Out of touch . . .

If you've been reading the posts in our Tarboro is Talking / Community Forum you know that our last T2S didn't draw the crowd we expected and certainly didn't draw the audience that the musicians deserved.  We had fantastic talented musicians ALL DAY and into the night, but turn-out was slim. I didn't count but I'd say that less than 500 people came downtown all day.

Factor in the huge jump in gas prices, the unseasonable hot weather, the last day of the Rocky Mount Fair, The Peanut Festival in Fountain, Speed's Big Day, The NCMN concert at the community college and I can understand why some people weren't there.  But even with all of those factors keeping people away from downtown, bear in mind that this is a town of approximately 10,000 people!  That's just counting Tarboro, not the folks who live outside of the city limits.

So, this past week, I've pondered on what is the cause for what appears to be lack of community support for T2S and what can be done about it.  

I believe that the same problem that I mentioned months ago, still exists.  Not only does it hinder the growth of the Tarboro's 2nd Saturdays event, it is hindering the growth of our town in many ways.

Simply.... we do not have a good way to reach all of our people.  Well, I take that back.  Several times in the past month or so I've received recorded messages on my telephone from some telephone emergency broadcasting system that our police have installed.  That worked great. We all knew about an escaped man. We all knew about a problem with the drinking water. It's super that we have that system in place for emergencies but, aside from that, let's take a look at the information exchange / networking systems available in Tarboro.

1) We have The Daily Southerner , our Monday through Friday newspaper that is struggling to stay alive like most of the small businesses in town.  According to the CNHI website, The Daily Southerner has a circulation of  3,575.  I suspect that the number may be quite lower but if that is a true statistic, it is still only reaching a portion of our local population. 

2) We have Channel 13 on the TV, with the televised "bulletin board" of town announcements.

3) We have WCPS-AM radio.

4) We have a variety of local groups that network to their members and associates (ie: The Chamber of Commerce, Community College, Heritage Hospital, The Arts Council, The Veteran's Museum, The Phoenix Society, The Quigless Center, The Grassroots of Tarboro, The Ebonettes, and other assorted clubs. )

5) We have the Rocky Mount newspapers, radio and local TV stations.

6) We have word of mouth, through the schools, the churches, the places of employment, and through friends.

Ok... that's what we have.  What we don't have is a single strong source for networking. One place, that is available to everyone, where ALL of the information can be exchanged.

I still believe that Tarboro/Edgecombe County needs a FREE weekly publication that is delivered to every household and made available for free pick-up at newsracks around the county.  We would start with the 9000 +/- households in the 27886 zipcode and expand until home delivery covers the entire county.

Considering our limited ability to reach all of the local people, and all of the other factors that may have affected the turn-out for last weekends festivities,  I guess we attracted a good sized crowd.  Some people went to other events.  Some people stayed at home because gas prices were high.  Some people thought it was too hot. Many people didn't even know about it.

Last month I spent nearly $600 on newspaper advertising for the T2S event.  I can honestly say, that was not money well-spent.   This month, I will focus my advertising efforts and dollars on reaching the folks in the Tarboro area that do not yet know about Tarboro's 2nd Saturdays.  My goal, by the end of the 2008, is to have at least 900 to 1000 local people coming downtown to enjoy the event.  That's approximately 10% of the population and not an unreasonable goal.  An event with that number of local attendees will, in turn, attract outsiders to attend.  A crowd always attracts a crowd.  We all know that.  If there are two events, one that attracts 100 people and one that attracts 1000 people, it is automatically assumed that the one with the larger crowd is the better of the two events.

In eastern North Carolina, the events that attract the larger crowds, often have been going on for decades.  Word of mouth is their best advertising.  They need only announce when and where and folks come in hordes.  It is new events such as ours that have to work at promotion, be persistant and be consistant.   We must keep doing what we are doing until the the 1,000's of people come.

Tarboro's 2nd Saturdays is a great event and I'm not just saying that because I help make it happen.  It has everything that a great event should have ... except a huge crowd.  The event looks good, it is neat, orderly, and attractive. There is a wide assortment of vendors and the local merchants benefit as well.  There is yummy food, from festival-type  snacks and treats to delicious entrees and satisfying meals.  Best of all, there is excellent entertainment, perhaps the ONLY live music venue each month in Tarboro. We have been attracting the best independent bands and musicians from all over the state.  Despite the small audience, each performer has told me how much they enjoyed the event and that they would love to come again.  They like the event because they see that it is well-planned and offers them a good opportunity to showcase their work.  We take good care of them and make sure that they are treated well.  John Levan, a terrific musician from Pittsburgh, who recently relocated to Raleigh, has played for T2S twice and what he likes most about playing Tarboro, is how appreciative, attentive and supportive the audience is.  It may not be a huge crowd, but those of us who come for the music truly do appreciate the opportunity to gather in our beautiful Courthouse Square with our neighbors and friends and listen to good live music.

We'll be creating about 10,000 glossy handbills to distribute this month and can use your help to reach as many local people as possible.  If you are willing to take a stack  of these cards to hand out, just let me know and I'll get them to you ASAP.

Is Tarboro a Progressive Town?

Recently the Clockwork Cabaret  brought Steampunk entertainment from the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area to downtown Tarboro.  In an interview following their visit the darling Davenport sisters, Emmett and Klaude,  talked about how receptive the people of Tarboro were to the unfamiliar neo-victorian genre.  The performing duo along with their costumed friends and fans had a wonderful time in our pretty historic town and were pleased by the "progressive attitude and welcoming acceptance" they had experienced during they brief stay.

Are we progressive?  What is a Progressive?

Once again, I headed off to find clear definition and deeper understanding and in my quest found the following contest winners who were asked to answer that very question: "What is a progressive?"

Carol S., Amherst, MA - (The Winner):

A progressive is someone who understands that it is the people of our country who make it great, and unless we take care of the people first, we'll never be successful in maintaining our greatness. Taking care of the people means providing healthcare for everyone. It means keeping the environment clean, safe and preserved. It means great schools and great jobs. It means improving the lives of families, rather than lining the pockets of big business, or big politicians. It means taking care of each other here, and around the world. We're all in this together.

Louis L., Sunnyvale, CA - (Runner Up):

A Progressive believes that a better life is possible for everyone. They know that when we make room at the table for everyone, we are all enriched. Progressives actively pursue new, more effective solutions to the problems we face as a people. Status quo is not a given; it is a challenge to do better.

Julie P., Hastings, NY - (Runner Up):

A progressive is someone who believes in the common good—in a fair shake for every person—and is willing to fight for it.

Cassandra B., Garden City, MI:

A progressive is someone who, instead of reaching backward for a nonexistent, idyllic past, works tirelessly toward bettering the future. A progressive recognizes that we are a product of our historical moment and that in order to escape the fate of repeating the same mistakes of the past we must continually reach forward, expand our ideas and break down the barriers that keep us apart.

Jean M., Richmond, CA:

A progressive is someone who cares about others as much as themselves. They are interested in making all of society a better place. They are not afraid to do the right thing because it benefits society as a whole, rather than doing something for selfish reasons. They realize that we are indeed our brother's keeper.

Craig S., Fort Collins, CO:

A progressive is a person who thinks the best is yet to come. Rather than yearning for 'the good old days' a progressive realizes that the best days are still ahead if we are willing to give up old ways that lead to failure and to take up new ways that lead to mutual success.

William W., Canada, MI:

A progressive is someone who understands that personal wellbeing cannot be separated from the wellbeing of society, and that we are all better and stronger when we work together for the common good. From the air and water that we all depend on, to the education of our neighbors' children, a progressive understands that none is immune from the effects of community underachievement. Today's progressive understands that the individual is most effective when all in society function highly.

After reading those explanations, I can honestly and clearly say, "Yes, Tarboro is progressive".  At least, the Grassroots of Tarboro is progressive and as more and more local people join us in our efforts to improve things  for all Tarboro citizens, we as a town will become MORE progressive.

Whenever anyone asks me to talk about what is good in Tarboro, I have to talk about the people.  Yes, we have some who live in the past and fear change, some who are they themselves comfortable and see no need to aid in ways that will provide comfort for their neighbors, but they are just a small percentage.  It takes all kinds to make an interesting community and Tarboro has all kinds. The majority of people in Tarboro understand community and without knowing that there is a word for it, they are progressive. They operate from a sense of pride for what we have and with sense of hope for what we will have.  They understand working together for the greater good. They understand that we, as a community, have the ability to create the greatness of the place in which we live.  What's good about Tarboro?  Once again, the answer is "We're here".  Our people are our biggest asset.  It is through the vision, energy, resourcefulness, and determination of the people that Tarboro is becoming recognized as one of the best places to live in North Carolina.

As the town leaders put forth their official efforts to attract new residents to retire here, I'm hoping that our UNofficial efforts will attract a  "target audience" that includes artists, craftspeople, teachers, dancers, writers, free-thinkers, designers, entrepreneurs, activists, environmentalists, recyclers,  gardeners, green-builders, school reformers, and progressive thinkers in all shapes and sizes.  If someone is looking for a place to call home that has all that they want or need (in a progressive manner), Tarboro can be that.  It is ripe for change and hungry for positive influence.  Want to make a difference? Want to help make a good town great?  Come to Tarboro.

What's going on in Tarboro?

What is going on in Tarboro?  I'm asking you because I've been so wrapped up in taking care of the T2S event that I haven't had time to chew the fat and hear what everybody's talking about.

I often wonder what is going on in other parts of town.  I know my neighborhood is quiet and peaceful, but is it that way for everyone in Tarboro?  I don't know, and I want to know.  We need to know.  It will be difficult to make Tarboro a better place for everyone who lives here if we don't know how everybody here is living now.

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a really good communication network in town.  I've said it many times, if we had some way to reach all of the people, to allow them to share information with each other, so much more positive growth would be possible here.

Perhaps the new town website, instead of just being a marketing tool to attract people TO town, what if it was the hub of the community. The place where everybody could go online, to share important information and stay informed.  That's only good if everybody in Tarboro had a computer and internet access and I doubt if they do.

I want a newspaper.  I want a weekly free community newspaper that is delivered on every Wednesday with the mail to every one of the 9500 delivery addresses in 27886 zipcode area.  I don't yet know exactly how it's going to happen, because I personally do not want to publish a newspaper and I haven't asked Mike Blanton, the publisher of the Daily Southerner,  if he wants to do it.

In the mean time, tell me what's going on in Tarboro. I sincerely want to know. You can comment here, start a discussion on  Tarboro Is Talking  or email me.

Update on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 09:56PM by Grassroots of Tarboro

While we're on the topic of newspapers.  I see there's a job opening at the Daily Southerner, Tarboro's hometown newspaper:

Immediate Opening / General Assignment Reporter
There's even an opportunity for some page design and photography on M-F daily commited to local news, features and photos.
Send your Resume to :
W. Terry Smith, Editor
The Daily Southerner
P.O. Box 1199
Tarboro, NC 27886
or tsmith@cnhi.com

A Tarboro Treasure

As a newly-forming grassroots organization we've been blessed in many ways.  There has been a fantastic show of support and appreciation from the community and our group of active members is growing in a steady manner.

Recently we received yet another blessing in the form of Milton Bullock.  Mr Bullock, also known as the Golden Platter heard about Tarboro's 2nd Saturdays and the Grassroots of Tarboro and volunteered to join us  in our efforts to revitalize our town.

We have needed an honorable and respected citizen to represent us in an official capacity and Mr Bullock is the perfect person for that job.  He has submitted our proposal to the town council requesting permission to use the courthouse square and the riverfront park for future 2nd Saturdays and will present that proposal at the next town council meeting on Monday, May 12th at 7:00pm at the town hall on Main Street.

We hope that many of you will attend the meeting to show your support for Mr Bullock, Tarboro's 2nd Saturdays and for the Grassroots of Tarboro.

The Wall

Often times when speaking with long-time town residents I've been informed that I may hit a "wall" when it comes to bringing in new ideas for Tarboro's future.

I believe that yesterday, I may have met that "wall", or at least a part of it.  It was not a huge insurmountable wall, only about 6 feet tall, but it's foundation and each block of life experience that formed it had been set decades ago.  It was solid and sturdy and determined to convince me that  it was much bigger, more important, and more powerful than I.

I must admit that, at first impression, I was saddened and a bit frustrated. I thought this wall might block the path that will lead Tarboro to revitalization. I wondered what I had done to attract this wall into our path and then, as if the sun had broken through the clouds,  I realized that the wall was not blocking our path at all. 

We are on a different path.