Ideas for improving our city

Thanks mamag for getting this forum started and hopefully we can keep it all in one spot so that city leaders can continue to read it and get some ideas. Keeping it positive would also be a good thing.

I know southern MN has the Laura Ingells (sp?) play that they put on some weekends during the summer. Couldn't we have one based on loggers or Kettle Falls or something? Or Grand Rapids has the musical on the riverboat. I know we have enough talent in this town to do something like this. If it is on weekends, then maybe tourists would have another reason to stay and check out the town. How about getting rid of the 4th of July and do something like Land of the Loon. I am sure a schedule could be figured out so that the crafters could make a trip here as well. Because we currently don't have a summer band, it would be easier to get some from out of town if it wasn't the holdiay weekend. Maybe a committee could be formed and talk to the chambers in Virginia and Ely to see how they make it work.

Granted tourism isn't going to solve the economic situation but it would be a start. Maybe some tourist has a business and would start something up here if we show them we have fun things to do.

This is a great effort to get a single topic on a single page. I would like, as I have said before, to see 3rd Street from 3rd Ave to 5th Ave cobblestoned and turned into a walking mall. Stone memorials honoring various town founders and memorials with artifacts commemorating the various industrys that made this town. Sitting areas, trees and water features. I would like to see every building and every lot with a business like we used to have with the old hustle and bustle we used to have and some of that will come soon, I hope. Then I have some disagreements with some previous thinking. Nobody, adult or child, needs anyplace to hang out at 24/7. That is one of the major problems in this country, with adults and children, a place to hang out at 24/7. That is to limited and to restrictive of a live style for anyone and a lifestyle that inherently causes bordom and loss of growth "hanging out". Adults and children both need to be "HOME" with their family at some time at night albeit possibly a differant time for adults versus children. We have always had a bowling alley and never did we ever hang out there, there was just to much other better things to do with our time like explore the town, outside skating rinks, 3rdSt and 11 st playgrounds, bus to the city beach, marching band, homework,sneaking down to the river to fish and yes trapping down the railroad tracks. Children are the same today as they were then, only parents restrict and limit their thinking. I like the idea of a malt shop downtown and I like the idea of a quality, 1st class candy store downtown. One of the greatest things used to be the theaters downtown but that could not fly today. A 24/7 restaraunt Is not a good idea but a downtown restaraunt like the old Chicago Cafe and Rex hotel is but we do have one on 3rd and 3rd now. We also have Barneys and Kathys and others. As far as children activities go there are almost the same activities as when we were growing up its just that parents don't make an effort to steer those children to those activities. As far as the downtown goes, I agree, it needs to be built up in an inviting manner. One thing we don't need is another crop of children growing up to be our next generation of city leaders thinking we need to have a lot of special places to hang out. We have Rainy, Kabetogama and Namakin Lakes to hang out in, 80 miles of river, east all the way to as far as you have nerve enough to venture out to and North all the way to the Hudson. If thats not enough area to hang out in then go to the Library thats another good place to hang out at. We have more then enough opportunity for our children we just can't see the light for the day. Children are drinking and on drugs because they are not planning for the duck hunting this weekend, or trapping this weekend or slapping pucks against the side of the garage to show the entire state how good they are. There not planning who is going to be on the Christmas caroling group hay wagon, driven by some blind guy at the riding stables and women like to cook and make quilts and needlepoint but nobody shows them how. Its not just places we need to build its minds we have to build also. A church on Sunday and at least one other night a week would be a good thing also. We are blessed with a good variety of churches in our fine little town and they can do a lot of work we as adults are afraid or don't have the time to do. Another good thing to do one night a week is gather in the living room with the TV and radio turned off and take turns reading the bible. The 6 year old up to mom and dad all taking turns reading the bible. Its fun, try it some night.

Anton,

I agree with everything you said, but don't you dare bring God into the school. You know the pledge, "one nation under Allah"?? Be carefull, the social services will be telling you you're forcing religion of the youngsters! How dare you turn off Johnnie's TV and make him read the bible. And what about taking the 10 commandments out of public places? How do you explain that to little Sally when she asks why the men took down the commandments. Sure I'm being facetious, but that's what kind of secular society we are being turned into. I'm so glad I sent my kids to Catholic schools, and forced them to have religion classes each day, and do alter boy/girl services, etc . . . . ! And my grandchildren are going to catholic schools, even if I have to pay for it. No, government schools for my off-spring! Another school shooting today!! Why are there no school shootings in religious based schools?? Anyway, so much for my getting off on a tangent. All of the previous bloggers, had some very great ideas, I must say.

Everything that 65 and Roj and TJ say is true about visioning, but the fact is that committees and local gov't have and continue to dream and attempt to come up with a "vision" for this community. The problem is just as local gov't reachs V1(take off speed) with some fresh idea or an old idea whose time has come to look at again , some special interest group or some department in bigger gov't or a lack or loss of funds stops everything in its tracks. All your dreams are great but they have been talked about many times and attempts to act on them have taken place many times, but it is an uphill fight. Local officials may seem stupid sometimes, but really,they have the same thoughts and dreams you have, they do have some ability to act on them and they do, but most of the time, they get shot down in flames. Keep dreaming and pass your ideas on,new ideas are really needed, but please, don't say that local govt isn't progressive or insightful enough to see the same things you see.

Your right. To accomplish something takes forever and sometimes just never gets through all of the hoops. What just happened at KEDA should make every citizen stand up and take notice. To have that much money missing and no one notices just blows my mind. What could have been done with that amount of money. How many homes could have been painted, small businesses started, etc. Now the question is how could it have happened with not only one agency but two and to top it all off the head person is still there. Small town America at its best.

I thought this site was for ideas that could benifit the Falls, lets get back on the original subject MammaG had in mind.

Thank you MamaG for starting a thread specifically on the subject of improving this community. I've seen many great ideas for revitalizing I falls sprinkled throughout this website but not in one place. So here are some thoughts I've entertained about our downtown...

Not only have I been to other places and thought to myself, "I wish we had that in the Falls," I have thought to myself, "something like this definitely SHOULD be in the Falls." There is so much potential in this town, not just in the downtown area we all want to see flourish again, but in its people. There's so much hidden talent out there, so many ideas that, given the right opportunity, encouragement and assistance, I'm certain could be successful. The downtown that I envision taking off is one where celebrating our local culture is key, with stores and shops that compliment, rather than compete with, each other. The downtown strip is already quite attractive, and the businesses already there are great, but to fill the remaining vacant spots with ideas like the following or any others could make our downtown a real unique experience.

Malt shoppe/candy store--awesome idea. I imagine something similar to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory but obviously with a northern MN flair. I've been to some of the original shops out west, and they were such quaint, pleasant places to be in, with a real hometown feel. If there's someone out there who's good with sweets, what a great idea. And I don't see why it can't include a malt shop. Making the sweets would be the harder part, adding some good old fashioned ice cream confections would be simple.

How about a woodworking shop? There are many talented people in this community who build wooden home furnishings/decor pieces, from small shelves to large hutches, finished or unfinished. Having a place to buy locally made crafts like that would be wonderful.

Outside of Bemidji is a small winery that makes flavors of wine only from native berries, boasting the fact that they are made from fruits that thrive in our extreme environment, like raspberries, strawberries, etc. It'd be a great idea for someone or for a group of people who are into that kind of hobby. I love a good glass of wine and would be the first one in line at the grand opening, and a faithful customer!

A good bookstore would really be great, but I know it's sketchy, seeing as how several of those have also come and gone. And mixing in some diversity by starting that Mexican restaurant back up would be awesome too. Regardless of why they shut down, it doesn't change the fact that every time I was there the service was nice, food was great and the atmosphere was bright, lively and inviting.

I'm no expert on business funding or the politics involved, but it would be great if somehow there could be a push for new small businesses all at one time, with some type of incentive program, so that they could all get started together and even benefit from opening together. It seems that some failed businesses never got enough exposure to start off with momentum. But think of a bunch of new small businesses opening on the same "grand opening" weekend, say soon after Thanksgiving so as to benefit from the holiday rush in a way that will draw a crowd--a real community effort to give them a good start. And all of the stores, new and existing, could showcase themselves and festively dress up their windows like the contest they had in Fort Frances and in other small towns I've lived in. I've seen that alone draw plenty of attention.

Wow! Sorry for how long this ended up being. My mind really wandered. There really is so much potential out there. I encourage those of you with a profitable passion to consider creating your own little niche on main street (with help, hopefully, from local economic assistance). A relevant quote goes something like this: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can make a difference. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Thanks for pointing that out...I actually hadn't even considered that. How lucky we are to live on the border in this situation. Perhaps the canadian dollar being worth more than it has in over 30 years will actually do the falls some good! I just can't help but imagine this beautiful cobblestone (good idea, whoever mentioned that one) strip of great, eclectic shops. If that type of downtown strip existed accross the river, I'd absolutely be checking it out! And if there were ever a board of "visionaries" created, as someone mentioned, I'd most definitely love to be on it. I love kicking around ideas and pulling together all of the favorite things I remember from living in other places that seemed to do so well there. I'd love for the businesses I mentioned to exist, but unfortunately I'm not the one who has those skills...I know they're out there though!! I hope to someday be able to start up my own such place to live out my own passion, but I'm just not there yet. By the time I am ready though, I certianly hope the encouragement and assistance from the city is there to help me out. And great point, kay, about that KEDA money and how it could go toward doing exactly what we've all been talking about. Someone mentioned earlier the idea of that money going toward VNP to build "yet another building." Is there any validation to that statement or was it just a random comment? I'd really like to know if there are in fact actual plans yet as to what that recovered money might go to. Anyone who knows, I'll be looking for answers in Kay's other blog on that subject.

I just want to state that I am glad that someone (MamaG) is thinking in the "positive" of wanting something to take place.

But here is a fact that everyone needs to come to grips with. When investing any sort of money in ANY project - no matter who does it, government/private, or where it's down, rural/metro, there has to be a Return of Investment.

That means you are making a net profit eventually, after the money you put in.