During a job interview 21 years ago, then job applicant Stephen J. Lawrence was asked a typical interview question: Where did he see himself in five years? His answer: As director of Animal Services and Enforcement, overseeing an upgraded facility … Continue reading →
Keeping a city alive and well when the economy makes a major shift requires generous touches of both creativity and courage. So, when Bay City, Mich., began the shift from an industrial economy to a tourism-based economy, city officials … Continue reading →
You might be wondering what a locavore is. Well, they are people who prefer to mainly eat foods sourced from their local region, and as LawnStarter.com notes, interest in locally sourced foods has only grown during the pandemic. “But not … Continue reading →
It’s not unusual for a city to make use of its natural resources, like a riverfront. What is unusual, perhaps, is how exactly the city of Port Neches, Texas went about its riverfront development. In 2005, two tracts of … Continue reading →
Calm settles over Tarleton State University. Another bustling day has come to an end as hundreds of lampposts across the Stephenville, Texas, campus wink on to guide lingering students back to their dorms. A purple glow emanates from nine buildings … Continue reading →
Each year, the National Civic League awards cities nationwide with the All-America Cities Award, acknowledging their efforts to improve their residents’ lives. The 2020 award focused on health and wellness, and 10 cities overcame numerous challenges, including a global … Continue reading →
Economic development is necessary for any community to grow and thrive. For smaller cities, however, this can be a struggle, especially when they sit in the shadows of major metropolitan areas. In these cases, public-private partnerships like Startup Waco … Continue reading →
Visit Monhegan Island, Maine, a small tourist community about a dozen miles off the central Maine coast, and you are likely to find a plethora of stunning and intriguing attractions but very few people waiting in line. A line graph … Continue reading →
When Sheriff Steve Draper of Martinsville, Va., took office in 1994, the department of public works was in charge of the city farm. When the farm came under the purview of the sheriff’s office, Draper decided he wanted to change … Continue reading →
The state of Maine is making history with the opening of the Coastal Resources of Maine recycling facility in Hampden, a city of about 7,000 on the Penobscot River. The plant is the first next-generation recycling facility in the country, … Continue reading →
Ever driven by an overgrown, weed-filled, debris-strewn vacant lot and thought, “That field’s a huge blight on our neighborhood. Wish I could afford it; I’d buy it and really fix it up.” Well, in Akron, Ohio; Memphis, Tenn.; Beatrice, Neb.; … Continue reading →
