I was in Oklahoma Thursday and Friday of this week gathering information for our upcoming travel guide.
The Travel Guide tells about day-trips from Arkansas City. Things you can easily do in a day.
I hate to keep harping on Oklahoma, but they do seem to have their act together a bit better than we do.
Day one was in - where else - Oklahoma City. It came about because of an earlier blog about going to Oklahoma City. The lady who runs the central Oklahoma tourism bureau say my blog and contacted me. She is bringing a group up here at some point for a media blitz, but since I didn't have much time for the travel guide, she invited me down.
She - Emily Reagan - had people from other chambers come and visit with me. People from places like Norman, Stroud, El Reno, Shawnee etc., and they all made their pitch and gave me more information than I'll ever need.
She showed me around downtown Oklahoma City and explained a lot of history and so forth. Then we went out Route 66 and saw some interesting things.
Day Two I came back the slow way, stopping in Guthrie and Perry.
Guthrie is a very neat little town. If anyone ever had a reason to have an inferiority complex they do, but instead of crying in their beer, they have greated a great little town. They were the original capital of Oklahoma, but had it stolen from them and moved to Oklahoma City.
They have four museums - all specialized.
Printing, four-string banjo, pharmacy and of course the regular historical one.
They have a trolley that will take you around town. Would be real easy to spend a day there.
Then it was on to Perry. Not as impressive as Guthrie, but still pretty nice. They have a square and some historical businesses. Some antique shops that looked nice. They also have the oldest cafe in the state. A little pricey, but the food was good and the atmosphere couldn't be beat.
Here are some observations:
There is a real spirit of cooperation. All of the chambers and tourism bureaus seem to work together.
There are people with vision. They see what can be, and do what they need to do to get there.
They take advantage of what they do have.
There seems to be good leadership with the visionaries out front.
Real friendly people.
Another thing that was interesting. There are people who are excited about the Heartland Flyer, the proposal to bring train service from Oklahoma City to Wichita, through Arkansas City.
The chamber director at Perry told me that there is a coalition in Oklahoma trying to work on this. They had invited Arkansas City to get involved, but Arkansas City did not want to get involved. Not sure whether she meant the chamber or the city government. She said it was about 5 years ago.
There is more involvement now by our city.
I hope to check more into that.
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NEW YORK — Welcome to the big leagues, Oklahoma City.
With a 28-2 vote of owners on Friday, the NBA added Oklahoma City to the roster of major league cities, officially approving the relocation of the SuperSonics.
Yea, and they build their arena for them - the Ford Center - well before they had any idea the Supersonics would come.
Ill probably go to one or two NBA games when they get here.
Not sure of when it will happen. The team still has a two year lease in Seattle, and the city has no interest in letting them out early.
Could get interesting.
It's hard to put a finger on it, but there is a distinct difference between Ark City (maybe Kansas in general) and Oklahoma attitudes.
One of the differences is what you are doing. Going to other places to research in order to identify things to do in Ark City. Reaching out.
Most people in Ark City are satisfied to "play office", ie.: wait for the phone to ring, see who walks in the door, and what came in the mail, etc. Heavy research is hitting the internet.
If it doesn't come in to the office through the front door, it might as well not exist.
Very little go, see and do. No outreach.
Maybe that is why they can't fill the jobs. Too much sleeping at the desks.
Motion, not action.
I did some stat comparisons on Guthrie and Ark City.
Comparatively speaking they were not that much different in median income, education level, education spending, unemployment rate,,,, etc.
The two major differences were Guthrie saw a population increase since 2000 of about 10% while AC saw a population decrease of about -4.57% and in housing costs.
The average median home value is $136,000 in Guthrie while in Ark City it is $56,000.
Would make a good article, a comparison and contrast between A/C and Guthrie. Taxes, stores, mortgage companies, real estate, if the income is the same, how they afford housing that costs twice as much, etc.
Maybe detail about the "roomy unique downtown apartments" the city's website talks about. Have they converted downtown buildings to apartments?
Side issue. About five years ago there was a fairly strong contingency of folks in leadership who met with Oklahoma community leaders and state legislators on the Heartland Flyer initiative.
New faces appeared and priorities changed in Arkansas City. Passenger rail simply fell off the radar.
One thing to keep in mind about change and progress is that grass roots leadership is critical so that any major project is not derailed through changes in the political landscape.
The more critical players are the Chamber offices, tourism officials and, if supportive, the media. These offices tend to be less transitional over time. The life of a project of this magnitude might take ten years from beginning to implementation (several election cycles) making dependence on leadership from political figures somewhat precarious.
Thats a good point.
How do we get the grass roots effort going?
Do we need to be organized?
The media is supportive here.
At least on the blog :)
Company owners write all the editorials - but I do have the column.
Charles is on the right track (and good job), but doesn't go far enough.
If you think back when Mell Kuhn was elected, there was this stuff where he couldn't find out about city business because there was no time to brief him during meeting hours and that 2 commissioners could not privately discuss city business outside of the open meetings.
Charles misidentifies the sponsors as the City Commission and properly identifies one of the risk categories as the variability of buy-in and commitment of the always changing City Commission.
Although they are a significant stakeholder in the City and a direct controller of the City Manager, it is the City, not the Commission that is the sponsor of development issues in Ark City.
The ongoing process of city development is too important to hand off to outside agencies and hope with a wish and a prayer that there will be continuity.
The City Manager needs to produce an overall development plan encompassing things like the scope of how the city deals with TIFs, business incentives, cooperative developments (ie. the train project), etc., and needs to implement a communications management and change control plan.
This will make sure there is continuity in projects and that there is no possibility of repeating the Mell Kuhn information fiasco with future commissioners.
It will also prevent situations like Lowes, where a project that has been in the works for years gets shot down on a whim. If there is public input on projects and policies, it should be based on a rational and public plan. Only in this way can the public be brought in as significant stakeholders in a reasonable way.
The current "management by commission" is willy-nilly, is subject to upheaval with the change of an election and completely misuses and ignores the critical office of City Manager.
In order to grow, Ark City needs a plan with risk management, change structure and stakeholder input. The City Manager can put this together and completely eliminate the "spur of the moment" management style that has plagued Ark City for decades.
If he needs help doing it, there are hundreds of certified consultants who can help the city develop a plan.
We have a City Manager. Let him do the work. He is the glue that holds together continuity and consistency throughout Commission changes.
Can't do anything until the City has a plan (and I mean a real one).
Most in Ark City are upset with the Commission. They think that they are not responding to public input. It is not the City Commission, it is the way city business is done in Ark City.
Because there is no overall policy and plan that transcends the elections, everyone thinks by shouting louder they can make the commission respond to their individual desires.
Why not? It has worked in the past. Once a plan is developed and there is Commission buy-in, everything is on the table and there is no spur of the moment tugging and pulling of the individual Commissioners. Everyone gets on the same page.
Ark City will never grow as long as the management consists of waking up and every day is a new day with no sense of overall direction.
Oh yeah. And I don't mean some pop-culture 8 page presentation on PowerPoint with pictures, circles and arrows. I mean a real plan.
Some spammer trying to sell video cards in Spanish.
Boy, does he have the wrong site here. sheesh
When will you get it through your head, this isn't Oklahoma?
We don't have the mindset of Ok., and we don't have the tax structure, we don't have the political insight to accomplish the things that they do.
We need to keep taxing ourselves out of existance, and receive nothing tangable in return, except more taxes.
Kansas has one of the highest tax rates in the nation, and a personal property tax that is rediculous. Just another add on tax.
Our local government just bickers amongst themseves, provides half-truths, and it seems in some instances, outright falsehoods to the citizens, and in the end nothing comes of all the great ideas for making this another OKC.
Maybe we should leave it up the downtown business owners.
Until we get it right, we won't get it at all, no matter what "it" is.
I agree with you that the city manager could and should come up with a plan for the city.
Unfortunately he works for the commission. About a year ago the city manager did try to create a policy showing all of the available incentives the city could provide for business and industry. After several months of setbacks by the commission a version was finally approved. AFTER LOWE'S.
The city manager has also tried to hold goal setting sessions for the commission to give him direction in writing policies. I don't know if the commission were able to come together enough to give him anything to work with.
I think that is the key. The city manager is capable and willing to set things straight and put us on the road to the future. The commission doesn't seem to want to let him do his job.
We don't have the mindset of Ok., and we don't have the tax structure, we don't have the political insight to accomplish the things that they do.
I know
but you have to start soemwhere
how do you change mindsets ?
maybe talking about how well others are doing will inspire - make jealous - locals?
Oklahoma has its problems. I remember reading an article not long after the bridge collapse back East.
Oklahoma's tax structure includes Education with transportation. In a poll taken there was an overwhelming number of residents that favored rebuilding the roads and bridges in Oklahoma even at the expense of Education.
I would much rather see them fininsh the 4 lane to Newkirk and improve the 4 lane to Ponca City than rebuild a county road.
You are right about the taxes and population in Kansas. Wichita is still the largest City in Kansas.
OKC by itself has probably twice the population of Wichita.
Its going to take some people who can see and make opportunites in our area and they may not all be local.
Good Job JJ.
It would help if all of the local governing bodies would work together. The county is taking up the casino road issue Tuesday morning. For details see: http://www.newscow.net/story.php?StoryID=1755
The county and city must be working against each other on this one.
Oklahoma is okay... except for all the oklahomans. ;)
At least they were smart enough to pass a law that chased all their illegals out (and right into neighboring states).
It's impossible to make Ark City into OKC.
Let's figure out "that one thing".
Let's find that "one thing" that we do or we can do in Ark City that is better than anyone else.
That is the key to advancing Ark City. Some sort of "identity" that can be developed that isn't just based on hollow slogans or meaningless image statements.
If there were maybe one or two more aviation related business like GE, or other businesses like we already have, then maybe Ark City could reach that critical mass needed to bootstrap itself up.
Tell Tiahrt that the Strother Field Terminal will be named after him if he will drop in 3 large military factories there. Just a thought.
That is the key to advancing Ark City. Some sort of "identity" that can be developed that isn't just based on hollow slogans or meaningless image statements.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is the key I think.
And that is something we could do.
Where are the forward thinking people ?
There are lots of options.
Old West Town.
Music City
Albino Squirrel Center
Doug Russell, city manager, has suggested this - though not a specific one.
Even Jim Sybrant touched on the idea.
Tiny town of Stroud, Okla., has turned itself into a winery capital. Has four wineries now. Probably not much larger than Dexter.
Tiny town of Jonesboro, Tenn., in the shadow of two much larger cities, turned itself into the story telling capital of the world. They host the world championship story telling festival now.
The list goes on.
Arkansas City ........
Or Apex N.C.
Think money. A high tide floats all boats.
I know you're kidding about the albino squirrel, but what AC needs is something unique or developed that brings in money from outside. There is a really fierce sense of independence and distrust/dislike of outsiders in Ark City, and in order to grow, AC has to get over it.
It is a wonderful idea to think that Ark City can grow from investment from the local banks and local merchants, from local people who will dig into their salaries to put on concerts, etc. And... all of that is really good, but it is like using a hand shovel to try to dig a pond. The banks will do no more than what they have done in the last 50 years.
With apologies to Jack Black in "School of Rock", the idea of "one great rock show can change the world" won't increase property values, increase tax revenue or local wages. It is good and fun, but has no staying power.
Outside economic investment is the key to development in AC and generally that means industry, although it could mean something like hotels and entertainment as in Branson Mo.
But we've got to have something to promote; some reason for outside investors to come to the area and have a belief that doing so would make them additional money that they wouldn't have otherwise. We do not have that now.
Maybe it is the "aviation center" the "polypropylene capital", etc.
I was disappointed to see the Cowley College board, some of whom had done time at strother management, move the airplane classes to Wichita, and to then sell the center. That always seemed to me to be a good tie-in with GE, in that the graduates would then qualify for jobs there.
There needs to be some sort of plan and some sort of marketing concept to encourage outside investors to come to town.
Every new business that has attempted to come to town has met with solid resistance, and some has gotten really personal (remember trango?, the concert folks?, Lowes?). Maybe the first step is PR to educate the townies what that type of thinking gets them.
We need to welcome new business and new residents with open arms. Until we can do that, don't expect anything.
Well, we have casino's but no one wants to invest in that concept. Of course, everyone will have casino's before long.
What about the racing thing AC has going on? We have the car show, drag strip and figure 8 racing all in our area. Is there a market there?
Personally, I kind of like the blues (music city) concept. I think it would be neat to have some blues clubs on the south end of town. Who knows, perhaps the casino goers might even bop on over to hear some good tunes after hitting the slots???
What about having a monthly antique show and flea market where jj had his concert last year. Large open field and I think there is electricity available? Camping next door for people coming in from out of town.
"What about the racing thing AC has going on?"..."I think it would be neat to have some blues clubs on the south end of town."
The key is to find something that is self supporting with alcohol, food or other concessions where the businessmen can support it and grow. If one makes it, then the next will try, etc. If you can't make a buck, then it will be a hobby business like many of the others.
There is a new opportunity with the casinos. There are a lot of people going there and maybe there is some kind of market there.
There is a new opportunity with the casinos. There are a lot of people going there and maybe there is some kind of market there.
>>>
I think you are on the right track.
And whoever suggested antique markets, etc., where the concert was last fall.
So who is going to do this?
It just takes one person with some ... ahem, intestinal fortitude, ... to get it going.
Ill even get some stuff in the paper for you...
very new business that has attempted to come to town has met with solid resistance, and some has gotten really personal (remember trango?, the concert folks?, Lowes?).
>>>
What concert folks? What is Trango?
You have a good point. How do we change that mindset or attitude?
THat is the key, i believe.
Concert folks: WCR attack by KSOK saleswoman on blog.
Trango trucking: Not here now. The owner was attacked in letters to the editor as being like a carpetbagger because he had the gall to bring in a business and he didn't live in Cowley County.
I could give you 5 more examples.
Concert folks: WCR attack by KSOK saleswoman on blog.
>>>
Yea, i dont want to go there. That is a case of personalities and business dealings. It doesn't have much to do with general attitudes in Arkansas City.
but I think you are right.
That is the attitude we need to change.
How do we do that?
You're absolutely right.
But put yourself in the place of someone who might be about to drop a few million on the local economy and who also might have alternative places to do it.
We can't ever let that sort of thing happen again. The Lowes fiasco was just icing on the cake.
It'll be hard to recover from that one.
I think it was "Tango Trucking". The man who ran that place was not a very nice person. However, they did build a first class facility that now sits empty (last I looked). It's a shame, even if they guy was not very personable.
I suggested the antique show, but have no idea how to get one started. I wonder what the expenses would be? Any chance it could be done in conjunction with your outdoor concert?
but have no idea how to get one started. I wonder what the expenses would be? Any chance it could be done in conjunction with your outdoor concert?
Antique market could be done where we did the concert last fall for almost no cost ...
outdoor concert costs a bit .. but definitely doable.
call me
jj
Don't think cost, think income. Big income.
Set up rented tables and rent booth space. There are many antique dealers you could market it to and probably make enough money to pay for the concert twice over. Set it up like KSOK's womens fair, where you tie in booths with advertising sales and then Kachinnnnggg!!!
Most of these "antique malls" in Ark City and the neighboring towns are not really stores, but someone who has a building that rents space to mom and pop antique hobby businesses.
Don't just market to the storefronts and stop there. The storefronts are not really the client. Their renters are.
Good luck.
To clarify:
They don't rent the building to antiques "dealers", they rent a 15' by 10' space, and the next space over is someone else. There may be 20 or more renters in an "antique mall". And every little town has one or two.
Didn't we used to have an antique market, or flea market, or something like that at the agri-business building? What happened to it?
That's what I was wondering.
I am thinking about this flea market - antique market- thing on the levee ..
i dont recall one at the agri business building, but i have not been here all that long.
i do recall visiting here in the early 90s and seeing more antique shops than what are here now ..
what if we added some live music to the equation ?
Now we must be on the same wave length. I thought live music would really spice up the event! I believe the biggest part will be communicating and advertising. I'm sure you could handle the local side, but this needs to draw people from other cities and states. Advertising expense could set one back. Many large shows advertise in national magazines.
On the other hand, you could just start small and hope the locals would not give up on you for next year. Sometimes, if you keep at it these things grow on their own. I have seen a few things work this way.
you could just start small and hope the locals would not give up on you for next year. Sometimes, if you keep at it these things grow on their own. I have seen a few things work this way.
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I think starting small would work.
the music would add expense, but could perhaps be done.
these things also only last a certain amount of time .. usually.
if youre really interested give me a call, it is something i would like to pursue, but i need a partner (s)
j
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