Greetings from City Hall

I don’t know about everybody else, but February is not my favorite month. And looking around the country and the world, there are a lot of other people that probably feel the same way. From our neighbors in the eastern reaches of this country who have suffered through terrible weather to tinpot despots even further east who have or are experiencing revolutionary uprisings and the end of their regimes, 2011’s February has not treated a lot of people with kindness. But that was not always so. At Valley Forge during the 1777-78 winter February marked an improvement in the weather – from brutal to merely miserable. So the precedent has been with us for a long time. Of course, still having to contend with five more winters, Washington had a lot of war ahead of him. He didn’t get to Yorktown till 1781 and there is a story about the connection between Valley Forge and Yorktown that even today, we occasionally unwittingly commemorate. But like I said last month, it still might be nice to take a 28-day nap, wake up on the first of March and have only three weeks left till spring.

Community Meeting – Moving Maupin Forward, Step #2

The first community meeting was held on Saturday, 26 February at the Cafeteria in the High School. In short, it was a success and has laid the base for collating a large number of projects in areas from parks to economy building to arts and culture to affordable housing and many more. The data has not yet been gathered together in any coherent format in the two days since, but the general impression is that it was a successful venture with a good turnout. Frank Kay, the Project Manager for Moving Maupin Forward, had the good fortune to convince Andrea Klaas, Port of The Dalles Director, to be the facilitator. With their combined guidance and with the assistance of our council members, we have amassed a large amount of data that will be scrubbed, saucered and blown into a framework from which we can build the revision of and successor to our 2005 Strategic Plan of Action. We will present this revision at a council meeting in the future. Before that we intend to have another community meeting to refine the direction we will take with the Plan. That will be Step #3.

Community Meeting – Moving Maupin Forward, Step #3

Originally we intended to have another community meeting on 26 March. With the amount and quality of information we gathered Saturday, we don’t anticipate the next community meeting till about half past April. That will involve verifying that the descriptions, importance and priorities of the projects on the list is complete, appropriate and accurate and reflects the druthers of the community. It will also afford an opportunity for those who may want to bring additional ideas to the table to do so at that time. More later on the progress of the draft plan and the date and agenda of the next community meeting. In the meantime, I have found information on what is going on at the legislature in terms of affordable housing, economic development, and alternative energy. Other agencies and cities that are working the same issues we are have information ready for us to use and we have the same for them. We all know a lot more about the process of planning and how it has and will help Move Maupin Forward.

Other Really Important Stuff

Population growth. Maupin’s population is now 525, according to the people at Portland State University. I am not sure how that translates to distance if we all held hands in a straight line, but I would estimate it to be about 2100 feet, or 1.59 times around the track at the high school. Of course, that wouldn’t be in a straight line, so never mind. Anyway, we get our shared revenue according to those population figures, from gas taxes, liquor taxes, lottery, and other sources. The way the population study was going, we were afraid they would forget to count everybody and our share would decrease. Didn’t happen; everybody responded to the census information requests and we are in good shape.

The Klothes Kloset. This is an activity supported solely by the American Legion Auxiliary in the basement of the American Legion Hall. There they maintain an inventory of clothes and other household supplies to assist people in need. They have been at it a long time and have created real differences in the lives of people who need a boost in fortunes. In general, they operate from 10:00AM to 2:00 PM on Wednesdays through the entrance to the basement from the alley behind the building. And they always need more “gently used” clothing for people of all ages – from kids to working moms and dads, to senior citizens. If your fortunes arrive at the place where you need that boost, the Auxiliary ladies are there to help. One thing they don’t need – appliances. The ladies don’t have the capabilities to move, maintain, or store appliances. There are other places to get rid of that old refrigerator or stove or lawnmower.

That’s it. I would like to thank the folks who supported and attended the Community Meeting on Moving Maupin Forward. We as a group came up with some very good ideas and some starts on suggestions on how we can get them done. I would like to thank the members of City Government – Councilors Frank Kay, who put the event together; John Smeraglio, Lynn Ewing, Joe Ringo and Carol Rager, all of whom did great things leading their respective self-selected support groups; and Planning Commissioners Mike Foreaker, Tim Morelli, and Denis Carlsen who stepped in and led in their groups. Special thanks to Port of The Dalles Director Andrea Klass, who not only led the entire process but gave us insight into the functions of the Port and how it could help Maupin in the Future. And with the help of the members of the Maupin Community Church and their excellent brunch/lunch food and drinks, the event turned out to be one to look forward to with pleasure rather than as a chore. Most of all, I want to thank the people of Maupin and the surrounding community for the opportunity to get to brag about the greatest place in the state all over the state. In fact, I got to do that last week in Salem. Tomorrow, I get to do it again in Salem. And from March 13 to March 17, the League is sending me to Washington D.C. to brag about Oregon, but I get to pick what to brag about. I hope the League doesn’t get too upset.

Cheers, Denny