Our Small Town Economy

The Lobby of 1st National Bank Menominee, 1930
Courtesy of The Menominee Historical Society

Independent stores return more than three times as much money for you, your family, friends, neighbors, and non-profit groups, as your dollar spent at other retailer options. ( www.amiba.net )

In It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra's 1946 holiday classic, the story of Bailey Brothers Savings & Loan echo’s the timeless formula for our small-town economy.

Mr. Potter wanted to close that "old run-down savings and loan." George Bailey, in a grey scene, stood in the middle of an angry crowd. George chose to sacrifice his postmodern dreams and stayed to protect what mattered more.  In that all-is-lost moment, when Bailey Bros. Savings & Loan customers were ready to sell-out, George responded: "You're thinking about this place all wrong! Don't you see? Your money is in Joes' house, that's right next to yours, and the Kennedy house, and Mrs. Mackland's house, and a hundred others. You're lending them the money to build, and they are going to pay it back to you best they can. Now, what do you want me to do, foreclose on them?"

Like that depression era story, we are experiencing an all-is-lost moment. To protect our local economy, George would say: Don't you see? When you deposit your paycheck in the local community bank and use it to buy groceries, gas, insurance, home repairs, and a hundred other things locally, you're helping to pay your neighbors' salaries because locally-owned businesses employ them.  Those businesses buy from other local businesses, it is those businesses that support local charities, and that money recycles back to you, your family, friends, neighbors, and non-profit groups.

When we prioritize our budget, We're doing our part. That means when we buy from local independent businesses first, we protect our future shopping options, preserve what is valuable and unique to where we live, and do our best for our family, friends, neighbors, and charities. Chain stores and mass merchants still have their part to play. They fill-in for our other needs and support local employees too. If buying local is not possible, as the last option, we can still turn to Amazon.

Here's what this looks like in real life. Choose three locally owned businesses you don't want to lose. Turn to those first, to buy as much as you can from them. At little to no extra cost, buy what you usually do. $60 spent at each independent business might not seem like enough, but together, our efforts multiply to keep them in business.

We don't need anyone else's permission to make a difference. Our community is experiencing unemployment, business closures, and stressed budgets like the depression era.  But just like then, we hold the key to helping each other through this.

 

 

Growing Better

Photo provided by – The Menominee County Historical Society

What will our community be like post-COVID-19? It's worth considering now because we gain the most when we learn from the past and build on past successes.

Building on what we have, the Menominee City Council voted to support the Menominee Downtown Development Authority's (DDA) proposed extension of the Menominee Downtown District. EH Extra Downtown District to be Extended this initiative will help the Downtown expand a valuable connection to the 26,839 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), which passes through the intersection of 10^{th Ave.} & 10^{th street}. That connection of traffic to downtown is vital because of its potential to attract travelers to Menominee's Historic Waterfront Downtown. When we expose people to our unique combination of water views and preserved architecture, it will support our downtown businesses' growth. Those businesses are the future of the downtown area and, in turn, contribute to a more enjoyable, attractive, and beautiful place for those of us who live in the #MyMarinetteMenominee area.

If only a fraction of those 26,839 daily travelers discover Menominee's Downtown, it will build on a resource we already have. Developing this strength leads us to the betterment of the area. 

In its heyday, Menominee's downtown area was bustling and vibrant. The old Montgomery Ward department store and A&P grocery store brought in shoppers from far and wide. A hotel, women's dress shop, diner, drug store, bank, movie theater, opera house, jewelry store, salon, and other businesses brought in customers from the twin city area and the county as well. Past holiday activities in the downtown area captured some of that nostalgia. Many visitors enjoyed rides in horse-drawn wagons while listening to sleigh bells signaling the start of holiday and shopping activities. Holiday markets, art fairs, concerts, antique car shows, and festivals brought customers to the downtown area as well. This year's pandemic will influence how we celebrate, but it does not prevent us from making plans now for the future. Streetlights with their holiday decorations can still cheer us and brighten our nights as we ponder our plans.

Each one of us has a role in becoming better. Without anyone else's permission, and at little or no extra cost, you and I can support our downtown businesses. Please help them to not only survive but to thrive! Downtown businesses are essential to a vibrant downtown. A vibrant downtown is the heart of a better post-pandemic community. 

 

Growth as Betterment

Opening the door to growth, the Menominee City Council voted to join the Menominee County Brownfield Authority (Eagle Herald, September 22, 2020)

Mention the word "growth," and you will receive a variety of reactions. Some folks will express fear, others' excitement, and others a disclaimer. These are natural reactions during regular times and expected during the past few months' uncertainties.

But what is growth? More specifically, what is the mindset of growth?

The internet defines mindset as a habitual mental attitude determining how one will interpret and respond to situations. Other words for growth include prospect, mental capacity, outlook. But the same-meaning name I like best is "betterment."

How do we, both individually and as a community, improve our hopes, dreams, and outlook to be better regarding the future of the #MyMarinetteMenominee community? How do we continue to build a vibrant community where our youth will want to stay? How do we build a community where their talents will be nurtured and thrive? How do we shape our minds to better open the doors for those seeking opportunities in the best interest of our local community?

Mindset is an integral part of community growth. How do we better shape our minds and grow them to seek opportunities in our best interests? It is easy to find fault, to focus on what we cannot change. But this mindset, this steering away from growth, is forgetting that we have the power to overcome most obstacles.

Our minds are powerful tools as we travel towards betterment. Ask any coach, ask any teacher. They inspire their players; they emphasize their positive traits and teach them how to correct their weaker areas. With hard work, positive coaching, and an open mindset, the goal is reached--growth as betterment.

Because the path to better is uphill, we are either moving forward or rolling back. Cultivate an open mindset to help overcome the fear which might accompany growth. Focus on choices reflecting quality. Do we work together to build this community and all it offers to make it a place where people choose to live, one where they decide to relocate here? Do we choose to love living here and create the type of culture people want to identify with and belong to?

Please watch for and support ideas for betterment that come from this Brownfield Economic Development tool.  As plans emerge, if you have questions, please discuss them with someone driving the effort. While we all see things differently, there is common ground to be cultivated.

 

A Chance for Something Better

 

Kmart - M&M Plaza - 2010

M&M Plaza Enterprises now controls the 10.68 acres of land that we formerly leased to Kmart. With this change, we are relieved to be able to fix up and maintain the property to avoid the potential of a blighted scene. Like you, we are sad at the loss of what was for years an important part of our local landscape. 

We now feel the tension created by costs involved in reclaiming this land to serve our community’s future. We ask for your patience as change progresses, a change akin to restarting a garden that has been dormant for years. Now we are assessing, preparing to wait out winter’s pause, choosing what will grow, and preparing to sow in an unpredictable environment, all before we will see the results. We are anxious because the journey seems long but at the same time, we are motivated by the possibilities of what can be created if we respect the natural process. 

I have talked to people here about the history of the M&M Plaza. The Gustman family created the plaza from swampy, tall grass and weeds 50 years ago. Since then, a wide variety of businesses have come and gone, each reflecting our changing times. 

You and I are currently undergoing a time of accelerated changes. I do not have to name them as all of us have been affected during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It is only natural to not want to face more change when so much, on both a national and world level, have been forced upon us. But we are encouraged by the one thing that has remained constant and that is our residents’ ability to adapt. 

Once again Menominee residents are being called upon to use that same vigor, enthusiasm, and ingenuity to imagine an even better future for our area. 

The M&M Plaza’s oversight of the former Kmart acreage is a positive move for the community. M&M Plaza Enterprises have taken the first step by requesting a Special Use Permit to open options for provisional use. The Menominee City Planning Commission will consider that request in alignment with the help of the Smith Group, a Michigan-based planning group hired to update the city’s master plan. The Master Plan’s purpose is to help the town envision its future role and it establishes the parameters of how we can develop this site. This support is vital to our ability to cultivate the potential of the former Kmart site.

You can help, without anyone else’s permission and at little or no extra cost, by being informed in your support, and patient with the time it takes to grow what is possible for our community.

Eagle Herald Letter to the Editor

 @MyMarinetteMenominee

Letter to the Editor

Rusty Wolfe, Tree II, 2018.  Lacquer on MDF, 24 x 24"

Dear Editor, I am a small business owner, and I am scared.  My revenue has fallen off a cliff.  While I am worried about my own ability to keep my business open, honestly, I am as worried about what this means for the hundreds of small businesses that make up the fabric of our community.

One thing that the quarantine has crystalized for me is how much we all need social interaction – how much we need community.  Our small businesses are the vehicle that provides much of that opportunity.   We are incredibly lucky to have the diversity of businesses that we enjoy, but it is in jeopardy.

We are going to lose businesses, but we can start today to mitigate that.  Well-meaning citizens can’t do it by themselves.  The industry must play a role. The government needs to play a role.   

If you are in charge of purchasing anything at the company where you work, start sourcing the things that you are currently buying online at local businesses.  If you are a supervisor, empower your employees to purchase everything they can from local businesses.  Whether it is cleaning supplies or copy paper, buy it from a brick-and-mortar store in Marinette or Menominee Counties.   This will take effort.  It will take time.  But, it will make a difference.  If we lose more small businesses, it hurts our giving to non-profits, funding municipal services, and support of local newspapers,.  It will make it even harder to recruit new workers

Take the example of what would happen if we lost our local newspaper. Locally-produced, independent news is crucial for civic engagement.  We cannot take our newspapers and local radio for granted.  In 2018, economists at The University of Illinois at Chicago presented a study that examined how local newspaper closures affect public finance outcomes for local governments.  The conclusion is surprising: the cost to a community that loses its local paper is enormous, $650,000 per municipal issue.  (For example, think about financing a project the size of the REC Center).  Municipal borrowing costs increase with a lack of civic engagement because a project that is not planned and executed in the golden light of day is a risky project for a lender to finance.

If you don’t have a subscription to the Eagle Herald, Peshtigo Times, or The Menominee County Journal, get one today.  If you have a lobby at your office, purchase a second subscription for your customers in place of national magazine’s subscriptions

This isn’t about my bottom line or that of any particular locally-owned business.  It is about preserving the opportunities we have in our great community.  It requires each of us to do what we can.

Sincerely,
Kim Brooks

The Eye of the Storm

Sculpture Eye of the Storm shown here
was created by Rusty Wolfe and  is located at
The Stephenson National Bank & Trust, Marinette

The Eye of the Storm is where you and I, with 7 billion other people, find ourselves in this earth-shaking and challenging hurricane. It is a storm that pits healthy lives against livelihoods. A catastrophic whirlwind that has us huddled in two camps.

In camp one, we find those of us that have time to disinfect our homes daily.  Our brass doorknobs now silver from the rubbing.  We’re tasked with in-home childcare and have a growing appreciation for teachers. We’re striving to prove that working from home is not an oxymoron. We are sheltered, idle, and worried in anticipation of what comes next.  

In the other camp, we find ourselves feeling emotional and exhausted from being deemed “Essential.” We don’t have time to bake bread. Our only choice is to keep trudging.  Ever mindful that our duty poses an essential risk to ourselves and the lives of our families.

If this storm’s eye was the size of a football field, we are on the 50-yard line.  We’re at the halfway point. Now is the time to decide what to do. What are our options?

·      We could close our eyes and see what happens. But chance can be a cruel mistress. Just ask the captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

·      Or we can seize this rare opportunity. History proves that when we have the odds stacked against us, people pull together.  Faced with a challenge, we will find the courage, the resources, creativity, and the put-a-man-on-the-moon innovation necessary for a breakthrough.

We have this precious moment to assess our choices. With the gift of bright blue clarity, we can choose to focus on what is valuable to others and priceless to us.  Now that I have to slow down, I’m weighing how to create a more manageable life vs. going back into the rat race.

We can Lighten our load for the journey.  Does it still make sense to have all three kids enrolled in different age groups of extra circular activities between hockey, soccer, baseball, swimming, volleyball, and jujitsu?

Choose what matters most.  I now realize what I was missing without regular household meals around the table. We can tune our compass to travel a better path. 

What are your possibilities for creating something better?

Let’s act to meet the rest of this storm with the courage that comes with faith and hope.  

Mark the sign of these times, by listening to our local artist Rusty Wolfe’s Song, 

Shelter for Vaccine, on Facebook @MyMarinetteMenominee 

or hear it on local radio WHYB

Shelter for Vaccine

@MyMarinetteMenominee

The lyrics to our local artist Rusty Wolfe’s new song Shelter for Vaccine smoothly echoes the viral battle that has ripped the fabric of our human spirit. Any time in history before March 13, 2020, the song would have implied a different meaning than it does today. If it had played in the past decade, you would have thought it was the first song from the soundtrack of a Pixar movie. With phrases like:

“Stay together, while you’re apart.”

“It’s not safe in your dreams.”

“Look on the light side; you can’t share your straw.” 

Today these phrases reflect a blunt new reality. The only similarity it has to a children’s story would be a Grimm’s fable.

If you are feeling devastated, heartbroken, and sorrowful, you are at the center of a whole world feeling this too. How did we go from a past where “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” to I just need to buy a bottle of green hand sanitizer?

The Great Depression, two World Wars, The Assassination of a President, Y2K, 9/11, and The Great Recession have taught us we can recover. We faced those desperate times, our spirit amplified, and our hearts rewired for hope. We innovated. We got creative. And each time we fine-tuned what matters most to us.

This worldwide calamity is named “The Great Pause” by Julio Vincent Gambuto in his article, Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting. He explains, “the world has stopped.” I wonder, could this Great Pause be the Great Cause for us to write a better story than the one we are living? What purpose does this suffering serve, if we do not use it to pay forward the promise of a brighter future?

Listen to Rusty’s Song, Shelter for Vaccine, on Facebook @MyMarinetteMenominee or hear it on local radio WHYB

Emerge Stronger

While we cannot change our current circumstances, we can work on a plan for what the future could be.  Our business community is not going to look the same as it did before.  We must put aside our sadness and answer this question:  How do we grow a more vibrant small business community in our region?  Let’s take this time to decide how we emerge from this crisis stronger.  Marinette/Menominee is depending on us.

There are resources that you can tap into, and you might be surprised at how creative our local institutions are willing to be.  Contact your banker first.  I was encouraged when I contacted mine.  Not only was she ready for my call (she called me first to be accurate), she had several ideas on how she could help.

Governors Whitmer and Evers have both received approval from the Small Business Administration for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.  This is a loan program you can apply for today.   Senator Baldwin is working right now to include a provision for loan forgiveness for these EIDL loans for the small businesses that are able to keep their employees working during this slowdown.

Our friends at inVenture North are hard at work on a suite of products (app, website, etc) that they are going to offer to businesses at no charge while we are in this crisis.  Their efforts will help us emerge poised to take new steps.

There is strength in numbers.  We need to lobby our city, county, state, and federal governments for relief to help us survive this crisis.  Let’s band together and share our best ideas, distill them into an action plan, and proceed forward.  We may not have financial resources right now, but many of us have extra time on our hands.  Let’s use it to move forward together.

Please reach out if you have questions or ideas.  We look forward to getting together when the circumstances permit.

Sincerely,
Kim Brooks
kkbrooks@bellsouth.net

Keith Killen
k-killen@outlook.com

Roberta Davis
Roberta.davis@inventurenorth.com