People are talking

Last week, as thousands of copies of Vital Signs were delivered to the homes of Daily Tribune subscribers, I wrote a column asking that residents use the report to have conversations with their friends, neighbors and elected officials for our region’s future.

In the days since the report was released, I’m happy to report that the conversation has begun. Residents have shared that they appreciate the addition of new data to this year’s report, and feel excited about the opportunities Vital Signs presents.

What makes Vital Signs so important to our community?

Vital Signs is a snapshot of us — the people and institutions that make up the south Wood County area.

Inside is up-to-date information about south Wood County’s schools, businesses, economy, and the engagement of its residents. Vital Signs tells us where we’ve been and where we’re going.

At Incourage, we continue to invest in this research and report because we believe good data is needed to make good decisions and measure impact. As you flip through Vital Signs’ pages, take note of the places where we succeed. The latest edition shows that our area continues to be a beautiful and vibrant place to live. Our high school dropout rate is lower than state and national averages, while the percentage of our residents who’ve earned an associate degree is higher. Crime is low in our area, with society crimes falling 30 percent over the last six years, and OWIs falling by 32 percent. The people of south Wood County also care about one another. Volunteerism increased in 2012, with the United Way of Inner Wisconsin reporting 193,000 hours worked — the equivalent of 96 full-time jobs.

But while we celebrate our successes, let us also acknowledge the challenges (and opportunities) the data presents in areas such as the changing manufacturing employment base and our aging population.

Inside the report you will also find information about our many community partnerships, including: Workforce Central, which matches local worker skills with employer needs, and the Regional Economic Growth Initiative (REGI), a forward-thinking partnership that promotes collaboration to pursue common economic growth strategies. There is also the new Business-Education Partnership Committee designed to increase communication and improve understanding between students and business owners. It also works to coordinate investments for local job growth projects and industry.

These are just a few of the efforts underway in the community. I’m sure you are aware of more. The data in this report is not meant to sit on a shelf. It is meant to spur conversations, partnerships and action.  

Let’s keep the conversation going. Call, e-mail, Facebook, tweet or post your thoughts below. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for reading.

Kelly

Good News for the Daily Tribune Building

He believed firmly in the role of educated and activist citizens in a democratic government.

-  Obituary of William F. Huffman, former owner and publisher of the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

These words embody the spirit and vision of Incourage’s recent purchase of the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune building. 

William F. Huffman helped develop Riverview Hospital, and he was the founding director of both the South Wood County Economic Development Corporation and the South Wood County YMCA. He also financed city parks, scholarships and awards which continue to benefit the residents of our community. For that, Mr. Huffman was awarded the Wisconsin Rapids Citizen of the Year award in 1965. During his acceptance speech, Mr. Huffman said, “If a fellow can get this just for doing his duty, what a wonderful world it would be if we all really tried.”

Incourage shares Mr. Huffman’s sentiments as we progress with the development of the building he once owned. 

Concordia, a unique community-centered planning and design firm based in New Orleans, will design and develop the process for the adaptive reuse of the Daily Tribune Building. We selected Concordia for their expertise in organizing resident-led projects. They’ve completed fantastic redevelopment work, like the Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn, Mich. and the Liberian Renaissance Education Complex, a K-12 school, in the West African nation of Liberia. Concordia also organized a resident-led plan to revitalize New Orleans’ Upper 9th Ward neighborhood, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. 

Most importantly, Concordia shares the values of Incourage and Mr. Huffman. They believe, like we do, that residents should have a voice in their community and the opportunity to shape its future. They share our view that local contractors using local resources should be the ones to do the work. And in each of their projects, Concordia strives to incorporate the local history and culture into the structure’s design. 

Their work, along with others like the Market Creek development in San Diego, are our inspiration as we continue the process of transforming the Daily Tribune building. 

You can find out more about Concordia at www.concordia.com. More information about the Market Creek development is available at www.marketcreek.com. 

Your participation in this process is vital! Get involved by taking a tour of the Daily Tribune building during Cranberry Blossom Festival, June 20-23. Call 715-423-3863 or email hello@incouragecf.org to reserve your tour.

Thanks for reading,
Kelly

Farewell to Heart-Home Hero

My friend Ruth Barker, a woman of great faith and unparalleled generosity, passed away last week. She was 84.

I last saw Ruth at Christmastime in Milwaukee, where she had moved to spend the last years of her life surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Although her cancer had returned, Ruth’s spirit remained as strong as the day we first met.

And, like always, Wisconsin Rapids was on her mind.

Ruth & Hartley Barker

Ruth was one of this community’s greatest champions. She called Wisconsin Rapids her “heart home” because no matter how far she strayed, the city and its residents were never far from that most vital organ. Ruth loved this town and she spent her life showing it.

As a member of the storied Mead Family, Ruth was able to contribute vast sums of her fortune back to the community.

She was the granddaughter of George Mead I, one of the founders of Consolidated Papers, Inc., and she served on the company’s Board of Directors for eight years until its sale to Stora Enso in 2000.

After the sale, Ruth was pained to learn about the job losses plaguing her hometown. She felt like it was beyond her control, but also felt a deep desire to help in some way. In 2001, Ruth and her husband, Hartley, established the $4.8 million Ruth and Hartley Barker Advised Fund here at Incourage.

Three years later, the couple partnered with Ruth’s cousin, Gilbert Mead, and his wife, Jaylee, to establish the Barker Mead Fund. Their initial gift provided matching for $1 million funding community projects at 30 local organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools Endowment Fund, Arts Council of South Wood County and more.

                                          

It’s not a stretch to say that there isn’t a single nonprofit organization in our community that wasn’t helped by Ruth’s generosity.

Take a drive around south Wood County and it won’t be long before you pass a structure Ruth helped fund, or a person she helped succeed. Because of her long-term commitment to The Family Center, local victims of spousal abuse are given shelter and aid in a new facility on 25th Street North. The University of Wisconsin Cancer Center Riverview stands as a tribute to Ruth’s largesse and her commitment to the health and wellbeing of the city’s residents. And behind Grove Elementary School there’s a handicapped-accessible playground Ruth helped build. 

Even here, in the offices of Incourage, her influence is everywhere. Our building would not exist today were it not for Ruth. Our mission -- which she so accurately and bravely described as “social justice” -- would not be as strong.

But Ruth was more than her money. She was a quiet philanthropist. Someone who believed in goodness for goodness-sake. She was quick to smile, but firm in her convictions.

Above all, Ruth was my friend.

She will be missed.

Kelly