A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of Greater     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News April 24, 2004 - Initiative About Showing Your Pride Our View, Daily Tribune Editorial Kelly Lucas and Connie Loden must have felt a rush of nervousness as they looked out at the crowd of 220-plus people at the Centralia Center and realized their moment had arrived. But they surely felt pride, too. Who knew they would attract this kind of response with their far-reaching idea called a Community Progress Initiative? Who knew it would draw a full crowd of enthusiastic residents to the spacious Riverwalk hall at the Centralia Center? Lucas and Loden each took the stage Thursday afternoon to verbally walk the audience through an ambitious, three-year project. Lucas, top executive at the Community Foundation of South Wood County, and Loden, her counterpart at the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance, provided the "what, when, where and how" parts of the plan. We won't repeat all those details here. The Daily Tribune provided an outline on its front page Friday and will provide more coverage in the future. The project also has its own Web site, http:progressinitiative.com. Suffice it to say, you'll be left out of the Community Progress Initiative only if you try hard to avoid it. "Community progress rallies," a speaker series, entrepreneurial and leadership training, endowment fund-raisers and other programs will be everywhere starting as early as Monday. Don't avoid it, though. Even if you're not much of a cheerleader - even if you're a diehard cynic - at least find out for yourself what this is all about. You can read about it, of course. But it's different, more personal, to hear Lucas, Loden and others describe the project. Go to the rally for your community to learn and show that you care. Or call the Heart of Wisconsin or Community Foundation and ask them about it. Keynote speaker David Beurle, whose Australian accent seemed to punctuate his every point Thursday, focused on the "who" and "why" behind this initiative. Those are the most important points. Who, he said, are the people who live in south Wood County and the town of Rome. They are the only ones responsible for the future of their communities. Why, he said, is because the Wisconsin Rapids area needs a positive outlook to have a positive future. Frankly, this community didn't need a guy with a foreign accent to tell us there's too much pessimism around here. It's apparent to anyone who spends much time listening to people speak their minds. Out of the first 14 people to vote in a Daily Tribune online poll Friday, six said they doubted the Community Progress Initiative would succeed, two said it might and one said it wouldn't. Only five thought it probably or absolutely would build a prosperous, optimistic community. We hope those very early and spartan results are deceiving, but the poll illustrates the contingency of negativism that faces initiative supporters. The challenge now is to make an evolution from negativity to positive action. That has begun already. But it won't happen quickly or easily. It'll require widespread confidence, and more of the enthusiasm on display Thursday at the Centralia Center. Just like Lucas and Loden, the community is standing on a stage, nervously aware that its moment has arrived. We understand their nerves; we all can share in their pride, too.
		Copyright © 2005, Community Progress Initiative, South Wood County & Town of Rome