Your 'Community Leaders' & temper tantrums

[Bullwinkle]

      Just a note. There was no Elk River Festival last year, one thing that was bringing people into our county and to the businesses here. Instead, we had a "drive by ". Shouldn't the "economic developer" have seen to it that one of the positive events was carried out.

     I am well aware that the chamber has been in charge of it. Whatever help to make it happen should have been rallied by the person in that position.

[Jo McDonald]

We also have and ECCFED  Elk County Committee for Economic Development.

Where are they ?     What are they doing   What have they done

Isn't the Chamber of Commerce supposed to be for Economic Development???

[Wilma]

It has been brought to my attention that I seem to be saying that Howard IS Elk County.  Sorry about that.  Howard is where I live and, of course, the town that I leave and enter the most.  I digressed in that I have had a personal peeve about the lack of advertising of Howard's businesses, etc. where it can be seen by highway traffic.  There is a sign placed quite a ways from the edge of the highway and too small to be easily noticed.  Right now I can't say what the sign says.  I have trouble reading it from the highway.

My apologies to the other small cities in Elk County; Moline, Grenola, Elk Falls and Longton.  I do not think of Howard as being Elk County or vice versus.  I am well aware of the other towns and enjoy their contributions to the Prairie Star.  In my defense, however, Howard is the county seat of Elk County and as such, should be focused on promoting the county.  Any promotion of any of the towns in Elk County should be a promotion of Elk County.  The towns should work together in planning and how better to do this than to have a coordinator in a central position.  When we divide the assets and think only of each town, we are dividing the county.  Yes, each town knows best what it needs and how to use available assets, but how is it's individual needs going to unite the county unless there is someone who knows what the other towns need and are planning?  An Elk County Chamber of Commerce, perhaps? 

[flintauqua]

We also have and ECCFED  Elk County Committee for Economic Development.

Where are they ?     What are they doing  What have they done

Isn't the Chamber of Commerce supposed to be for Economic Development???

Jo, ECCFED was dissolved in 2005, while I was Director of Economic Development for Elk County.  It was down to only six or seven members, and for various reasons no other citizens wanted to join and take up the reigns from those last few.  

I proposed a new organization to the commissioners at the time, writing a set of bylaws that would make it a true advisory panel to the commissioners and myself, and be very geographically representative of the entire county, but the idea went nowhere.  

[readyaimduck]

Flint:

I proposed a new organization to the commissioners at the time, writing a set of bylaws that would make it a true advisory panel to the commissioners and myself, and be very geographically representative of the entire county, but the idea went nowhere. 

What about proposing that same idea now, 8 years later for the good of the county?

redy

[Patriot]

Interestingly, discussions regarding dissolution of the the youth 'development' program at the county level once again turn to economic development.  A function that the commission has not changed.  

Even so, this thread was really about the overt reactions of a small group to changes regarding the youth 'development' position.  Reactions by self proclaimed community leaders that closely resembles the reactions of a spoiled adolescent teenager who has been told she can't wear the revealing dress & heavy makeup to the school dance.  Even extending to begging the commission continue to spend taxpayer monies on the person in that position even if the youth development staff position and program were defunct.  

Almost looked like the 'leaders' were more interested in spending to save one employee's pay & benefits than they were in saving the rock walls, water slides & after school movies as they originally argued.  Go figure.  What is their real motivation?  

A careful observer might argue that the drive was not so much about the kids as it was in keeping a valuable 'volunteer' member of the Elk Connected, LLC steering committee in a position to be compensated & insured at taxpayer expense.

[redcliffsw]

That's how it looks from here - just another taxpayer-government financed employment program.

[Wilma]

In other words, you don't believe that Elk County should do anything to help keep our youngsters from leaving Elk County when they can because there isn't anything available for their children's entertainment.  If that is a long ways down the road now, then when do we start trying to keep our youngsters in Elk County?  When do we start encouraging them to plan a future in this county instead of needing to move away to find what they want in life?  If they have to go abroad now for their entertainment, why would they stay in Elk County as adults?  What is Elk County doing to encourage our young to participate in a life here instead of larger counties?  What do they have to look forward to for their children except above average schools?

[readyaimduck]

Two things come to mind:
  Entertainment is not developing a child's mind. It is  blind babysitter.  Yes, they need to be entertained,  as well as deveolp skills.
Computer training for those that don't have one?  Music lessons for those that hear the song?  Paints and easels for those that draw of which they cannot speak??
How bout hauling hay bales to know the value of good work ethics? 
This is  farming community, Wilma. 
My question is:  Are we trying to make it similar to Wichita?  If so, I would move out in  a heartbeat!
   We start keeping our youngsters in the county, by educating the parents as WELL as the youth!

ready

[Diane Amberg]

Ready, I have to disagree that "entertainment is a blind baby sitter." It certainly doesn't have to be.
Some have mentioned a bounce house from time to time.. If the kids are allowed to see how it works, they can learn about air pressure and volume, air expansion and contraction, gravity, oxygen, muscle contraction and expansion. How can we jump higher? or lower? How can we make ourselves stop? What happens if we all jump at the same time? Why do we bump into each other? How many will fit inside?  Why not more? Can we jump and breathe at the same time? Do we get tired? Why? and more. Sure, it's fun and kids can learn without even knowing they are doing it. " Play is the work of children." Now think about a slip and slide.. beyond fun, what can kids learn?  How about a ball house?