Waitsburg’s Dilemma

You could call it a dilemma, perhaps a challenge or maybe it's nothing more than a transition. It all depends on your perspective.

For the last few years, some of Waitsburg's clubs and organizations have seen in a reduction in ranks and/or participation among their members and volunteers, many of whom are getting on in age.

As a result of that, and as a result of developments outside the community, the future of some of their hallmark events is in question and we feel it's important to share news of this trend to inspire new and younger people to pick up the torch.

In his column on the Opinion page last week, longtime Waitsburg resident and Waitsburg Historical Society President Jeff Broom spelled out a need to change the format of the Pioneer Fall Festival because the future of the buffalo feed is in question.

By the same token, leaders of the Commercial Club aren't sure if or how they will stage the Salmon Bake next year, while prospects for the Days Of Real Sport are still up in the air as well, pending a state decision on racing days.

The membership of some of Waitsburg's groups is graying. Several have lost longtime members. Lions Club member Bill Thompson, one of the instigators of the Pioneer Fall Festival buffalo feed, sadly passed from our midst last year.

Some newer members of the community, such as Karen Stanton Gregutt and Joy Smith, both with the Commercial Club, are helping bridge the gap and trying to get new entrepreneurs involved in the group.

The recent banquet to honor the victorious 2011 WP Cardinals football team shows the Commercial Club can still put a great community event as did the well-planned Waitsburg Parade.

Younger members of the community, such as Times Managing Editor Jillian Beaudry's fiancé Dane Henze and EMT Will Potolicchio, are joining the Lions Club, whose ranks are staying steady. But current club president Bret Moser says actual participation can be a challenge, partly because younger men's lives tend to be busy with families and transient careers.

Recent newcomers to Waitsburg, such as Allison Bond and her husband Bruce Donohue, are stepping forward to create new community traditions like the well-received Luminaria last fall. Bond is also behind an effort to revive the local flood control district.

Others got involved in an effort to promote Waitsburg and Dayton as a travel destination through the Touchet Valley Tourism Alliance.

These initiatives clearly show that volunteer energy exists among people who have joined the Waitsburg community in the last 5 to 10 years.

But a disconnect remains.

Commercial Club President Robbie Johnson, for instance, is trying to figure out how to get the club to appeal to newer and younger entrepreneurs, some of whom see it largely as a social group.

He sees the need for initiatives that are more in the purview of a chamber of commerce, such as tourism promotion. One activity the club has always been good at is organizing special events, some of which draw lots of visitors to community sites like the Thomas Building or the Bruce Mansion, but not necessarily to downtown businesses like some of its other events do: the Waitsburg Parade and Hometown Christmas.

That's the reason Broom wants to change the Fall Festival format to open it up for participation among the food establishments on Main Street. Exactly what that would look like, perhaps like A Taste of Waitsburg, can be put up for consideration.

We see this as an opportunity for downtown business owners and members of the Commercial Club to start a dialogue about the best ways to help grow traffic through store fronts and help sustain jobs on Main Street.

Already, a search for common ground exists. Stanton Gregutt has put together a series of Commercial Club presentations pairing former and current business owners and professionals. She, Smith and Johnson are hoping to find ways in which the club can embrace new members and new initiatives.

We believe that's healthy and we encourage anyone interested in growing an existing community network to join in and make it stronger, then help it evolve in new directions.