...is hard to do. Being both a full-time college student and a member of an interest group is no easy task. Okay, so perhaps being a part of New Cities is part of my Government 141 class, but that's not the point. The point is that making a change in the community requires time and effort. Like with many other things in life, time and effort must be apportioned in an efficient manner in order to achieve balance in life. One of the things I have yet to learn is to do this.
With me, I either spend too much time on something or not enough. With the New Cities Initiative, I somehow feel that I could have done more. What all did I do, you ask? I attended a few meetings, posted on this blog, and wrote an article that should have gone into the local newspaper that now exists in the form of a Facebook note and a blog post instead. That's it. To be honest, I'm not sure that the work I have done has made any impact on the project whatsoever. Hopefully, it has.
So, where did all the time go? One word: school. My efforts have been hampered somewhat by my other classes. CIS 101 gives you tons of busywork, I had to write an 8-page final for English 200 (not fun) and Physical Geography requires quite a bit of studying in order to well on the tests. Plus, everyone needs some down time in order to stay sane. Since I am a dedicated student who values her sanity, a lot of my time got poured into the tasks above...along with New Cities. A couple of times I have missed meetings due to class, which made me feel more than a little guilty. The truth of the matter is that balance is a difficult thing for me to achieve. Heck, I can't even balance myself on a bicycle unless I'm going downhill! If there is at least one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that I need great improvement in time management.
Of course, my troubles pale in comparision to those who work and/or have children. Melissa Sargent, I deeply admire you for that you have accomplished! Hopefully I will one day be as good at organizing my time as you are. Until then, I will just make up the difference in blog posts.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Act Now
It’s pretty evident that the youth today will be inheriting some very unique and likely difficult problems in the future. That it is why it is so important that we become active in our communities now. We can’t afford to hold off until tomorrow when such huge problems loom over our future like global warming or the massive national debt. We have to make ourselves heard and put our unique perspective our there about the changes we would like to see. That is exactly what we have done with our new cities project and what we must continue to do. I would like to include a video in this post that showcases some of the unique problems of our generation. Take a look.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Community Activities
I would like to expound on Jonathan Cottle's previous post. Below are some of the ideas that the Community Activities group came up with during last Thursdays meeting (some ideas would utilize Old Mill Park):
Cafe/gathering place for everyone!
Performing arts --> Local theater (plays about Eastern KY)
Open Mic Nights
Readings (poetry, storytelling, etc.)
Old Movies
Small Business Fair
Craft Fair
Short term goals:
Concerts
Special Events
Plays (start auditions)
Hopefully we can get these ideas to become a reality. I love the idea of showing old movies in the park, which is a big success in Lexington. I am also excited about concerts in the park. I like Bluegrass music, but there needs to be other types of music showcased as well. I also believe that a local theater is important because our children as well as our older citizens should be exposed to such art forms. It will also give our citizens, who are talented in this area, an outlet to perfect their craft.
Cafe/gathering place for everyone!
Performing arts --> Local theater (plays about Eastern KY)
Open Mic Nights
Readings (poetry, storytelling, etc.)
Old Movies
Small Business Fair
Craft Fair
Short term goals:
Concerts
Special Events
Plays (start auditions)
Hopefully we can get these ideas to become a reality. I love the idea of showing old movies in the park, which is a big success in Lexington. I am also excited about concerts in the park. I like Bluegrass music, but there needs to be other types of music showcased as well. I also believe that a local theater is important because our children as well as our older citizens should be exposed to such art forms. It will also give our citizens, who are talented in this area, an outlet to perfect their craft.
Community Intrest
The meeting on Thursday 23 was in fact a great success. I believe we not only have the support of our group but a lot of the community members that were in other groups tended to side closer to our Community Group. I would like to thank all of you for attending, our next meeting is May 14, 2009. However, the Community Activities Group will be having a meeting on April 30.
Community Activities Group Meeting
I would like to notify everyone that there will be a Community Activities Group Meeting Thursday April 30 at 6:00 P.M. at the Morgan County Technology Center/Library. I encourage you all to attended, come express your ideas for the community of West Liberty. This is an opportunity for Morgan County’s youth to express their opinions, let their ideas be considered. Listening to the underclassmen/women at the Morgan County High school aggressively express that their opinions were not heard makes me wonder. They were so aggressive at the meeting but not a one of them of which were not members of the Gov. 141 New Cities Group participated after that meeting. It makes me wonder if they are willing to give and persuade to the older part of society. Are their opinions heard, or are they pushed aside due to age or maybe the lack of experience?
Jumping the hoops
When I began to do research on the price of our project it never occurred to me that getting the money to pay for our plan might not be the most difficult part. I really had no idea that there was such a thing as an aesthetic restriction or that there were only certain materials that you could use to build things at the park or that you have to go through the tourism board to decide where to place a building. It was definitely an educational experience and the lesson I suppose I learned from this is that there are more hoops to jump through with a civic improvement project than you might expect. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible though. In fact as I made these inquiries I found that people were very willing to help me figure out what steps I should take and were very informative about what restrictions were in place.
The moral of the story is don’t be deterred from trying to improve your community just because there might be more obstacles than you expected there is almost always a way around it. You will also find many people willing to help you find your way around these obstacles. All it takes is a little persistence as is the case with most things in the American government.
The moral of the story is don’t be deterred from trying to improve your community just because there might be more obstacles than you expected there is almost always a way around it. You will also find many people willing to help you find your way around these obstacles. All it takes is a little persistence as is the case with most things in the American government.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Have We Really Grown So Selfish?
Looks like my Mamaw has inspired me to do another blog post. She talks a lot about things, so I suppose it's not that surprising. Anyway, the idea for this post came from my Mamaw's musings over the funeral of her sister-in-law's sister. One she mentioned that caught my attention was the serving of food at the funeral. Although this isn't an unheard of practice, it disturbs me a little. Why would someone want to eat while mourning the loss of a loved one? I for one associate food with festivities and celebrations. Why would anybody want to celebrate the death of a fellow human being?
I shared my opinion with my beloved Mamaw, and her response was full of anger and annoyance. It was not at me, but at society in general. She revealed to me that she believes that "whoever come up with the idea of serving food at a church house ought to be shot," that "people don't come to funerals to mourn or to be with people, but just for the food," and that "when the old people started to die, everything went downhill."
This isn't the first time I've heard from her that the older generation had better values than ours. In fact, I've heard it just about all of my life. But is it true? Has Generation Y really stopped caring? Do we only care about ourselves, and not the rest of the community?
I will concede to my Mamaw that we have grown more than just a little lazy and complacent due to the prosperity of the 20th and 21st century. However, our core moral values have remained similar. We may be a little more accepting of certain lifestyles or habits, but we still condemn murder, lying, cheating, theft, and other selfish vices. Where it's important, society has not faced a huge amount of moral decay.
Even so, we do spend more time condemning what is wrong than getting off our butts and trying to make things better. Perhaps it is because modern society has been spoonfed so much that people just want somebody else to take care of their problems. Perhaps it is because we feel that the system is just too unresponsive to ordinary citizens. Whatever the problem is, it is crippling community efforts. When it comes to major projects, we need all of the help we can get. We need a way to stir the masses and turn them away from their selfish inaction. Maybe New Cities can achieve this goal. Maybe it cannot. But one thing is for certain: We cannot give up hope.
I shared my opinion with my beloved Mamaw, and her response was full of anger and annoyance. It was not at me, but at society in general. She revealed to me that she believes that "whoever come up with the idea of serving food at a church house ought to be shot," that "people don't come to funerals to mourn or to be with people, but just for the food," and that "when the old people started to die, everything went downhill."
This isn't the first time I've heard from her that the older generation had better values than ours. In fact, I've heard it just about all of my life. But is it true? Has Generation Y really stopped caring? Do we only care about ourselves, and not the rest of the community?
I will concede to my Mamaw that we have grown more than just a little lazy and complacent due to the prosperity of the 20th and 21st century. However, our core moral values have remained similar. We may be a little more accepting of certain lifestyles or habits, but we still condemn murder, lying, cheating, theft, and other selfish vices. Where it's important, society has not faced a huge amount of moral decay.
Even so, we do spend more time condemning what is wrong than getting off our butts and trying to make things better. Perhaps it is because modern society has been spoonfed so much that people just want somebody else to take care of their problems. Perhaps it is because we feel that the system is just too unresponsive to ordinary citizens. Whatever the problem is, it is crippling community efforts. When it comes to major projects, we need all of the help we can get. We need a way to stir the masses and turn them away from their selfish inaction. Maybe New Cities can achieve this goal. Maybe it cannot. But one thing is for certain: We cannot give up hope.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Help New Cities Better Our Community
Due to technical difficulites, this article could not be submitted to the paper on time. Therefore, I'll post it here on the Internet for all to enjoy!
There is no doubt that Morgan County is full of pride. With a rich Appalachian heritage reflected in our annual Sorghum Festival, an air of friendliness from border to border, and a collection of talented people, there is much for us to be proud of.
So why don’t we show it? Looking at our community, there is no indication that we are proud of anything. Underutilized facilities, scarcity of job and career training opportunities, a lackluster educational system, little tourism outside the Sorghum Festival, drug abuse, and a host of other problems are prevalent throughout Morgan County. We deserve better than this, and we have the potential to be better than this.
Then how do we utilize this potential? After all, a mere sense of entitlement will get you nowhere. Change requires hard work, planning, dogged determination, patience, and most importantly, the power of the group. Great things are never accomplished alone. Wars are not won by generals alone, but by the hordes of soldiers he has at his command. These soldiers work together on the battlefield, fulfilling their roles as well as watching each other’s back. As tired and cliché as it is, the power of teamwork is not just some cheesy moral found only in fiction. It a real force acting in the real world. One question still remains, however: How do we get organized?
The answer lies in The New Cities Initiative. New Cities is an interest group run by the community and for the community. We believe that change is possible given the hard work, planning, determination, and patience of a well-organized group. Like soldiers on the battlefield, we will look out for each other and consider the needs of all sections of Morgan County. All we ask is for your input and participation.
On April 23rd at 6 p.m., there will be a New Cities meeting at MSU at West Liberty. Topics will include strategies, priorities, and a number of proposals. Free food will be available. We encourage all citizens who have the time that evening to come out and let their voices be heard!
There is no doubt that Morgan County is full of pride. With a rich Appalachian heritage reflected in our annual Sorghum Festival, an air of friendliness from border to border, and a collection of talented people, there is much for us to be proud of.
So why don’t we show it? Looking at our community, there is no indication that we are proud of anything. Underutilized facilities, scarcity of job and career training opportunities, a lackluster educational system, little tourism outside the Sorghum Festival, drug abuse, and a host of other problems are prevalent throughout Morgan County. We deserve better than this, and we have the potential to be better than this.
Then how do we utilize this potential? After all, a mere sense of entitlement will get you nowhere. Change requires hard work, planning, dogged determination, patience, and most importantly, the power of the group. Great things are never accomplished alone. Wars are not won by generals alone, but by the hordes of soldiers he has at his command. These soldiers work together on the battlefield, fulfilling their roles as well as watching each other’s back. As tired and cliché as it is, the power of teamwork is not just some cheesy moral found only in fiction. It a real force acting in the real world. One question still remains, however: How do we get organized?
The answer lies in The New Cities Initiative. New Cities is an interest group run by the community and for the community. We believe that change is possible given the hard work, planning, determination, and patience of a well-organized group. Like soldiers on the battlefield, we will look out for each other and consider the needs of all sections of Morgan County. All we ask is for your input and participation.
On April 23rd at 6 p.m., there will be a New Cities meeting at MSU at West Liberty. Topics will include strategies, priorities, and a number of proposals. Free food will be available. We encourage all citizens who have the time that evening to come out and let their voices be heard!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Improving the Image of Eastern Kentucky
I'm sure nearly all of us have seen the 20/20 special "A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains." If you are reading this post and you haven't seen it, here's a link to a summary page on ABC's website that also contains a link to the video. Unfortunately I cannot test the video link due to dial-up limitations:
A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains
While I would have preferred more balanced coverage from Diane Sawyer (in my opinion it just supports the "ignorant Hillbilly" stereotype) it does bring real problems to our attention. There's no doubt that we have widespread prescription drug abuse, high obesity rates, and severe poverty. These community problems, among others, should be brought to the attention of New Cities. Better yet, why not opt for welfare reform? That would keep people from having children in order to exploit the system in the first place!
A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains
While I would have preferred more balanced coverage from Diane Sawyer (in my opinion it just supports the "ignorant Hillbilly" stereotype) it does bring real problems to our attention. There's no doubt that we have widespread prescription drug abuse, high obesity rates, and severe poverty. These community problems, among others, should be brought to the attention of New Cities. Better yet, why not opt for welfare reform? That would keep people from having children in order to exploit the system in the first place!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
My essay
I personally am not that good at leaving comments or making blogs on the internet. But, since Professor Gay says I have to do this for my grade, here it goes. We are talking about the New Cities Community Initiative.
One of the top concerns that comes up is jobs. This is not just jobs for those that are currently seeking one, but, for the youth that do not see any opportunities to stay in this community when they graduate high school or college. We do have factories, the hospital, and the prison. But, there isn’t much else available above minimum wage jobs. So opening up new job opportunities would be a good start.
Another concern is youth activities and improvement in youth involvement in the community. A lot of this could be solved by creating activities that also include community involvement. If there were more to do for our youth they would want to be involved. Creating places for the youth to meet and get to know more about each other and things going on in the community would lead to more youth involvement in the community.
Also, it has been mentioned that senior citizens have nothing to return to when they retire. Creating a senior citizen community within Morgan County would help with this problem. It would also create more jobs in healthcare and recreation.
Another idea that was mentioned was helping the farmers with agricultural tourism. Making farms not just for selling their products but for local tourism.
A recycling center has been one of the ideas that was mentioned. This not only would create jobs but also help beautify the community and be eco-friendly.
Last but not least, is improvement of the high school. The facilities need upgraded. The walls need painted. It needs more windows. The high school needs to be a place that students enjoy learning in. And, the teachers enjoy teaching in.
With all this said, I don’t know if this is what Professor Gay was looking for but, it is what I have learned by attending the meetings for the New Cities Community Initiative. Now, to get all of the above mentioned done we need everyone to be involved in making our community the best it can be. We need to get out and spread the word. By mouth, by radio, by newspaper, by contacting our state representatives, and by the internet. The more people that do, is the more that will get done. Let’s be the squeaky wheel!
One of the top concerns that comes up is jobs. This is not just jobs for those that are currently seeking one, but, for the youth that do not see any opportunities to stay in this community when they graduate high school or college. We do have factories, the hospital, and the prison. But, there isn’t much else available above minimum wage jobs. So opening up new job opportunities would be a good start.
Another concern is youth activities and improvement in youth involvement in the community. A lot of this could be solved by creating activities that also include community involvement. If there were more to do for our youth they would want to be involved. Creating places for the youth to meet and get to know more about each other and things going on in the community would lead to more youth involvement in the community.
Also, it has been mentioned that senior citizens have nothing to return to when they retire. Creating a senior citizen community within Morgan County would help with this problem. It would also create more jobs in healthcare and recreation.
Another idea that was mentioned was helping the farmers with agricultural tourism. Making farms not just for selling their products but for local tourism.
A recycling center has been one of the ideas that was mentioned. This not only would create jobs but also help beautify the community and be eco-friendly.
Last but not least, is improvement of the high school. The facilities need upgraded. The walls need painted. It needs more windows. The high school needs to be a place that students enjoy learning in. And, the teachers enjoy teaching in.
With all this said, I don’t know if this is what Professor Gay was looking for but, it is what I have learned by attending the meetings for the New Cities Community Initiative. Now, to get all of the above mentioned done we need everyone to be involved in making our community the best it can be. We need to get out and spread the word. By mouth, by radio, by newspaper, by contacting our state representatives, and by the internet. The more people that do, is the more that will get done. Let’s be the squeaky wheel!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bridgett's Essay
There are many ways this process might work. First we could use public opinion, every opinion matter when trying to help the community, the public can give suggestions that might be very helpful. The new media such as the radio and new paper would be great. We could get a couple of people that are involved with the new city initiative to talk on the radio and explain who they are, and what their trying to accomplish. We could put an ad in the news paper telling who they are, what their going do and what they can do to get involve. It could have a meeting place and a time, or some one to contact to get started.
Also we could involve local interest groups witch is a group of people drawn together in support of a common interest or to voice a common concern. We could include interest groups such as churches, the woman’s club, and rotary club. They can voice their opinion and ideals in what they think west liberty needs. They can start a petition and get people to sign it saying what needs to be done. They can have a BBQ to help get others in the community involve.
Political Parties could get involve if they are going to run for the up coming election they might want to show the citizens that their helping the new city initiative to try to improve the city. So maybe they can get elected. If say I was wanting to get reelected then I would want to get involve to show that I am trying to help with improving the community.
Also we could involve local interest groups witch is a group of people drawn together in support of a common interest or to voice a common concern. We could include interest groups such as churches, the woman’s club, and rotary club. They can voice their opinion and ideals in what they think west liberty needs. They can start a petition and get people to sign it saying what needs to be done. They can have a BBQ to help get others in the community involve.
Political Parties could get involve if they are going to run for the up coming election they might want to show the citizens that their helping the new city initiative to try to improve the city. So maybe they can get elected. If say I was wanting to get reelected then I would want to get involve to show that I am trying to help with improving the community.
The Importance of The Project
I am, of course, not from this location. Obviously, that puts me at a disadvantage to the rest of the class. However, i can easily see that this project can be used to achieve some great things within Morgan County. As stated in class, the infrastructure needs to be refurbished; with the help of this project, things such as the preceding can be accomplished.
They can be accomplished if enough people support them. From what I have seen and heard; there are a great deal of influential people who are in favor of projects such as ours. Am I correct in my thinking that there were Representatives at some of the meetings? If so, they can obviously drum up a great deal of support for our project.
What we must keep in mind is that this project can do some great things for Morgan County. Whatever goals that we set for ourselves to accomplish needs to get accomplished. We need to think big, but also realistically. We need our project to succeed due to the fact that the better it does this time, the more inclined people will be to support such a project in the future.
Thank you
They can be accomplished if enough people support them. From what I have seen and heard; there are a great deal of influential people who are in favor of projects such as ours. Am I correct in my thinking that there were Representatives at some of the meetings? If so, they can obviously drum up a great deal of support for our project.
What we must keep in mind is that this project can do some great things for Morgan County. Whatever goals that we set for ourselves to accomplish needs to get accomplished. We need to think big, but also realistically. We need our project to succeed due to the fact that the better it does this time, the more inclined people will be to support such a project in the future.
Thank you
School Board Meeting
Hello Everyone,
I have contacted the School Board; their meeting will be tonight,(4/13) at the West Liberty Elementary Gym at 6:30. I also requested time for our group members to speak; they were happy to accomodate time for us. I apologize for the delay in getting the information to you, but it took some time to get in contact with the correct people.
Thank You
I have contacted the School Board; their meeting will be tonight,(4/13) at the West Liberty Elementary Gym at 6:30. I also requested time for our group members to speak; they were happy to accomodate time for us. I apologize for the delay in getting the information to you, but it took some time to get in contact with the correct people.
Thank You
A Building Of Learning
As we all know the high school has been around since the 70’s. It was intended on being built for a new action called the open class room. Where all the rooms have openings that connect. Most people aren’t aware of how hard it is to learn when their gaping wholes and you can hear everything the other teachers are teaching.
It makes you not want to pay attention and can be quite aggravating while taking test. I understand why many students drop out, their being blamed for not learning when it the building keeping you from it. Wouldn’t you quit if you was being blamed for not being able to learn when it really your surroundings.
Even though many don’t understand that having a colorful surrounding helps increase knowledge, and learning abilities. When you have to sit in a yellow square room all day long and try to pay attention to your teacher it is quite hard. It puts a lot of unneeded stress on students, who try so hard to do their best and can not succeed.
In my opinion the high school needs big improvements starting with some skylights that let us see some type of sun light in each room. Also some type of color besides YELLOW. I do believe that it would not only improve the building but also the academics of many fellow students.
It makes you not want to pay attention and can be quite aggravating while taking test. I understand why many students drop out, their being blamed for not learning when it the building keeping you from it. Wouldn’t you quit if you was being blamed for not being able to learn when it really your surroundings.
Even though many don’t understand that having a colorful surrounding helps increase knowledge, and learning abilities. When you have to sit in a yellow square room all day long and try to pay attention to your teacher it is quite hard. It puts a lot of unneeded stress on students, who try so hard to do their best and can not succeed.
In my opinion the high school needs big improvements starting with some skylights that let us see some type of sun light in each room. Also some type of color besides YELLOW. I do believe that it would not only improve the building but also the academics of many fellow students.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
City Council and Old Mill Park
FYI for everyone. I have found out that the City Council Meetings are on the fourth Monday of every month and begin at 5:00 pm. So that would make this month's meeting on April 27th.
Today I met a friend at Old Mill Park to do some homework. While there, I was wanting to use my laptop to do research for a paper. However, since there is no wireless access available in the park my friend and I got in my car and drove to the MSU Enterprise Center parking lot because we could access their wireless.
It would be nice if wireless was available at the park or at least have an Internet cafe available. This would be greatly utilized. I would much rather have sat at a picnic table enjoying the nice day instead of sitting in my car using my laptop. This is something I think we should advocate for.
Today I met a friend at Old Mill Park to do some homework. While there, I was wanting to use my laptop to do research for a paper. However, since there is no wireless access available in the park my friend and I got in my car and drove to the MSU Enterprise Center parking lot because we could access their wireless.
It would be nice if wireless was available at the park or at least have an Internet cafe available. This would be greatly utilized. I would much rather have sat at a picnic table enjoying the nice day instead of sitting in my car using my laptop. This is something I think we should advocate for.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Senior Cynicism
The older people here in Morgan County are a rare breed that may not be found outside of Eastern Kentucky. They may not be the most educated bunch, but their experience and street smarts more than make up for that deficiency. Algebra confounds my sweet old Mamaw, for instance, but she can find a use for just about anything. Want a watering can? Get an empty milk jug, poke some holes in the cap, and presto! Want nail polish? Find some poke berries and squeeze out the juice.
This kind creativity is a marvel, but it isn't surprising considering the kind of environment she grew up in. Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and during the 1950s in Eastern Kentucky (my Mamaw was born in 1945, so the majority of her childhood took place during this decade), there was certainly necessity. Many people in Eastern Kentucky were poor farmers during this time, and my Mamaw's family was no exception. Therefore, people made the best out of what they had. It was a constant of life, and no one expected anything to change soon.
Many people that grew up during that period took that lesson to heart and carried it into their elder years. They expect nothing to get better, and thus, they grow wary of the grand promises of interest groups and politicians, always looking for an ulterior motive. As proof of this theory, here is an exchange I shared with my Mamaw on the day of the March 31st New Cities meeting:
"Mamaw, do you think we'll accomplish anything at this meeting?"
"Why no!"
I believe this kind of cynicism may be part of the reason why Morgan County hasn't met its full potential. We have this belief among older people (and it may have passed on to some of the younger set as well) that we are destined for failure. Now I'm not saying that cynicism should be abandoned entirely. There is no doubt that interest groups and politicans can become corrupt. But keeping such a self-defeating attitude is toxic, and if we really want to make a difference, we need to believe in ourselves and the potential of Morgan County.
This kind creativity is a marvel, but it isn't surprising considering the kind of environment she grew up in. Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and during the 1950s in Eastern Kentucky (my Mamaw was born in 1945, so the majority of her childhood took place during this decade), there was certainly necessity. Many people in Eastern Kentucky were poor farmers during this time, and my Mamaw's family was no exception. Therefore, people made the best out of what they had. It was a constant of life, and no one expected anything to change soon.
Many people that grew up during that period took that lesson to heart and carried it into their elder years. They expect nothing to get better, and thus, they grow wary of the grand promises of interest groups and politicians, always looking for an ulterior motive. As proof of this theory, here is an exchange I shared with my Mamaw on the day of the March 31st New Cities meeting:
"Mamaw, do you think we'll accomplish anything at this meeting?"
"Why no!"
I believe this kind of cynicism may be part of the reason why Morgan County hasn't met its full potential. We have this belief among older people (and it may have passed on to some of the younger set as well) that we are destined for failure. Now I'm not saying that cynicism should be abandoned entirely. There is no doubt that interest groups and politicans can become corrupt. But keeping such a self-defeating attitude is toxic, and if we really want to make a difference, we need to believe in ourselves and the potential of Morgan County.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
“….Ask what you can do for your Country.”
We all know that quote, most of us I would conjecture find it inspiring, and it seems like a nice thing to do. But when it actually comes down to asking ourselves what we can do for our country we begin to feel as though there isn’t much as an individual that we could do. We begin to ask ourselves, what could one small person, one small group, or even one small town do to really make a difference in our Country or even in our State?
Well the answer to this question is actually quite simple it is called a grassroots movement. When individuals come together and organize themselves they can be heard. They can make a difference and change their community, state and even country for the better. When a group of individuals come together with a common goal and organize themselves well enough to garner and hold support you have the beginnings of change right there. Grassroots campaigns are now easier than ever to begin thanks to the wonderful resources for communication we now have available on the internet.
Grassroots movements have been successful all over the country and all over the world. Most of President Obama’s campaign was started at grassroots and carried upwards. In West Liberty we are beginning a grassroots campaign of our own to improve our community through the New Cities Initiative. It is important that we all join together in this movement to accomplish the goal of improving our community. We have to remember that change starts from the ground up and we all play apart in making change.
Well the answer to this question is actually quite simple it is called a grassroots movement. When individuals come together and organize themselves they can be heard. They can make a difference and change their community, state and even country for the better. When a group of individuals come together with a common goal and organize themselves well enough to garner and hold support you have the beginnings of change right there. Grassroots campaigns are now easier than ever to begin thanks to the wonderful resources for communication we now have available on the internet.
Grassroots movements have been successful all over the country and all over the world. Most of President Obama’s campaign was started at grassroots and carried upwards. In West Liberty we are beginning a grassroots campaign of our own to improve our community through the New Cities Initiative. It is important that we all join together in this movement to accomplish the goal of improving our community. We have to remember that change starts from the ground up and we all play apart in making change.
Talking about improving Old Mill Park reminded me of this.
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, Nickelodeon sponsored a little something known as The Big Help, which tried to get kids involved with their community. Of all the projects they have done, this is the one I remember most clearly (probably because it was the last one before it became The Big Green Help or whatever it is now):
"Make Your Mark, Help Your Park" Campaign
Doesn't that almost sound like New Cities Initiative Jr.? Perhaps that's because we pretty much have the same goal: to improve the community and motivate others to do the same. The only differences are the target demographic (kids vs. entire community) and the target area (the nation vs. West Liberty/Morgan County). That and the participants in The Big Help probably didn't acquire as deep an understanding of the mechanics of the U.S. government as those currently enrolled in Government 141. :)
Given the success of this campaign, why not encourage those in late elementary school or middle school to volunteer in Old Mill Park? It doesn't have to be anything major. It could be things such as keeping the park clean or helping out a bit with the events. It would be a great learning experience for them.
"Make Your Mark, Help Your Park" Campaign
Doesn't that almost sound like New Cities Initiative Jr.? Perhaps that's because we pretty much have the same goal: to improve the community and motivate others to do the same. The only differences are the target demographic (kids vs. entire community) and the target area (the nation vs. West Liberty/Morgan County). That and the participants in The Big Help probably didn't acquire as deep an understanding of the mechanics of the U.S. government as those currently enrolled in Government 141. :)
Given the success of this campaign, why not encourage those in late elementary school or middle school to volunteer in Old Mill Park? It doesn't have to be anything major. It could be things such as keeping the park clean or helping out a bit with the events. It would be a great learning experience for them.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Meeting Re-cap.
Hey everyone,
This is a quick re-cap of the New Cities meeting on Tuesday, March 31st.
At the meeting on Tuesday groups were asked to come up with specific projects that they believed could realistically get started. The three main project ideas that our class's group specifically were interested in were 1) An improvement and revitilazation project for Old Mill Park. 2) Education and Recreational programs which utilize the avaliable space in the community center.3)Utilization of the High School for community events or projects.
The idea that our group seems the most interested in is a revitilization of Old Mill Park in which the community would be able to and be encouraged to fully utilize the park and its facilities such as the stage. In order to kick this project off we have decided that we should organize a bbq/talent show in which our community and community leaders can get together and look at the potential the park has for becoming an even greater asset to our community. I will put a more detailed post up about our bbq/talent show up a bit later.
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the meeting. I'm sure your opinions and feedback were much appreciated. Just as a quick reminder there will be another New cities meeting on Thursday, April 23. Thanks Again!
This is a quick re-cap of the New Cities meeting on Tuesday, March 31st.
At the meeting on Tuesday groups were asked to come up with specific projects that they believed could realistically get started. The three main project ideas that our class's group specifically were interested in were 1) An improvement and revitilazation project for Old Mill Park. 2) Education and Recreational programs which utilize the avaliable space in the community center.3)Utilization of the High School for community events or projects.
The idea that our group seems the most interested in is a revitilization of Old Mill Park in which the community would be able to and be encouraged to fully utilize the park and its facilities such as the stage. In order to kick this project off we have decided that we should organize a bbq/talent show in which our community and community leaders can get together and look at the potential the park has for becoming an even greater asset to our community. I will put a more detailed post up about our bbq/talent show up a bit later.
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the meeting. I'm sure your opinions and feedback were much appreciated. Just as a quick reminder there will be another New cities meeting on Thursday, April 23. Thanks Again!
Amber's Essay
West Liberty is participating in a project known as the New Cities Institute initiative. At the end of this process, leading citizens of the community will come together and decide on a course of action… a plan… on how to make the community a “New City.” The plans might include economic development proposals, recreation ideas, etc. Using the political linkages of the policy pyramid, analyze how this process might work.
I think New Cities Initiative is a very good way to get things done. We will have to take action in many ways such as using public opinions, (getting our voices heard within the community), media, other interest groups, political parties, and elections.
Most importantly we need to find out what the people in our community really want and think that we need to improve our city. Ways we could do this is to do polls, surveys (possibly phone calls) and interviews. We need to let the people know that we care about their opinion and that when participating in giving their opinion that it helps get things done much easier.
Next we could involve the media. We could use the internet in such ways like blogs & Facebook, like we are doing now. We could post flyers all around West Liberty telling them all about the New City’s Initiative and what we’re about. Then to further extend out to the public we could use radio stations like 102.9, or put ads in the local newspapers, and possibly work our way onto the news stations like WKYT27 or WLEX18.
We need to invite churches, Woman’s Club, Rotary’s Club, Kiwania’s Club, and other interest groups such as ourselves. These groups can start a petition to get peoples opinion on what they think we need to do to West Liberty. Also we could get these groups to help participate in fundraisers/donations to help make the city better, and let them know that their money will go to what they want done.
Using the policy pyramid we can use the political parties to our advantage, by getting them to involve higher parties which will get things done quicker and probably much easier. We could find out what each political parties opinion is on certain things and then pick which one we agree with and then get them to get people in higher places to get what we need done.
The last thing we could do is elections. We would need to go to the people running in the elections and find out what they stand for and want done. Then we could reassure them that if they get the things done that they said, and then we would gladly vote for them. Also people would see that they are working with the ‘New City’s Initiative’ to make West Liberty a better community.
I think New Cities Initiative is a very good way to get things done. We will have to take action in many ways such as using public opinions, (getting our voices heard within the community), media, other interest groups, political parties, and elections.
Most importantly we need to find out what the people in our community really want and think that we need to improve our city. Ways we could do this is to do polls, surveys (possibly phone calls) and interviews. We need to let the people know that we care about their opinion and that when participating in giving their opinion that it helps get things done much easier.
Next we could involve the media. We could use the internet in such ways like blogs & Facebook, like we are doing now. We could post flyers all around West Liberty telling them all about the New City’s Initiative and what we’re about. Then to further extend out to the public we could use radio stations like 102.9, or put ads in the local newspapers, and possibly work our way onto the news stations like WKYT27 or WLEX18.
We need to invite churches, Woman’s Club, Rotary’s Club, Kiwania’s Club, and other interest groups such as ourselves. These groups can start a petition to get peoples opinion on what they think we need to do to West Liberty. Also we could get these groups to help participate in fundraisers/donations to help make the city better, and let them know that their money will go to what they want done.
Using the policy pyramid we can use the political parties to our advantage, by getting them to involve higher parties which will get things done quicker and probably much easier. We could find out what each political parties opinion is on certain things and then pick which one we agree with and then get them to get people in higher places to get what we need done.
The last thing we could do is elections. We would need to go to the people running in the elections and find out what they stand for and want done. Then we could reassure them that if they get the things done that they said, and then we would gladly vote for them. Also people would see that they are working with the ‘New City’s Initiative’ to make West Liberty a better community.
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