Any small town is a study of the small decisions that shape it. And those decisions, made by residents and businesspeople and the government that runs it, often take it in directions it might never have seemed able to go. But there it is: sometimes towns grow all on their own, and it seems like there's nothing to be done but watch the changes, like a rebellious teenager. Sometimes, of course, it's time to make big decisions too.
The town of Hoquiam, Washington is in the middle of these considerations at the moment. Historically a logging town in the lumber rich Pacific Northwest, Hoquiam has preserved its heritage through a variety of events. There's the annual, and internationally famous, Loggers' Playday, as well as logging competitions and parades in the fall. Now it has to consider whether it wants to grow.
From the River's Mouth to You
Hoquiam's waterfront is at the center of its ongoing discussion of how Hoquiam will grow in the coming years. The Hoquiam River flows through the city's downtown, emptying into Grays Harbor, all in all a lovely natural feature and abundant with potential. A well-used waterway did good things for Baltimore, and practically put San Antonio on the tourist map. Is Hoquiam ready for waterfront dining and entertainment?
The Hoquiam waterfront hasn't seen much action since its heyday in the 1980s, but now there is development interest, and so the community has to think seriously about what kind of town it may want to become. Development is obviously no guarantee of success, nor will it necessarily turn Hoquiam into a metropolis, but decisions need to be made collectively, because of course growth isn't free -- tax money is the ruche fertilizer for civic growth.
A Becoming City
One of the perhaps important factors to consider is Hoquiam's neighbor to the west, the larger city of Aberdeen. These two towns have had a friendly sort of rivalry, as neighboring towns will. But it bears consideration to think about how bigger towns often benefit at the expense of their smaller siblings -- tax money and tourism being just two ways bigger towns get ahead. Hoquiam's decision to grow might bear upon its rival in interesting ways.
For Hoquiam, the goal will be to encourage progress and development without forsaking its history, its heritage, and without becoming some other town entirely. Which means thinking seriously, as a community, about where they came from and where they're going. And who to lead them where they're going. And, lastly, how exactly to do that.
The town of Hoquiam, Washington is in the middle of these considerations at the moment. Historically a logging town in the lumber rich Pacific Northwest, Hoquiam has preserved its heritage through a variety of events. There's the annual, and internationally famous, Loggers' Playday, as well as logging competitions and parades in the fall. Now it has to consider whether it wants to grow.
From the River's Mouth to You
Hoquiam's waterfront is at the center of its ongoing discussion of how Hoquiam will grow in the coming years. The Hoquiam River flows through the city's downtown, emptying into Grays Harbor, all in all a lovely natural feature and abundant with potential. A well-used waterway did good things for Baltimore, and practically put San Antonio on the tourist map. Is Hoquiam ready for waterfront dining and entertainment?
The Hoquiam waterfront hasn't seen much action since its heyday in the 1980s, but now there is development interest, and so the community has to think seriously about what kind of town it may want to become. Development is obviously no guarantee of success, nor will it necessarily turn Hoquiam into a metropolis, but decisions need to be made collectively, because of course growth isn't free -- tax money is the ruche fertilizer for civic growth.
A Becoming City
One of the perhaps important factors to consider is Hoquiam's neighbor to the west, the larger city of Aberdeen. These two towns have had a friendly sort of rivalry, as neighboring towns will. But it bears consideration to think about how bigger towns often benefit at the expense of their smaller siblings -- tax money and tourism being just two ways bigger towns get ahead. Hoquiam's decision to grow might bear upon its rival in interesting ways.
For Hoquiam, the goal will be to encourage progress and development without forsaking its history, its heritage, and without becoming some other town entirely. Which means thinking seriously, as a community, about where they came from and where they're going. And who to lead them where they're going. And, lastly, how exactly to do that.
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