Public policy is made by those who show up.
That was one of the themes weaving through the "Power Hour" discussion July 10, involving Otter Tail County and the prospect of having only one snowplow truck in Perham--the second-busiest traffic town in the county.
"Showing up" to offer input at the Otter Tail County courthouse isn't that easy, from a geographic standpoint. It is one of the largest counties in the state. Perham is on one end. County seat Fergus Falls on the other.
It was mentioned several times at the July 10 meeting that a wider cross-section of Perham needs to be proactive and more visible at the county level--rather than simply rely on one county commissioner and a few city fathers to do all the work.
The Perham Area Chamber of Commerce will be inviting county officials to an August 15 morning meeting, 7:45 a.m. at the Don Swenson room at the ACS building. That's your chance to show up.
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'Show up' with comments on Turtle Fest
We're also asking readers to "show up" with their views about "Turtle Fest 2008."
The committee is looking at a major scheduling change--moving the parade to Friday night, and concentrate activities Friday-Saturday. The weekend would essentially conclude with the Rotary breakfast Sunday morning. Street vendors will be set up Friday and Saturday, and the committee is proposing that the Jaycees to move the Friday street dance back downtown--to create a centralized hub of activity.
Everybody seems to have an opinion on Turtle Fest. Unfortunately, we generally hear those opinions after the event, rather than before, when we can plan accordingly. The committee would like to tap into public opinion now, with nearly a year ahead.
For online comments on Turtle Fest: Go to perhameb.com and look for this column, and the "add a comment" link.
Email your comments to editor@eot.com
Fax comments at 218-346-5901.
