STAYING POSITIVE....

A number of recent postings on this blog have received a lengthy amount of responses. Not all of them are kind, but that comes with the terrority. I wanted to take a moment and focus what is positive in Ripon. I set a goal of ten items, so here we go:

1 - We have a strong economic base. From Alliance Laundry to Spartech to the downtown businesses to the West End, Ripon is blessed with a variety of industries and enterprises which makes it a little easier to weather a downturn, whereas some communities are severely hit when one business fails. Of course, if Alliance or Bremner were to close tomorrow, we would see a ripple effect throughout the community, but we have a situation where a large number of our residents work out of town, and a large number come into town. In fact, we are a net importer of workers, according to the numbers I have seen

2 - We have a progressive and open local government. One of my major goals ever since being elected was to get the public involved and keep the information flowing in both directions. Yes, we have had some controversial issues, such as closing the streets through the College, but the public has had ample opportunities to express their opinions and share in the fact-finding. One of the hardest things to keep in mind is that, just because something does not go a person's way, it does not mean they were not heard or their opinions were not considered. Not every decision will go your way, or my way, but the main point is that ideas are shared, and shared without prejudice.

3 - We have a progressive and open school district. Yes, we are struggling right now as a community with the proposed referendum and the tightening budget situation, but the bottom line is that we are turning out great students and have a district which is willing to try new things (charter schools, for example) without sacrificing the core fundamentals of education.

4 - We are blessed with a college. Ripon, with less than 8,000 residents, is one of the few cities in the nation that can boast of a college with a student base of 1,000. From the athletic events to the cultural activities, the presence of the college adds to the richness of the community and overall quality of life

5 - We have a modern health system. Many town the size of Ripon have struggled with the loss of their major medical facility. Here, ours is considering a move to new, larger, more-modern facility, while we have several choices with the clinics in town, as well. I know some people are concerned about the number of clinics, but I would argue that it brings people and dollars into Ripon and makes us a regional health hub for East Central Wisconsin.

6 - We have made strides in improving the infrastructure of the city. From my first day as mayor, I have pushed for increased spending in the areas of street repairs and upgrading the equipment we use to keep the city running, from our police cars to the ambulance to the Public Works department. As the costs of repairing and building streets and sidewalks increases, the challenge will get harder and harder, but we have to address the issues today, and not expect future leaders and taxpayers to take care of the problems, which do not heal themselves.

7 - We have a strong network of helping each other out. From the United Way to our food pantries to our local churches to the massive amount of volunteer hours put in by Ripon College students, residents in need have a number of sources to turn to. As the economy sours, this network will be even more important. Want to do something that makes you feel good inside? Purchase food at one of our local grocery stores (help the local economy) and donate it to one of the food pantries, or go through your closet and donate those clothes you just don't seem to wear anymore or can't fit into.

8 - We live in a safe community. Thanks to our dedicated police department and the public safety programs (such as the school liaison officer) we have put in place, we live in a community where there are considerably less fears than others. Of course, there is crime, and that is an unfortunate fact of life, but people are still comfortable leaving their doors unlocked. That does not mean we should let our guard down or lessen our investment in public safety; it shows the investment is paying off.

9 - We have a strong local media presence. From WRPN-AM to the Ripon Commonwealth to Channel 97, residents have a number of options to turn to find out what is happening. We may not always like what we hear and read, but many communities our size have fewer options. One comments I have heard many times in my 10-plus years of covering local sports is how other schools wish their games were on the radio, or that they would receive similar coverage.

10 - We have the leadership in place to move Ripon forward. From the City Council to the school district to the college to the Main Street program to the local business organizations, we have people in place who are willing to step up to the plate and make difficult decisions, if conditions dictate they need to be made, listen to new ideas, if the current situation requires one to get out of the box, and work collaboratively to make goals reality. We are seeing the dividends from this atmosphere with the recent investments by Boca Grande and other interested parties from outside the City. Instead of fearing outsiders who want to invest money and time into Ripon, we should be honored and flattered and excited, and doing what we can to maximize the returns on these investments for the benefit of all residents.