"All change rests on the full, albeit temporary acceptance of the way things are." Virginia SatirWalla Walla City Council Member Barbara Clark sent an email yesterday afternoon, asking for two declarative sentences describing how the Port-sponsored Community Indicator Initiative is different from what Riding The Wave is doing.
Here's my response:
"The Port's initiative is about implementing an inclusive process for putting on public display, data representing the way it is (and has been). As I understand it, RTW is about using that data to change the way it is."
3 comments:
The Port of Walla Walla's information covers Walla Walla County, which is their purpose. Riding the Wave is looking at a wider region that is economically connected which includes Walla Walla and Waitsburg in Walla Walla County, Dayton in Columbia County and Milton-Freewater in northern Umatilla County.
Debbie:
Thanks for your comment. I've been concerned that some might think that this Initiative wouldn't or couldn't display data for 'the valley,' simply because the Port was funding the effort. I spoke with Jim Kuntz as well as the EWU Institute about this issue, and neither saw any reason NOT to include whatever geographical scope the community finds meaningful.
The scope of this initiative can be whatever the community would like it to be. True, some of the Port's present data is for Walla Walla County, but if (sometimes a BIG if) the data is available for a wider region, and the community wants that data presented, there are no barriers to presenting. david schmaltz
This distinction between the Riding the Wave effort and the Port sponsored Community Indicator Initiative seems like asking for a distinction between a particle and a wave.
From what I've observed, Riding the Wave grew out of a number of conversations about regional sustainability, economic development, and community involvement. One of these conversations in which I was involved early on was about community indicators and dashboards. I particularly remember this because it was while Randal Son and I were researching community indicators and a dashborad for his then fledgling Many Waters Community Development organization that we ran into Greg Forge at the Sustainability Northwest conference in March 2005. He was looking for some traction for his idea for a community organization to manage change - which has ultimately turned into Riding the Wave.
At that point in time, Randal and I had held a few conversations and at least one brainstorming session (held at the eastgate mexican restaurant that is now El Sombrero) about community indicators with the MWCD Advisory Committee.
If I'm not mistaken, the March 2005 Sustainability Northwest conference was where Greg first met the people from the Northwest Area Foundation. This is the organization that has provided start-up funding and guidance for Riding the Wave.
Now, about the Port's involvement - I understand that the Port (Jim Kuntz and Paul Gerola) was invited into those earliest conversations of what was then called CVAC as members of the steering committee. Over the last couple years this group has evolved into the Riding the Wave advisory committee.
[I hope someone who was on the inside of that effort will confirm or amend my understanding if it isn't quite accurate].
The Port, having been part of these earliest conversations and supporting the value of the fact-based decision-making which JCCI and Riding the Wave has championed, was pleased to offer up resources to get this long-simmering initiative moving when EWU approached them about bringing a Community Indicator Initiative to Walla Walla.
So, back to my particle/wave comment. I see the Community Indicator Initiative as a particular (particle-based) tangible, concrete project to produce a lasting resource that Riding the Wave and other community groups and efforts can leverage. Riding the Wave, being, well, a wave - an on-going effort, will use that resource - or at least I would imagine they will find great value in doing so.
It made sense to me that the Port would be involved in those early Riding the Wave conversations and for them to be able to fund a resource that Riding the Wave has championed. So, to me, these things seem to fit remarkably well together. Don't they to you too?
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