Making Howard a place to see (as well as other area towns)

[PrehistoricRez]

This is an extension of my post in "we have a plan"

I will try not to be negative again, but sometimes you have to wonder what the economic developer does other than put on soccer camps, what is done to bring people to the county.  Another negative is the stupid "have your card stamped to win a prize" thing at festivals and fairs, people just run into businesses to get their card stamped and rarely buy anything.  This needs to be rethought, similar to the youth group auctions at the Methodist church, because they were being over worked. 

Howard needs to be cleaned up first, I thought we had a public clean up enforcer.  Yards to need be cleaned up, junk thrown out, cars disposed of that don't run, lawn mower lawn ornaments recycled ( a vintage tractor that people may stop and see and take pictures of their kids on is ok), a 1993 Murray is garbage.   Lawns mowed, weed eated, trees trimmed.  Property owners need to be warned a set number of times, under advice from city atty, then cation taken. Up to and including seizure.  Then auction off, under understanding owner will repurpose it ( community garden, community orchard, park, etc). Abandoned houses need to be seized and demolished, dilapidated houses need to be demolished, as well as school buildings that are falling down, and animal infested.   Ditches need tending to, roads need layer of asphalt, sidewalks throughout town (why do some houses have and some do not).


Main street needs to be restored, maybe vintage covered sidewalks like in front of store with vintage appliances.  The well in the center of town could be restored made into an attraction.  Tracy did an amazing job turning the old cafe into an amazing little shop that people come from all over to see, as well as Sue Bauders soap company.  The soda fountain in Batson's already draws people in.  People passing through on 99, stop at Toots routinely for fudge monkey's, but there is no signage on highway, most don't know those ships are there. Some buildings on main street need to be repurposed like Tracy did and Connie did in the last couple years, and popular did a long time ago.  The old bank building needs to be revamped, the supplies would be supplied as long as the people of the community do the work.  The 2 store front next o the church need to be sold to someone that will remodel them, into a new boutique, maybe a bakery, children's store, pet boutique, something unique.  The city should flex some muscle and make the elk county general store clean up its act, it gets more and more cluttered week after week.  The fire Marshall needs to step in before the whole block goes up in flames.  Museum should release some of its buildings for sale, they are hardly ever open anyways, except the doll museum (a must see) .  Maybe the 2 connected storefronts on Adams, could be an idea.  The owners of the old donut shop and skt building on Randolph should release them at a reasonable price for repurposing. 

Next festivals should be held on main street as in other cities both small and large.  This will bring people into the stores.  The will eat at the local eateries, buy soap, candles, gifts.  No one benefits from it being on the courthouse lawn, it's almost as though the organizers don't want to support to local establishment. Example if it was on main st, like it used to be, people might go into sweet and spicy or popular and eat there instead of at the free will donation BBQ meal or bean feed.  what little kid wouldnt want to watch Lansing change a tire using an floor jack and impact wrench, or watch the pizza guys at popular throw pizzas in the air while waiting for parade, or getting a donut from sweet and spicy, or cone from Batson's on a hot summer morning.  Clearwater wellness center is on tv commercials 25 times a day . 

Show people it's a great place to live and work, businesses will come to town, people will move back here if lots are available ( there is no need for someone to own an entire block in the city limits).

If the town wants to survive and thrive, work needs to be done, hope we can work together and make it happen, then we can help other local towns prosper like 100 years ago.



Festivals need to be advertised, as well as city as a whole.  Paper, Kansas magazines, brochures, tv (like belle plaine tulip festival), I wonder what good elk konnected does, other than set up soccer camps.

[Patriot]

In much of what you say regarding town maintenance, I would agree.  But, please remember that towns are separate corporate entities that need first to manage themselves.  It isn't the county corporation that is the first stop to fund & manage towns.  If the managers in a town aren't properly maintaining their villages, then perhaps the town voters need to make some changes.

I suspect a visit to the town hall to review how city monies are being spent would be very revealing.

[Patriot]

...( there is no need for someone to own an entire block in the city limits)...

WHOA there Rez... private property ownership s a fundamental right in our Constitution.  Who are you, me or anyone else to say 'there's no need for someone to own'?  That comes across as a socialist spread the wealth perspective, and I strongly disagree.

[Wilma]

I am beginning to worry about me.  Once again I have to agree with Patriot.

[srkruzich]

Howard needs to be cleaned up first, I thought we had a public clean up enforcer.  Yards to need be cleaned up, junk thrown out, cars disposed of that don't run, lawn mower lawn ornaments recycled ( a vintage tractor that people may stop and see and take pictures of their kids on is ok), a 1993 Murray is garbage.   Lawns mowed, weed eated, trees trimmed.  Property owners need to be warned a set number of times, under advice from city atty, then cation taken. Up to and including seizure.  Then auction off, under understanding owner will repurpose it ( community garden, community orchard, park, etc). Abandoned houses need to be seized and demolished, dilapidated houses need to be demolished, as well as school buildings that are falling down, and animal infested.   Ditches need tending to, roads need layer of asphalt, sidewalks throughout town (why do some houses have and some do not).

Oh hell no!  You just stepped out of decent ideas to anti-constitutional ideas.  PRIVATE PROPERTY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL INALIENABLE RIGHT! You do not have any right to sieze it.  AND VERY LIMITED Rights under public use.  If it were my property, you would have to dodge the bullets first.

[oldfart]

This town and county are both dying when I moved here in 1982 both sides ofWabash had every building full, but not the old back 3 hardware stores 2 or 3 food stores barber movie ,2 full service stations,and dougs place.some of those building are gone .where did every thing go . please dont tell its walmarts.

[frawin]

When I was growing up in Howard in the 40s there were 4 Grocery Stores, 3 Auto Dealersips, 4 implement dealers, 2-3 Doctors, 2 furniture stores, 2 Clothing stores,  4 Barbers, 2 Lumberyards, etc. What happened? the people left the farms and moved to the cities to work.

Elk County Population:
1890 12,216  
1900 11,443
1910 10,128  
1920 9,034  
1940 8,180  —
1950 6,679  
1960 5,048  
1970 3,858  
1980 3,918  
1990 3,327  
2000 3,261  −
2010 2871

[srkruzich]

What happened is that most of the older folks that remembered all that were living in the industrial age.  Factories abounded,  you had a brickyard, you had a cheese house i believe where the local farmers took their milk to be processed. Ect. Govt regs tended to put those folks out of business.  Then we moved to a information society starting in the 70's.  Manufacturing left as a result of this. 
Information society has split off now as a information/services society.   No services to preform out here, and IT won't come out here due to lack of skills, location,  no infrastructure. 

Thats the way it goes and how it went when we went from a agricultural society to a industrial society.

The only folks that will move into a area like this is retired folks.  And it still won't attract them unless you have some things they look for like a walmart, hospitals, med facilities, a wide array of restaurants. Ect.

Look at willow springs Mo. Its a retiree town.  ITs setup perfect and grows.   AND they don't repurpose private property.  They keep their mitts off of personal and private property. 

[frawin]

Howard never had a Brickyard or a Cheese factory. What happened to Elk County was the Gasoline powered farm equipmet. When everyone farmed with horses lots of people lived on an 80 acre farm, had chickens, milk cow or cows, a few hogs, an orchard and big garden. As machinery came on peolple couldn't afford it and farm 80 acres. Families and especially if there was an elderly couple left the farm and the younger farmers bought or farmed more land on the shares.

[Varmit]

Rez, while I appriciate what you are saying, I have to disagree. Private Property is just that PRIVATE. What is kept on it is no ones business.