“More recently there’s been the issue of GrandGoods. A big box store that’s made a lot of empty promises about the benefits it could bring to this community. Now it’s true, if they came, there would likely be some possible short-term benefits. They agreed to contract for local labor to build the store, to use local suppliers for materials where possible. They’ve even agreed to pay for the necessary infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the exponential increase in traffic and utilities. But that’s a slippery slope. Once a place like GrandGoods gains a foothold, then come other chains. Big businesses that don’t know us, don’t care about us, and don’t add value to the quality of life in this town. With that comes the same kind of sprawl, traffic congestion, environmental degradation, loss of community, and the economic and social segregation that’s seen nationwide. And that’s touted by many as progress.” Her eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with a disdain that had the crowd shifting.
“But I’m here to present to you a different vision of progress. One that plays to Wishful’s strengths. The solution lies not in bringing in outsiders to save the town but in leveraging the resources the town already has.”
The first glimmer of positive had the crowd’s focus sharpening. Bodies leaned forward, attentive.
Reel them in, sweetheart.
“So we’re a little caught in the past. We can play to that. Focus on the glory of bygone days and ramp up the nostalgia. Wishful is a little slice of Southern Americana. A place where people can come and remember what life used to be like. A place that's about community and, most of all, about family.” Cam saw her search out Miranda’s parents and nod. “It's something that people in this country so desperately long for in a society that's over-connected and simultaneously as isolated as it’s ever been. Wishful is a place that can remind people of what's really important in life. It can give the most vital resource and commodity of all: hope. Because Wishful is the town where hope springs eternal. Literally. And we can capitalize on that with a fully developed rural tourism campaign.”
Listening to her outline the concept, the assets already in place, and how they might be utilized, Cam recognized the disservice he’d done when he’d pushed her into a quick and dirty presentation for the Council. This was so much more full-bodied and emotionally-charged. All around the room, he could see and sense the tide turning, exactly as she’d said it would.
“Rural tourism has positive benefits for the economy. Most of the revenue generated from outside visitors would stay within the local economy—unlike GrandGoods, whose profits would be returned to the parent company and spent on foreign suppliers. Beyond the gains from direct sales of goods and services to visitors, tourism creates new jobs within the community, which helps prevent population drift and maintains the tax base. Income derived from tourism can help maintain and improve local infrastructure and services, which in turn, improves the quality of life for the community at large. Rural tourism also promotes environmental conservation and protection. GrandGoods came here planning to buy Abe Costello's land and build their store right on the shores of Hope Springs, one of Wishful's greatest assets. Well, that’s not going to happen. I believe so much in what we’re trying to accomplish here that I bought it myself. The property will be donated to the city with express instructions that it be preserved and cultivated into a public park that will benefit locals and tourists alike. Landscape architect Campbell Crawford is here to present the design.”
Norah stepped back, arms open to welcome him onto the stage. With a bracing breath, Cam joined her. Feeling the weight of so many eyes, he wished desperately for something to do with his hands. He took up a position behind the podium and gripped the edges to keep from shoving them in his pockets.
“Those of you who know me know I’ve wanted to put a park out at Hope Springs for years. I’ve toyed with the design off and on, but I never truly thought I’d get the opportunity to make it a reality.”
He shared a long look with Norah that had his nerves smoothing out. She’d done this as much for him as for the town. She’d given him this dream and inspired bigger ones.
“Tonight, I’d like to give the rest of you a glimpse into that reality.”
Behind him, the screen flashed to the first of his slides, and the crowd burst out with audible ooos and ahhs. Through some serious graphic design mojo, Cecily had turned his concept renderings into art that the audience could almost step right into. And that was why someone, someday, was going to pay her the big bucks.
Cam lost himself in the presentation after that, taking his audience on a virtual tour of the park that would both enhance and respect the environmental integrity of his favorite place on earth. By the time he handed the reins back to Norah, he held the assembly in almost as much awe as she did.
“Thanks Cam. That’ll be beautiful.” She waited for him to step down before she continued. “Now I know this may seem pretty out there to some of you, but the fact is that successful small-town development has mostly shifted away from traditional strategies and is now being driven by smaller, local efforts, with a very inward focus. Those towns that have managed to reinvent themselves aren't focused on luring huge corporations that could pick up and leave exactly as Comfort Coil and Heirloom Home Furnishings did. While funding may be national, regional, or state level, the knowledge base and the action is very much local. Small towns are the heart of the South. While other parts of the country are trying to recover a sense of pedestrian scale and small town life, Wishful is right here with all these qualities intact—just waiting for revitalization. The success of such a revitalization will be as a result of historic preservation, sustainable new development and planning. There has, up to this point, been a significant lack of technical planning skills and resources in city government. That’s not meant as a criticism of the system, but a statement of fact. The world has changed and Wishful hasn’t had the economic resources or support needed to change with it.
“That changes today. I stand before you as an authorized representative of Peyton Consolidated. Through their non-profit arm, Peyton Consolidated has been at the helm of numerous urban renewal projects around the country.” Behind her, the slides flashed by as she listed each, showing the dismal befores and the astonishing afters. “With Wishful, Peyton Consolidated wants to expand its mission to include the revitalization of small town America. The Mayor’s Office has been provided with a Memorandum of Understanding from Peyton Consolidated, outlining,
in very clear terms, the funding and resources the company is prepared to leverage in support of this venture. In addition, Wishful has been presented with a mentorship agreement with Balenmore, Colorado, a small-town that’s made rural tourism a rousing success. They’re eager to partner with us in order to help us realize our own rebirth.”
Norah spread her hands, the picture of transparency. “There are no strings here. No hidden agendas. Just the support and resources Wishful needs to bring itself back to life. So think about what you want Wishful to be. Another cookie-cutter, homogenized town, with no cultural identity. Or a beacon of hope in a world where that’s an increasingly rare commodity. The future and the decision are in your hands. Please remember that as you head to the polls tomorrow. Thank you.”
Thunderous applause followed her off the stage and trailed them out the door into the hall.
“You nailed that.”
Norah slipped her hand in his. “We nailed that.”
“You ever think about going into politics? You’d be great at it. Eloquent. Magnetic. Persuasive.”
She shuddered. “No thank you. I’ll leave that to you and your mom.”
“I’m pretty sure all of them would follow you into war.” He tugged her to a stop and pulled her up against him. “I know I’d follow you anywhere.”
“Well they don’t have to go to battle, just to the polls. Let’s hope they turn out in droves and vote the way we want.”
Chapter 25
“It’s a really important vote today. We’ve got volunteer-driven Pollmobiles running in every voting precinct in town until the polls close tonight at nine, so we’re expecting unprecedented turnout.”
Cam did his best to keep his eyes on the reporter interviewing him rather than letting them stray to the enemy camp set up at the other end of the green, but it was a tough thing. The bright orange tents emblazoned with the GrandGoods logo screamed look at us! So did the steady stream of people circulating through them.
“Tell us what the store size cap would mean for Wishful.”
He explained the proposed statute as simply and briefly as he could, thinking Norah would’ve done it with more flare. But the reporter wanted someone from city government and his mother was MIA at the moment.
When he finished, the reporter turned to her cameraman. “Nearly every business in town is displaying posters in support of the size cap, and as you can see from the sea of red YES caps behind me, the proposed law has a lot of supporters. We’ll be back this evening with an update on this important referendum. WTVA News. Deanna Fossett reporting.”