TWTWTW 2006.42 Fifty years later

I wanted to remember to commend the Press for the Week 42 issue. The front page stirred me to emulate my role model Tom Friedman and write "The Editorial I wish they would have written." Those of you who do not receive a Pelican Rapids Press will probably never hear about Week 42's front page news. I doubt other papers will pick it up or that it will end going out over the AP like the recent story about ISD548's (phantom) excess levy vote. You may hear about the Friends of Pelican Pete, but I doubt you will ever hear about the Friends of Jeff Boese. Jeff Boese is a local guy who, after getting a degree in social work, came back to 56572 four plus years ago to work in the Lutheran Social Service Refugee Resettlement Office on West Mill.

Bitter sweet was the headline. Sad that he is being let go as of today, yet burned out from the stress of many stressed even more, Jeff Boese is relieved that this chapter in his life is over.

The other headline is a final call for those who want to purchase a $1,200 five foot tall fiberglass and steel MiniPete statue to be placed somewhere on the summer sidewalks of 56572. Twelve have been verbally spoken for, twenty-five is the goal.

I assume that the goals are to A) make money for the Chamber of Commerce budget and for local artists, B) beautify 56572, C) increase tourism, i.e. get 56572 drive-thrus to stop, get out of the car and spend some money.

My thinking is like this:
The two things that keep 56572 afloat are:1) turkeys and 2) tourists.

Those who raise turkeys and those who process the turkeys to a marketable state work twelve months of the year. Payroll is continuous. What percentage of 56572 residents work a West Central? Let's guess and say 35%. More you say? Of that percentage, what percentage has been in this country less than say two years? Varies. These people need help with lifeskill issues. Corporate America provides a job and a safe working environment. Lifeskills are something you learn the hard way, by living and by making mistakes. Lucky are those who have a mentor. Lifeskill needs change. Dealing with your health care provider and insurer, dealing with the government, the law, cars, car insurance, drivers licenses, driving skills, customer service, credit card companies, banks, your neighbors, your spouse, your kids in 2006 America....all require changing lifeskills, ask anybody in 56572. People have questions, which turn into problems, which need attention. Jeff gave those with questions answers. If you saw people walking down West Mill smiling, chances are they had been to the ICU on West Mill and that Jeff (or Dianne) had helped them, worked them through it so hopefully next time they know how to cope.

In my eyes this is core economic development. We don't have to attract people to 56572. They come here for the job, the affordable housing, the safety of living in a small town with neighbors who eat the same things. What we do need to do is make Americans of them, Americans who know how to cope with 2006 America. We need to provide West Central with a stable workforce able to cope with stresses of the job and 2006 America. Our energy and our resources should go towards that goal

Tourists grace our streets three months of the year. Some businesses have to survive twelve months of the year on income generated during the summer. A business owner asked me this week,"Where are the customers?" Without tourists "Between the Lights 56572" would look much different. It's not Pelican Pete who brings tourists here, it's the one thousand lakes of Otter Tail County. As long as spending your weekend at the lake remains affordable, people will come here, with or without MiniPetes.

Twelve times twelve hundred is $14,400. Enough to keep Jeff Boese on the job another six months. Twenty-five MiniPetes times twelve hundred is $30,000. Maybe enough to keep Jeff on the job for another year. Some of our Otter Tail County United Way money goes to the LSS Office. Thank you for giving to UWOTC. Jeff was on their Board of Directors - as well as the Food Shelf Board, Soccer Coach, Multi-Cultural Committee and volunteer tax prep guy. Others, like the Pass it On store and area congregations donate generously to our LSS office. Some of the dollars LSS spends on the West Mill Office seem to be our federal tax dollars at work. You can put my federal tax dollars towards that any day, state and county tax dollars too.

It's fifty years on from 1956 when 56572 decided to build a Pelican. It's fifty years on from 1956 when a group of 56572 turkey growers started West Central Turkeys. Granted, some of problems of the times are the same, yet most are different. Today's problems go the core of our society. Social workers, stress therapists, conflict resolution specialists, mentors are what is needed today. These are new times with new challenges needing new creative outside the box thinking to address them. Committing energy and resource towards concrete and steel birds, no matter what the size, while letting a Social Doctor, who did so much for the socio-economic stability of 56572, leave the community is way more bitter than sweet. One less doctor in the ICU means more people in the waiting room, exactly what Jeff's office will now become.

It's probably too late for a Friends of Jeff Committee to save him. Yet Chamber members reading this might ponder what it really is that keeps the front door open. Aren't the seven hundred jobs up on the hill and the seven hundred people with adequate lifeskills to keep them right up there?

Farewell Jeff. Sorry we couldn't come up with a way to keep you. We won't know how valuable you were, until you're gone. On behalf of all those who you helped...thanks.