La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Ward Phillips may be a prophet, but it is possible that his greatest role is that of a catalyst, moving the volatile mix of community and commerce forward at a faster pace than might naturally occur. If he is a prophet, offering a vision of making La Conner great-er, again, it is still up to us, the people, as elected officials, merchants, landlords, artists, teachers, parents and citizens – all of us – to take the prophet’s cry and shape it into a reality and future that is to our liking.

And maybe Mr. Phillips is blowing in the wind, offering a vision that will not be shaped into reality. Both leaders and worker bees must come forward to make a dream the town’s reality. There can be no new future without new efforts.

This paper stands for discussion and participation. The year 2020 is a mere two years away, too close to make much progress past getting the new library built. By 2030 many merchants, landlords, elected officials, artists, teachers and the rest of us will be retired, less engaged, and leaving the future to the next generation. Calling for a 20/20 vision for 2030 is a good thing.

If we are to the shape the coming decade, organized discussion in 2018 is a good idea. Is La Conner perfect, or close to it, the way it is? If so, tinkering around the edges and occasional grousing is fine. What if La Conner is not “popping” enough of the time? Do citizens and merchants want dancing more often and festivals more frequently?

If these are possibilities that will enliven the community as well as the economy, then developing a vision, goals and a strategy that is shared, and not led by one person, needs to decided by those hoping for a feistier, livelier La Conner.

Generational change is not always a matter of age. Youth, we say, are learning for the first time, are new to the task and time, are seeing life through fresh eyes and have the energy and vision of idealists. That can be true for each of us, whether we have lived here for sixty years or six months.

The issue isn’t who see things anew, but who wants to discuss, and put into action, plans for invigorating and energizing La Conner, afresh.

Maybe dancing isn’t called for in La Conner. Maybe we don’t need more art more of the time. Maybe we don’t develop band competitions or a theatre fringe festival. But not encouraging new vigor is not in our best interests. Staying in 2017 when 2020 is on the horizon is a poor choice. And 2020 is going to be more different from 2017 than it is going to be the same.

Ward Phillips offers a challenge as well as an opportunity. Maybe our little town is a bit sleepier than energetic, and the town‘s elected officials, merchants and commercial landlords are not engaged in a shared effort. If engagement and energy does appear, that is a necessary first step. Still needed is develoment of purpose, value, and a quality to the ideas. And then decisions and actions must follow.

This paper is committed to moving discussion and engagement forward. It will not support speedboat races on the channel, however, no matter how enthusiastically speedboats might be championed.

Participation is critical. Thoughtful analysis of the condition our environment as well as our economy in is needed. How different will 2030 be than 2020? Very, for sure. Who is going to make what contributions to get us to the 2030 of our dreams?