| Columbia/Clackamas
Cluster
MIRA Narrative
Why are we interested?
Clackamas and Columbia counties are interested in the MIRA
program because we see a need in our rural communities to address change
pro-actively. Both counties are experiencing economic shifts, demographic
changes and educational challenges. Both communities have made initial steps
to address these issues, coincidentally by identifying telecommunications
and technology as a tool to assist in this larger effort. We see that on
a broad scale, these rural communities have a limited capacity to confront
existing issues; the ability to embrace change presents major challenges.
A common theme within isolated towns and unincorporated areas of both Clackamas
and Columbia counties is that urban growth in adjacent counties is placing
new pressures on communities that have historically been supported by natural
resource industries. These communities are quickly becoming bedroom communities
of Portland (which is south of Columbia County and north of Clackamas County).
Residents who are relative newcomers do not have the economic or historical
connection with the assets from which these communities have garnered their
identities. While the "new" and "old" residents have
a core of common values that includes enjoying a rural lifestyle, an interest
in supporting youth activities and safety, they have few opportunities to
intermingle. Thrown into the equation are the growing Hispanic populations,
the decreasing ability of natural resources to support economic expansion
and complex global issues. We are interested in the MIRA program because
it would provide leadership and communication tools, as well as structured
opportunities to build new relationships that will serve as the foundation
for determining the future of these rural areas.
Area
to be involved
Columbia County is flanked to the east by the Columbia
River and to the west by the Coastal Range. Forest and aggregate products
have historically dominated the economic base, as 60 percent of the county’s
687 square miles is timberland. The Columbia County economy suffered from
the 1991 closure of the Trojan Nuclear plant and the resulting loss of 700
jobs. To the north is Clatsop County with a fishery and forest economic
base. But to the south of Columbia County is the Portland metropolitan area,
which has experienced steady growth during the past 15 years. As a consequence
of rising property costs in Portland and widely available housing from the
exodus of Trojan employees, Columbia County has seen a large increase in
new residents in recent years. The majority of these residents commute to
jobs in the Portland and Longview (Washington) areas, with 60 percent of
the county’s workforce holding jobs outside the county. While Columbia
County had the highest unemployment rate in the state in 1993, the percentage
has since dropped by 50 percent. It’s population increased less than
2 percent in the three years ending December 1994. It then grew by 5 percent
to 42,500 people in the following three years.
Clackamas County encompasses 1,879 square miles with a
population of approximately 325,000. Only about 1/8th of the
county is classified as urban (primarily the north western sector adjacent
to the Portland metropolitan area). Almost 60% of Clackamas County is public
land (wilderness), including the 11,235-foot-high Mt. Hood, the Mt. Hood
National Forest, BLM lands, and the Bull Run Watershed. The remaining private
land is rural. Some of Oregon's richest farmland is located in areas surrounding
Canby, Sandy, Boring, Wilsonville, and Molalla.
It is the rural communities of Clackamas County away from
the urban area that is our focus. While the urbanized portions of the county
have experienced rapid growth and general prosperity, the rural areas have
had a mixed experience. Traditional long-term industries in wood products
and agriculture have not shared in the growth and prosperity. Clackamas
County is growing rapidly in population – nearly 14% in the period
between 1990 and 1997. Some of the rural communities are experiencing very
rapid growth (over 30% in the same period). This growth is being driven
from two directions: The first group is people who work in the metropolitan
area and have high disposable incomes who are choosing to commute to the
rural communities in order to enjoy a rural lifestyle. The second is the
influx of people, some with limited English-speaking ability, seeking low
skill jobs in agriculture and industry.
These ‘new comers’ have very different values,
priorities, and needs compared to those who have lived in the area for longer
periods. The urban commuters cannot be expected to share the ‘connection
to the land’ held by those who made their living from forest products
and agriculture. Recent immigrants come from different social, economic,
ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds than those who have lived in
the community for a long time. The stresses on rural communities to accommodate
all of this change may exceed the capacity of available community leaders.
There is a need for new skills and a shared vision to establish clear communication
between each segment of the community.
What boundaries are we crossing/stretching?
Columbia and Clackamas counties share many trends, assets
and problems, but they have never formally worked together to address these.
This proposal would create an opportunity to leap-frog over the Portland
Metropolitan area, and reach out from a grassroots level. The counties,
and the municipalities within them, have a tremendous amount in common,
but have never gravitated to work together.
Even more so, the relatively distant population centers
in each county do not have a history of working collaboratively. They have
responded to transportation and physical boundaries by remaining insular
for the most part. Although these are "neighboring" towns, they
have been proud of functioning independently of one another.
Furthermore, within each of the two counties and within
their municipalities, demographic changes have complicated the situation.
The emerging populations of non-white residents, of commuters and young
families have not been included at a local level in the public process.
Language, time and financial barriers have left these segments isolated.
Similarly, the education, business and social organizations within the two
counties and their municipalities have not worked collaboratively except
in extreme situations.
This project would cross barriers on multiple levels, from
geographic to demographic. It will create opportunities for youth in "neighboring"
towns to build relationships and for youth to build relationships with those
in a distant county. Likewise, it will create an opportunity for merchants
from multiple communities to share their experiences of competing with corporate
newcomers and attracting local residents who often shop in the metropolitan
areas where they are employed. While merchants in each community wrestle
with preserving their "downtowns" and developing attractions along
state highways, they have not had the opportunity to expand the conversation
with merchants in a different county. The cross-fertilization of ideas that
could potentially emerge from the MIRA process may have a long-lasting impact
on how these individuals function, approach issues, and make choices. If
successful, the project’s impact will be seen on a community-wide basis
as the teams representing youth, schools, libraries, business owners, public
officials and seniors collaborate with a common language.
Both communities are motivated to begin this process, but
desire skills and tools to conduct community planning and problem solving.
However, they also are poised to employ telecommunications as a tool to
bridge what have historically been physical boundaries. Leaders in each
of the communities understand that they need both the communication skills
and the telecommunication infrastructure to succeed with this approach.
They desire more education in community building as they come together to
establish community telecommunication centers. Both counties have selected
common strategies and for the most part are unaware of the learning experiences
in the other county.
Who is involved?
The Clackamas/Columbia Cluster involves more than 50 individuals
who have a broad spectrum of interests and experiences. As is often the
case in rural communities, citizens play multiple roles and wear multiple
hats as they conduct their professional, volunteer, family and spiritual
activities. The organizing committee sought to involve a cross-section of
"community roles," with an eye on geographic representation. Some
individuals have sought to be involved because of the potential this project
has for raising the level of community dialogue. Other team participants
have been nominated by the organizing committee as individuals who are respected
and have networks to reach other individuals. We have not spoken as an organizing
committee about the specific projects teams may elect to conduct, but instead
have focused on the leadership development and training this project offers.
The project will involve representatives from eight municipalities, and
unincorporated areas lying between those towns. Based on the initial interest
in the MIRA program, we anticipate that others will seek involvement if
this proposal becomes a finalist.
Facilitating the formation of the organizing committee
and the submission of the proposal are two community-based organizations:
Columbia Foundation, which will serve as the fiscal agent, and Oregon Telcom,
which has facilitated the expansion of telecommunication projects throughout
rural Oregon with strong projects in Clackamas County. Both organizations
are led by boards of directors and have developed reputations for undertaking
projects with an emphasis on building partnerships, collaboration and community
capacity. Columbia Foundation primarily serves Columbia County and Oregon
Telcom has worked statewide. Both organizations have an emphasis on the
advocating for telecommunication capacity in rural communities as a vehicle
for minimizing barriers to access that are not as great in urban areas.
Describe organizing committee members
The Clackamas/Columbia Cluster is proposing to organize
teams that each would have representatives from both counties. Each team
would also have representatives from multiple communities within each county.
The representatives on each team have not worked together in the past, nor
do they represent a particular organization. However, we are taking this
approach of establishing ad hoc teams to build real opportunities for them
to build new relationships based on their common experiences.
The following brief descriptions of two teams show the
members represent different age groups and community segments. They are
a combination of recognized community leaders, or active community members.
Each has reputation in their own "interest group," for being a
respected, contributing member. They also bring a range of personal challenges
to the team. As an example of the teams we are proposing, the following
is a brief profile of the Merchant Team and the Youth Team, each of which
will have at least five representatives from each of Columbia and Clackamas
counties.
Participating in the Youth Team:
- Cliff Tetrealt, superintendent of the St. Helens School
District and a director of Columbia Foundation.
- Patrick Birkle, education director for the St. Frederic’s
Catholic Church and a member of the St. Helens School Board.
- Chris Moore, a freshman at St. Helens High School and
an active volunteer at the Columbia Technology Center.
- Chris Arneson, a junior at Scappoose High School and
an active volunteer at CCTV, the cable access television station serving
Columbia County.
- Christy Brown, a junior at Vernonia High School and a
leader of a community effort to rebuild Scout Cabin as a community and
youth center in Vernonia.
- Joel Chavez, teacher, Canby High School.
- Roni Rose, Youth-to-Careers, Estacada School District.
- Shera Degrandpre, student, Estacada High School.
- Maurine Phillips, Youth Coordinator, Molalla.
- Rob Elkins, Police Chief, Molalla
Participating on the Merchant’s Team is:
- Marion Christensen, owner of Golden Fawn Jewelry store
and past president of the St. Helens Merchants Association.
- Luanne Kruetzer, owner of the St. Helens Book Shop and
an active member of the Merchants Association.
- Jeff King, executive director of the Columbia Pacific
Economic Development District, which administers a revolving loan fund
and works with economic development officers in four counties.
- Chris Lillich, owner of New Wonder Art Gallery in Clatskanie
and an officer of the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce.
- Bette Lang, director of the Rainier Economic Development
District, outgoing Rainier City Councilmember and customer service manager
for the Columbia River People’s Utility District.
- Harry Lee Kwai, DirectLink, Canby.
- Mike Park, an Estacada developer
- Jesse Ayala, merchant, Estacada
- Rick Lefevre, merchant, Molalla
- Diane Cassel, president, Molalla Chamber of Commerce
Our definition of community
At the core of this proposal is a belief that the definition
of community extends well beyond our government-established tax boundaries.
For us, community is a sense of identity and belonging, as well as a sense
of place. It is our belief that this MIRA program will extend and grow our
ability to feel a sense of community, and consequently reinforce our ability
to conduct dialogue, build new relationships and solve problems. It will
extend the current sense of community beyond the existing government boundaries
so we build on our shared experiences and sense of commonality, ultimately
allowing community members to better determine the future of the community.
This ability does not exist now in the rural counties located
on the outskirts of the growing Portland-metropolitan area, nor in the isolated
municipalities within these two rural counties. We see minimal constructive
interaction between ethnic, age or vocational segments or between individual
cities, much less between the communities of Columbia and Clackamas counties.
We see declining involvement in traditional vehicles for community involvement
such as voting, seeking public office, or volunteering. We believe the skills
and projects that can potentially emerge from this MIRA proposal will heighten
our sense of a common responsibility toward the more vulnerable segments
of our communities and will build a heightened sense of civil commitment
and responsibility. It will awaken in a broad cross-section of citizens
their ability to build upon their shared heritage, and even begin to address
issues pro-actively rather than looking to government, the most traditional
"problem-solver." We hope that this will spark a revitalized interest
among individuals, either new to the communities or with well-established
family histories, in attending to the public interest and in working effectively
with each other, with elected officials and the system to resolve issues.
We recognize that the existing systems are not facilitating
a commonly held value of community involvement. We see this proposal as
an opportunity to expand our sense of civic responsibility and to take it
to a higher level and a broader conversation, with an ultimate result of
maximizing the effectiveness of the existing systems for shaping public
policy.
How would we describe organizing committee
representation?
Members of the Columbia/Clackamas Cluster organizing team
represent a collection of community leaders who provide a blend of geographic
and vocational roots. This group had not worked together prior to this project,
but has found the new working group to evolve with ease. The intention was
to identify individuals who could reach out to the diverse elements of the
broader community. The committee is charged with completing the administrative
duties, recruitment and ultimately will be accountable for the success of
the project. The members all have the commitment and motivation to achieve
these tasks, while at the same time advocating for the success of the larger
community.
How will we recruit teams?
Organizing team members have the responsibility and commitment
to recruit full and committed teams through their networks of influence
and consciousness of needs. The organizing team will recruit broadly, starting
with a news release announcing that the opportunity is open to all residents.
The teams will be built around themes such as "youth" and "merchants."
The organizing team will state the expectations of the Kellogg Foundation
clearly during recruitment. The committee will follow-up on the broad announcement
by organizing community meetings explaining the MIRA opportunity, orienting
others to expectations and requiring a commitment from those interested
in participating. Based on the initial excitement about this possibility,
recruitment is not expected to be a barrier.
What are the first five steps we would
take if selected?
- Organize a face-to-face meeting of the organizing committee
to draft news release announcing the program, build a strategy and timeline.
- Organize community recruitment meetings, explaining the
program and expectations with an outcome of building 10 full teams around
themes.
- Secure commitments in the form of a learning contract
from all team members and appoint team leaders.
- Schedule workshop topics, location and dates, and complete
other administrative duties necessary to launch the workshops.
- Complete training workshops.
What challenges will you face in this
project.
Originally we expected the major challenge in fulfilling
the requirements of this project would be to engage communities in a non-traditional
approach to community building. Instead, the organizing committee has found
a high-level of interest in the opportunity to develop new leadership and
communication skills.
Now we anticipate that logistics may be the largest challenge:
Ensuring each of the teams meets its obligation to attend the training and
fit this commitment into their summer schedules. The requested commitment
is significant, especially for rural residents who typically work seven-day
work weeks during summer months through a combination of farming and off-the-farm
enterprises. It also is a difficult time for students who have a summer
vacation mentality, or summer obligations such as music camps or part-time
residences with divorced and non-local parents. We have discussed ensuring
that each team begin with more than a minimal number of participants in
anticipation of last-minute conflicts that cannot be resolved. We also have
discussed requiring participants to sign a "learning contract,"
in which the Kellogg Foundation’s and the participants’ expectations
are outlined. Although it is not a binding contract, it is a tool that may
symbolize the degree of seriousness expected.
Technology Snapshot
Internet Access
Internet access is widely available throughout the state
of Oregon. In the urban areas, unlimited Internet access at 28.8/ 33.6 kbps
(or "56k") is available from multiple providers as a local call
in the price range of $18 to $24 per month. Outside the Portland calling
area (PCA), choice is more limited, throughput lower, and prices somewhat
higher. Some of the smaller rural telephone companies offer Internet access
as a part of their service package, including high-speed services like cable
modems. Some rural providers are considering offering DSL services to locations
near switches. In the most remote exchanges, however, Internet may not be
available on a local call basis and throughput may be quite marginal. The
State of Oregon has stated an intent to be a "provider of last resort"
to areas without local call Internet access.
Telecommunications Providers
The chart below illustrates the diversity of telecommunications
providers in the target region: |
