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Workshop focus is on sustaining local business
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — Despite cold and rainy weather and a full slate of events around Alpine last weekend, nearly 30 people showed up for the second annual Vitalize Alpine workshop at Boulder Oaks auditorium. The 28 participants, representing 26 Alpine organizations with combined memberships of 4,000, gathered to provide input and discuss Alpine’s future.
The conference was organized and hosted by the Alpine Revitalization Committee for Community Development of Supervisor Dianne Jacob's Revitalize Alpine project, Joe Forlenza chairman. There were neighborhood associations, church congregations, service and cultural organizations, members of the Alpine Planning Group, representatives from the Viejas Tribal Government, the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, and local business owners.
“Even though we didn’t have as big turnout as last year, I think is was actually a bit more substantial because we had something to build on from last year,” said Alpine Planning Group member Paul Rohal.
This year’s event intended to celebrate Alpine’s revitalization progress from 2004 to date; attract new groups to help refine and update the vision for Alpine including project lists; help us learn about our regional economy and sustainable economic development, including tools used by the most successful small towns; generate ideas to help make Alpine’s economy recession- and disaster-proof; and to get input and priorities from Alpine businesses into the process.
“We've all just begun to absorb the work output of the conference and to see how it can be carried forward and communicated broadly to the public,” said George Barnett.
For the social, economic and environmental categories, the group listed successes to date, projects in progress and those next up in the queue.
On the social front, some of the successes recalled include the Sage and Songbird festival, the Alpine Community Theater and the various parades that take place around town throughout the year. Progress is being made on the local farmer’s market, the ALFA bookstore and the Alpine signature trail. On the horizon for the area is the Alpine High School, a new library and a community sports facility.
Economically, some of the successes listed included the new health clinic and the new fire station. In progress, are the efforts for a new sheriff’s substation, an urgent care facility in town, and the construction of the Albertson’s. Environmentally, the group listed the “We Love a Clean Alpine” event, the development of fire safe counsels and the new solar panels at Alpine elementary schools.
Once again this year Sterling Insights Inc. developed the community leader packet and facilitated the event.
“Joe Sterling did a fabulous job once again at facilitating an open and wholesome visioning event,” Forlenza said. “The event was designed to get residents to think and act proactively in the development of Alpine’s future.”
“To take it one step further, Sterling challenged us to think of ways in which to make the town of Alpine even more stable and economically resilient,” Forlenza said. “By managing the local resources, which are unique to Alpine, in a way that would not deplete them over time in order that we might create jobs and opportunities which would make the town recession-proof.”
“The event was very successful and included groups that weren't represented in 2005,” Sterling said. “This year's event was designed to celebrate successes, revisit priorities, and add temper to the exuberant vision developed in 2005.”
Keynote speaker for the conference, Deanna Weeks, President and CEO of the East County Economic Development Council, spoke on the subject of sustainable economic development; the need to “import” money to Alpine and keep it here.
Lessons imparted by Weeks included the need to know Alpine's strengths and weaknesses, in part by building a collaborative data base directory to identify Alpine's primary industries and capabilities, and to develop an economic prosperity strategy.
She did an excellent job of explaining the ways in which her organization responded to the last recession, when the economy was very much organized around the needs of the defense industry. The transformation included the development of an inventory of what industries existed in East County at the time. This resulted in the region becoming much more economically diverse.
According to her, an inviting and healthy climate for businesses needs to be provided. Providing quality educational opportunities for the families of business owners and employees is very important.
The conference reviewed threats and opportunities to make Alpine disaster-proof and recession-proof. The group discussed how a community of ready neighborhoods can make the most of the support government agencies can provide when the need arises and examined those things that should be done to increase local self-sufficiency and security; the latter pertaining to emergency preparedness, not only for physical impacts, such as from wildfire and disease, but also to protect the health and sustainability of local businesses.
The conference output is summarized into six primary initiatives to articulate to all stakeholders. Some are carried over from last year and already in progress, some are new. In no particular order, these are:
Readiness and threat protection (physical and economic), economic sustainability (protecting the health and sustainability of businesses), Alpine Boulevard redesign (survey, beautify, unify and identify the village core as a step toward improving economic viability and vitality), youth activities and an active park (education, high school, personal direction, spiritual and physical well-being), urgent care (including the growing need for elder care), and Alpine / Viejas relations (collaborative dialog in the planning and building of Alpine's sustainable social, economic and environmental fabrics).
Post conference, these initiatives are being turned into action proposals and will be woven into the existing matrix of revitalization projects.
“The top six revitalization initiatives selected for 2006 build on last year's work and will keep the improvement momentum going,” Sterling said. “There is much work ahead of us. With continuing community participation, Alpine will become even more of the economic, social, and environmental jewel of East County.”
Don Tarr, Lisa Haws, Charlene Barnett, Mary Rynearson, Carol Morrison and Mindi Lassman, brainstorm ideas for the future of Alpine at the second annual Vitalize Alpine event held last Saturday at Boulder Oaks. Nearly 30 people,
representing an estimated 4,000 residents in Alpine took part in the workshop.
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Christy Scott
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