Like any other rural community, Dorchester needs to plan now if it is to survive well into the future. A drive through our downtown should be a wake-up call to every Dorchester area resident that we can no longer rely on the status quo. The good old days are not coming back.
But Dorchester's best days can still lie ahead with the right game plan and strong community participation. Here are the key steps:
1.) Grow our population. Dorchester's population has remained steady since the 1950s, when our town's population was around 500. But no one can deny that the farm population of the surrounding countryside has significantly declined over the last 20 to 30 years. Dorchester desperately needs to look for smart ways to fill vacant housing in town, replace/renovate homes that are in disrepair, and attract new housing on the outskirts of town. How to get that done is the million dollar question.
2.) Support of existing businesses. Dorchester's main street needs some help. We all know that. It starts by building from the foundation up -- that is, supporting the businesses that are already there (Tyser Auto Sales, Tyser Repair, First State Bank, Donna's Hair Creation, Barley's Specialties, City Slickers, and the forthcoming Dorchester Bakery).
3.) Corporate leadership. Dorchester's main street will never look like it did in the 1930s or 1940s, with every building filled by a traditional bricks-and-mortar business. But we do believe there are opportunities to establish and support niche businesses. Consider a community like Ashland, where there is an art and wine gallery, a physical therapist, and a soda shop and cafe that also sells crafts. Whatever the potential for Dorchester's main street, it won't be realized without the partnership and guidance of Dorchester's main financial brokers -- the Farmers Co-operative and First State Bank and area ag producers. We can't think of any small community in Nebraska that has thrived without leadership from its local banks or major employer. We need their leadership -- then residents need to follow up by pledging their own dollars and resources.
4.) Have a vision. Dorchester's town board and community organizations need to provide leadership -- plain and simple. Without town leaders providing the tow, there will be no significant progress forward. If there's one thing lacking in Dorchester, it's a vision of where we are going as a community. What do we want Dorchester to look like in 2020? 2030? 2050? This is a call to town leaders -- including school personnel, board members, students, community groups, and all residents -- to get on the same page and craft a plan for their community. The future of your village depends on you.
You forgot one of the essentials! Higher standards. Whether its expecting more out of your kids at school or in sports, or more of your neighbor who is letting his property go to pot, we all need to hold higher standards. I'd say 90 percent of the country's problems today are due to lower standards (the "don't judge me" attitude of the 2000s).
ReplyDeletebring back classiness in all forms. quit letting your kids watch and listen to cultural sewage. show pride in yourself and your work and your dress. take pride in your home and its appearance. these are the basics for any civilized community
ReplyDeleteOne idea I've heard tossed out often is an incentive fund or "business appreciation fund" collected and administered by the community foundation to reward businesses that come to main street or expand, like City Slickers. Why not do something like that?
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