Possible New Rudyard Community Center

A few days ago, I posted a question on my Facebook page. The question was this:

What do you see as the biggest issues facing rural communities?

There were many responses, comments, replies, and even some healthy debate. People's ideas varied greatly. Some people mentioned the advent of the CRP program, wherein some people who owned land put it into Conservation Reserve and then sought different professions elsewhere. Others brought up the size of farms increasing but the number of farms decreasing. There was mention of falling commodity prices, and there were other terms mentioned like "brain drain," and "loss of main street." Another definite theme was lack of access to essential services and infrastructure, specifically medical services and high speed internet. There were even social themes- some credited the insular nature of small towns making it difficult to feel like a person "fits in" if/when they do move to a rural area.

Needless to say, the "why" behind what one could call the decline of rural America is complex. It's good to think about the background and challenge ourselves to address these issues. Me, I'm mostly interested in progressing toward a more vibrant future for small towns and rural communities. Let's take what we've experienced and what we know about the decline and use our knowledge to grow into a promising future.

The initial reason I posted my question is because I'm leading a workshop at the upcoming Montana Farmers Union Women's Conference (<------ Click for more information or to register!!) on the topic of creating vibrant small towns and rural communities. Actually, it's going to be sort of a "hack-a-thon" where groups will brainstorm ideas and solutions- no idea too big or too small- that could help either in their town or some other town. Groups will develop their ideas, then "pitch" them to the room. I wanted a little background and opinion to help inform my thoughts as I prep for my workshop.

With all this already on my mind, literally the next day, I saw the following post on my Facebook feed:

How timely, right?

I attended the meeting of the Commercial Club last night and was delighted to see about 30 people present. The audience was diverse in age and experience. Discussion about the potential new building was exciting and optimism was very high, and I was really impressed by the comments people had about looking to the future of our town-- a feeling that was bolstered when looking around the room and seeing the number of younger people present at the meeting. People care about the future of our small town and clearly showed they want to work toward making this project a success. I volunteered to be on the committee working on the project of a new Community Center (or rehabbed current space).

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

So, if you've read this far, this is where you come in. Our committee is looking for input on what exactly the potential new building should be like. If it does end up being a complete replacement of the Senior Center/Community Building currently being used, we know it will need to at least have space for senior lunches, a cafe, and beauty shop. But what else could or should it have? Here are some more specific questions to get you thinking:

- What are some specific needs that our community has that could be addressed with a new building?
- What would be most useful for future generations of area residents?
- What could drive business, tourism, or more people to visit town?
- If you don't live in the area, what are some features of community centers in your town that you like or dislike? What has or hasn't worked?
- What gives people pride in their town? What gives people a strong sense of place?
- What do you like or dislike as far as aesthetics of a building like this?

We have a unique opportunity to make some changes to our Main Street area with the potential that this project possesses. At this stage, No idea is too big or too small. I hope to hear from many community members, near and far, and even from outsiders, so that we can consider your opinions and make this space a great fit for Rudyard for generations to come.

Please leave your comments below, or on my Facebook page, or call or talk to me or any of the committee members in person. All opinions are welcome. It's unlikely that we'll be able to use every single suggestion, but if you don't voice your opinion there is no chance that it will be heard. Thank you for your consideration!

Looking West toward Rudyard from a gravel road.