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.
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.
Quote from: PrehistoricRez on May 06, 2012, 03:20:46 AM
...( 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.
I am beginning to worry about me. Once again I have to agree with Patriot.
Quote from: PrehistoricRez on May 06, 2012, 03:20:46 AM
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: frawin on May 06, 2012, 07:58:24 PM
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.
I wasn't talking about howard alone, elk had the cheese factory and brickyard. these were industries that hired people. Howard also had a rail yard, feed mill, and other businesses that produced and shipped out product.
As far as mechanized farming, that I am sure wasn't a big problem. it made it so that those who wanted to farm could do more than 80 acres. Produce more and yeah some quit, some moved to town some moved out of county. thats the nature of progress. But right now in todays age, Information/services age, there is nothing here for folks. Even the taxes are driving farmers out. the county has a nice racket going where unless you have x number of acres your considered non farm. Doesn't matter if your actually farming. So they get to jack your taxes up. Give ya an example, one farm 360 acres house barn several outbuildings, taxes on it are 970 dollars a year, 5acre farm not too far from there, house, shed, taxes are over 1800 a year. thats theft pure and simple. IF i am not mistaken, someone else i know has 160 acres, and the county split their house off the land so they could tax them more. This is a common problem across the nation. The government is getting greedy and finding ways to steal more money
Why was their a population increase in the 70's. The only decade in over 100 years with a population increase. What was going on in Elk County in the 70's that drew people here?
Construction of the watershed lakes, Elk County RWD 1, West Elk High School, USDA (FHA) housing in Howard, Longton and Moline, etc. had a lot of people employed. Martin Marietta at Moline was shipping out record amounts of rock, often running 24hrs a day. There was also a lot of oil activity and farm prices were decent.
I'd have to look at the census data, but there could also have actually been a small natural increase, that is more births than deaths.
It was also in the 1970's that cross-bussing in the cities to achieve racial balance in the schools became law. Some folks found that a good reason to flee to the smaller communities.
Quotethats theft pure and simple. IF i am not mistaken, someone else i know has 160 acres, and the county split their house off the land so they could tax them more. This is a common problem across the nation. The government is getting greedy and finding ways to steal more money
While I agree some taxes are going up Steve, I must correct you on a misconception:
1. You cannot compare apples to oranges in 160 ac vs 5 ac. This depends on the classification, land use, land leases, et al.
2. The county appraiser cannot split out a parcel on their own. This has to start with the owner of the land.
Now, on the otherhand, I do agree that the government tends to get greedy, but the Appraisers' hands are tied when it comes to Ag values, Classification as per State Regs.
Quote from: readyaimduck on May 07, 2012, 04:32:52 PM
While I agree some taxes are going up Steve, I must correct you on a misconception:
1. You cannot compare apples to oranges in 160 ac vs 5 ac. This depends on the classification, land use, land leases, et al.
2. The county appraiser cannot split out a parcel on their own. This has to start with the owner of the land.
Now, on the otherhand, I do agree that the government tends to get greedy, but the Appraisers' hands are tied when it comes to Ag values, Classification as per State Regs.
and why isn't a 5 acre garlic farm considered a farm? You produce to sell thats a farm isn't it?
Quoteand why isn't a 5 acre garlic farm considered a farm? You produce to sell thats a farm isn't it?
No, to be a farm status, you have to file a form with the State. Please don't ask me the #. (and it's NOT a 1099, lol)
Garlic is not a farming status....it is a business, and unless advertised as such, then it is a 5 ac tract of land that is substantially making money and thank the regs(until they change it) it COULD be classified as comercial taxed at 35%.
No different than my 3 acre plot that grows vegetables and sells at a farmers market (<ok, that was a lie) but that is the difference in classification
edit: forgot that I am ready
a Farm staus and an Agricultural status are different as well. Don't mean to confuse you, however it is convoluted as to the qualifications.
(example) You live on 169 acres of grass with cattle, have your home on 10 acres that you have garlic and sell it.
You will be taxed at a different rate for the cattle/Ag portion, then at a lower rate for the homestead and garlic.
I hate semantics as well as the other topics that tell the truth!
ready
It seems that whenever I enter into discussion to set things right with the State Regs, that the discussion is closed.
Is this because Prehis Rex isn't interested into the facts, or just wants to stir chit?
There was some good discussion here prior to my correcting Steve, however that is not disuade anyone from persuing making Howard as well as other towns a place to see. I don't live in Elk County, however I do know some Regs.
ready and wondering.
So, let me say if I were to move to Elk County....what would I enjoy?
1. The roads, graveled and smooth so I can cruise the senery.
2. The county, The COUNTY as a whole having events for all in all towns soponsored by them with coffers from the commision.
3. Less competion from Howard as the 'only game in town'. Howard is the county seat, nothing more.
4. Comissioners that reclused themselves from personal interests in what was brought forth to them.
5. No nepotism in the county government..and this includes friends of frinds that I donate to.
6. More youth being involved in the stucture of the county. Not nessecarily by funds, however if budgeted through legitamate means, then ok.
7. A Country fair...not a Howard or Longton fair, but one consolidated fair for all towns to be represented in.
This would take 2 years to even implement, let alone for 3 commissioners to agree on.
Well, untill I retired good luck all
Ready to stop cussing to discuss.
Quote from: readyaimduck on May 09, 2012, 02:39:47 PM
It seems that whenever I enter into discussion to set things right with the State Regs, that the discussion is closed.
Is this because Prehis Rex isn't interested into the facts, or just wants to stir chit?
I have the same problem, ready. It's not just state regs or laws, either. There seems to be a general aversion to anything factual. What one hears in the cafe seems to trump all else. Of course, facts were a problem for Boss Hogg in Hazard county as well.
Quote from: readyaimduck on May 09, 2012, 02:49:31 PM
... let alone for 3 commissioners to agree on.
Nope... just two. ;)
[quoteBoss Hogg in Hazard county ][/quote]
Holy buckets! Duke Hazzard? Never saw that as we had your antenae and the rabbit ears and could never get CBS,
Perhaps I need to find a remake of that to find out what is really happening? Never knew what the attraticon was to Dasiy and red fast cars, but then I roll with a different bunch.
Hee Haw!!!!! Sherriff!
ready.... to archive a missing part of my life.