesting. I’m on Facebook (why I don’t know)…LinkedIn (still not sure how I got onto this one) and just YESTERDAY I got invited to ConnectIN which is the US Chamber Institute’s version of one of these social networks. Within 2 hours of signing up I heard from about a dozen of my chamber buddies around the country who I had been closer to during my Institute board and attendance days. Oh, and the Minnesota Chamber also has some sort of list serve program they use for MNCCE, but haven’t formally signed up for that…all those messages come through our general email address too. Now, I’ve got board members pitching me to use Twitter, and I wonder when I’ll find the time to do my real job instead of staying linked, hooked, and wired to the networks!
I must be getting old ‘cause I remember scratching my head wondering how to use the old “heat imprinted fax” machine (you remember those don’t you where the paper comes out curled and if you leave it in the sunshine it turns brown like an old sepia toned photo)…and don’t get me started about my first computer in the office that I had no clue as to how to use it or how it might make my chamber office more efficient.
Dick, I remember thinking how amazing it was that my father was born the same year the Wright Brothers had their first flight, and he died a couple of years after man walked on the moon. How amazing it must have been to live through those industrial and technological changes! Wish I could have had conversations with him about that. I’m sure I’ll get this social networking with phones, computers, hand helds, etc figured out sometime down the road and 20 years from now will wonder at how times have changed during my lifetime!
Dan
Dan,
You asked me to update you on ChamberPost....well in the process, I was informed that our generous hosts (Buena Vista University) have decided to discontinue the listserv. Not in their game plan...which I can understand. Anyway, if I develop something new, I'll let you know. Several have suggested a LinkedIn group. Are you in that already?
Dick
Hello Dick…
This Social Networking “craze” is truly interesting. I’m on Facebook (why I don’t know)…LinkedIn (still not sure how I got onto this one) and just YESTERDAY I got invited to ConnectIN which is the US Chamber Institute’s version of one of these social networks. Within 2 hours of signing up I heard from about a dozen of my chamber buddies around the country who I had been closer to during my Institute board and attendance days. Oh, and the Minnesota Chamber also has some sort of list serve program they use for MNCCE, but haven’t formally signed up for that…all those messages come through our general email address too. Now, I’ve got board members pitching me to use Twitter, and I wonder when I’ll find the time to do my real job instead of staying linked, hooked, and wired to the networks!
I must be getting old ‘cause I remember scratching my head wondering how to use the old “heat imprinted fax” machine (you remember those don’t you where the paper comes out curled and if you leave it in the sunshine it turns brown like an old sepia toned photo)…and don’t get me started about my first computer in the office that I had no clue as to how to use it or how it might make my chamber office more efficient.
Dick, I remember thinking how amazing it was that my father was born the same year the Wright Brothers had their first flight, and he died a couple of years after man walked on the moon. How amazing it must have been to live through those industrial and technological changes! Wish I could have had conversations with him about that. I’m sure I’ll get this social networking with phones, computers, hand helds, etc figured out sometime down the road and 20 years from now will wonder at how times have changed during my lifetime!
Dan
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