saveyour.town
Thursday with Townsel in Letcher County, KY
Bad roads in Carcassonne, Kentucky I presented the Idea Friendly Method to several groups in Letcher County, KY. The group from Carcassonne talked about bad roads being a problem. By bad roads, I mean they have two lane traffic on a one lane road. In the mountains of Kentucky. There are places to pull over…
Read MoreAdvice to those working in small towns
The International Economic Development Council published my article that includes advice too: Survey of Rural Challenges: Results Show Optimism and Big Disconnects, and what economic developers can do about it. The article was about the results from the Survey of Rural Challenges, and some advice to economic developers and others working in rural communities. You…
Read MoreSmall Towns or Big Cities?
Did you know more people are leaving big cities and moving to small towns? Why is that? There are several easy answers: Lower cost of living Recreational offerings like trails, beaches, and mountains Smaller and better schools Safer streets No traffic and shorter commutes to work What are some of the benefits of moving from…
Read MoreWe tried an idea
The Survey of Rural Challenges had a place to add comments. We were pleasantly surprised to see how many people shared something related to “we tried an idea.” Here’s a few: New idea for a restaurant: Adding a lunch counter and doing things totally different than anyone else in town. People either love it or…
Read MoreSurvey of Rural Challenges 2023
Survey of Rural Challenges 2023 by debworks
Read MoreJackson County and Grayson KY Stories and Volunteers
“Change can be activated in a society by way of story.” from the book Spirit Run I just returned from Jackson County, Kentucky and the small town of Grayson, Kentucky. There’s a natural beauty in those mountains and winding roads. The people were kind, helpful and want to see their towns thrive. They shared stories…
Read MoreThey put a restaurant in a roofless building
I created the Tour of Empty Buildings ten years ago, in 2013. There have been many towns that ran with the idea and host tours too. Natchez, MS, Danville, KY, Jefferson, IA, Oglesby,Il are just a few of them. The Texas Historical Commission has been hosting Imagine The Possibilities Tour in small towns state wide…
Read MoreMost of us are just curious (snoopy) by nature
Ten years ago I made up the Tour of Empty Buildings. I had moved to a town with 14 empty buildings downtown and was the new Chamber of Commerce Director. I knew it would be my job to fill those buildings. But how? I wanted to know what was in those buildings, what had been…
Read MoreLooking for the easy way?
Aren’t we all looking for the easy way to get things done? One of the great things about the Idea Friendly Method is it is the Easy Way! The old way of doing things, the piles of paperwork, the endless committee meetings, the heavy decisions that need to be made – is no longer the…
Read MoreCatch up with Deb at Building Possibility
Hi all, It’s been a while since I’ve shared with you what it is I do, and what’s coming up. There is a lot of work going on in growing the business! Let me catch you up on the last two years. Onsite Visits: I just finished a 2-year onsite project with five counties in…
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