Communities could learn lesson from small town success

All towns -- large and small -- can learn a lesson from Bassett, a community of 680 which was chosen as the top overall winner at the Nebraska Community Improvement Program's awards banquet.

Like so many small towns, Bassett in Rock County had taken a downturn, suffering from declining population, aging buildings, crumbling sidewalks and poorly kept facilities.

But the people got together and decided enough is enough.

"Today there is a more positive attitude and passel of improvements -- from a bright new main street to a handsome corner park," reports Paul Hammel, a writer for the Omaha World-Herald.

What made the difference? Many things, but the most important may have been that Bassett widened its focus, reaching out to area ranchers to join the local chamber of commerce and youth to be a part of the local economic development council.

Communities in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas would be wise to do the same. Most area towns have chambers of commerce and community clubs, made up principally of business people and dedicated community workers, but they are missing a good bet in not calling upon farmers, ranchers and youth to join them in their community betterment efforts.

After all, we're all in this together. Towns need the patronage of farmers and ranchers, and the ag community needs to have goods and services available in a nearby location. We also need to reach out to our youth, who in a very real sense are our future.

This is said well by Bev Hopkins, secretary of the Bassett/Rock County Chamber of Commerce."We need everyone to join together," she told Hammel for the World-Herald article. "That's the only way we're going to bring our community back."

Ms. Hopkins could be speaking for all of us in the Great Plains. There are fewer and fewer of us in rural areas, and we need to make a determined effort to preserve the special way of life which exists on America's countryside.

The effort needs to start with chambers of commerce and community clubs. They need to extend invitations to farm and ranch families and youth, letting them know that they are welcome and wanted as active participants in community activities.

Joining together is a start. But the most important part will be what follows, which very well could be dynamic projects for community betterment.