Exciting and Newsworthy
The New Bridge on the Elwha River Under Construction
This is a very exciting adventure for those of use who have businesses in Port Angeles. The idea of a forum where everyone can participate and express their positions is very powerful. So often our local leaders are misunderstood, and they don’t get a forum to clearly articulate their ideas or explain what is behind their decision making. Sure they can and do explain at small meetings somewhere that none of us have time to go to. Their answers at those meetings are often heard by a handful of people who don’t necessarily spread the gospel news. And even if they do share, have you ever tried to whisper something in someone’s ear and have it go around the room from ear to ear. Never comes out right at the end.
Our leaders at the Chamber and the city and county make easy targets in a variety of forums, but they don’t have the time or the funds to respond to each attack and set the record straight.
So where can they sit down and accurately write a clear and concise explanation that everyone has access to 24/7? Right here. This is the POWER of this incredible medium known as the Internet.
Now local leaders in the private and government sectors can concisely explain exactly what they are proposing, what they’ve done, and the basis for their thinking. Not only that, they can post entire documents here for all to read.
And on the other side of the ledger, citizens and businessmen can ask questions and get answers as well as express ideas and arguments.
There’s no better time to plan, brainstorm and collectively work toward common goals that will benefit all of us in Port Angeles than in this economic slump.
It has been said of Port Angeles ” GREAT VIEWS, LITTLE VISION” I hope this platform can spur a change to this impression of our city. There are many new inventors, start up hopefuls, and new small businesses in our area that are being helped by the EDC, the Incubator at Lincoln Center and the OPEN ( Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network) that will provide new employment to our area.
I hope to share some of these stories in the future in this forum.
They need our support and help to grow this city. Stay tuned..
I was not helped by the EDC, but I was wide-eyed and bushy tailed hopeful. But what brought me down was the high rent and utilities and not enough people shopping downtown. Port Angeles & Sequim people end up shopping at Silverdale Mall. Wal-Mart has its place for cheap products, but don’t expect downtown to sell their quality products at those low prices. They get screwed and many try to be hopeful and tough it out, but it’s difficult if you don’t have the locals shopping and just the tourists.
There are many wonderful shops both in Sequim and Port Angeles. But the politics with the city council, mayor, Native Americans, Chamber of Commerce, and downtown association not coming together and making this a destination place where it outdoes Victoria. This town is dying because there’s no dream or way of making a dream come true because people can’t envision it or won’t make it happen.
I brought up the idea of having a convention center to bring in big groups. With all the recreation and activities, this could be a wonderful destination for tourists and businessmen. But I’d rather see our locals supporting us.
Getting all the building owners together and agreeing to spiffy up into a modern day shopping mecca would be the first thing. But some of these buildings are handed down by generation to generation and long since been paid for. You’ll never get any of the above to come together and make a spectacular waterfront. A lot of it is just greed and power struggles.
I, too, haven’t been helped directly by the Incubator, OPEN, and other similar associations. The EDC has tried very hard to help me directly, without much success. Yet I still am a member of the EDC and support its activities. Furthermore, I believe that the EDC is making a difference, and as such, is helping everyone here at least indirectly.
Nonetheless Eden, I sense your cynicism and I can relate. Although this area is beautiful and there are many benefits to being here, there are also many drawbacks. My business is a national business, and I am relatively insulated from local issues. Even so, it’s difficult sometimes not to get frustrated.
Although I can relate to your cynicism, I don’t share your opinion that “This town is dying”. How long have you been in the community? Maybe your perspective is just derived from recent history. I’ve been here most of the time, with a few brief departures, since 1981. Things declined soon after I moved here, so I’ve really witnessed the change from heyday to what I believe was a low point perhaps ten years ago. I think we passed the low point and that things are actually slowly improving. I still get frustrated by things here sometimes, but I’m optimistic about where it’s heading.