Posts Tagged ‘faulkton sd’

What’s a movie theater got to do with anything?

July 13th, 2010

Faulkton, SD (pop. 785) has a movie theater.  While doing some work in community a few years ago, the subject of the movie theater came up repeatedly in conversations.  Comments ran the gamut;  most residents greatly appreciated the theater because it gave them “something to do.”  A few, usually young people, lamented they didn’t go there much because it usually took weeks for new movies to make their way to town. 

As we think more about talent attraction, we’re going to be asking, “What are the key amenities that will attract talented individuals to small towns?”  I’m not a big moviegoer, so I tend to discount the idea of a theater as a key attractor.  But an article in the New York Times, suggests there’s something special going on at small town theaters.  (read article here)

The article notes that movie theaters are on the rise in small towns across Rural America, a trend running contrary to most economic activity.  It also identifies a special relationship between these theaters and town residents. 

“If we were in Los Angeles or Phoenix, the only reason to go to a movie would be to see it,” said Cecile Wehrman, a newspaper editor who, with members of the nonprofit Meadowlark Arts Council resuscitated the Dakota in Crosby, its plush interiors now a chic black, red and silver. “But in a small town, the theater is like a neighborhood. It’s the see-and-be-seen, bring everyone and sit together kind of place.”  (source:  Patricia Leigh Brown, “Old Movie Houses Find Audience in the Plains,” New York Times, July 4, 2010.)

It’s interesting to me that small movie theaters are on the rise at a time when movie rental businesses are closing down.

It’s never been easier for us to stay in our homes. Download a movie or surf the net; we never have to leave.  But the fact is that people want to get out and socialize.  They want to feel the neighborliness that some theaters like the one in Crosby, ND provide.   It’s clearly about the experience. 

I’m not saying that every small town should rush out to develop a movie theater as a key component of its talent attraction strategy.  But I hope they think about how they can create a way to help people connect. 

 

Note:  The NY Times article tells us that ND has 31 operating historic movie theaters.  I know of a few in SD, including Platte, Britton, and Tripp.  I’m wondering how the number in SD compares to ND.  Can anyone help me out?

 

Photo Credit:  joseph a – Flickr

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Gen X, Gen Y & Community Involvement

December 5th, 2008

The other evening, the residents of Faulkton, SD asked Lindsey, Joe, and myself what Faulkton could be done to get younger people involved in their community.  They explained it doesn’t seem to matter what group is meeting or what activity is being planned; people under age 45 just don’t show up.

We assured them Faulkton is not alone is this.  People being busy is a real issue today; but there are also some real generational issues also at play that impact involvement.   

Generally the post-Baby Boom generations are referred to as Generations X (born roughly between 1965 and 1980) and Generation Y (born roughly between the late1970′s and 2000).  They have very different expectations on life than older generations.  If you want them involved in your organization, you may have to change your organization’s practices and behavior. 

I’m going to start by providing two videos about Gen Y and follow up next with more detailed characteristics of both generations in future posts. 

I’m sharing two videos for a purpose.  One was definitely created by a Gen Y, while the other was probably created by a Gen X or maybe even a Baby Boomer.  Can you figure out which is which?

Video #1
 

Video #2

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Blog about your rural community

November 12th, 2008

Blogging is a great way for rural communities to connect to people both within and outside their community. The Rural Learning Center has been setting up blogs in the communities they work for the last three years. (Check out the Faulkton, SD blog here.)

If you are looking to establish a community blog, I’d encourage you to look at the presentation and read the post created by Ann Treacy of the Minnesota Horizons program. The presentation was created specifically for communities that are members of the Horizon’s program, but there’s still lots of good ideas in there for everyone interested in a community blog. Ann also provides additional information on how to use programs like Flickr and Picnik, so you’ll want to check out her whole post.

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