The evolution of a town is always a delicate act, as much art as commerce. A town that has been established for one reason may find the need to explore other options as times change, which inevitably, of course, they do. But the way a town changes is a thing well worth paying attention to, because it says a lot about the changes in our culture at large.
Look at the town of Hoquiam, Washington; it's a town going through changes. Established as a logging town, it maintains that history with events such as the Loggers' Playday. On top of that, there's a logging competition and accompanying parade every fall. So while it's important to preserve and celebrate a town's past, it's also necessary, sometimes, to invent new traditions.
Take, for example, the waterfront. This part of the city's downtown has not been well used since a 1980s Renaissance. But with the possibilities presented by new development, suddenly there's a chance that it can become a hub for the area. This city can't just rely on logging contests forever -- there's got to be more to a city's life than that.
There's ample area on the waterfront for new amenities such as shopping and entertainment, features that make a town a good place to visit. Waterfront development has been a major boon for cities such as Baltimore and San Antonio. For those towns, like this one, this area becomes a natural place to congregate, to put in shops and dining opportunities. The river itself becomes a major draw, a natural feature that lends the downtown its own special beauty while giving people a place to have a drink.
The town has a good, and good-natured reason, to revitalize its waterfront. It has a bit of a rivalry with its neighbor and sister city Aberdeen, the larger town to its east. Often bigger cities get more tourism, more tax money, more opportunities, than the smaller neighbor nearby. Kind of like the older sibling who gets the new clothes and leaves the hand-me-downs for the younger kid. If Hoquiam could get organized and turn its downtown into a beautiful and usable waterfront district, it would have a good chance at showing its big brother next door what a real town is like.
It is important to hang on to heritage and history. It's also important to reach out to new opportunities. Small towns like Hoquiam should be unafraid of change -- the best cities straddle centuries, after all.
Look at the town of Hoquiam, Washington; it's a town going through changes. Established as a logging town, it maintains that history with events such as the Loggers' Playday. On top of that, there's a logging competition and accompanying parade every fall. So while it's important to preserve and celebrate a town's past, it's also necessary, sometimes, to invent new traditions.
Take, for example, the waterfront. This part of the city's downtown has not been well used since a 1980s Renaissance. But with the possibilities presented by new development, suddenly there's a chance that it can become a hub for the area. This city can't just rely on logging contests forever -- there's got to be more to a city's life than that.
There's ample area on the waterfront for new amenities such as shopping and entertainment, features that make a town a good place to visit. Waterfront development has been a major boon for cities such as Baltimore and San Antonio. For those towns, like this one, this area becomes a natural place to congregate, to put in shops and dining opportunities. The river itself becomes a major draw, a natural feature that lends the downtown its own special beauty while giving people a place to have a drink.
The town has a good, and good-natured reason, to revitalize its waterfront. It has a bit of a rivalry with its neighbor and sister city Aberdeen, the larger town to its east. Often bigger cities get more tourism, more tax money, more opportunities, than the smaller neighbor nearby. Kind of like the older sibling who gets the new clothes and leaves the hand-me-downs for the younger kid. If Hoquiam could get organized and turn its downtown into a beautiful and usable waterfront district, it would have a good chance at showing its big brother next door what a real town is like.
It is important to hang on to heritage and history. It's also important to reach out to new opportunities. Small towns like Hoquiam should be unafraid of change -- the best cities straddle centuries, after all.
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