Specht
Last night was Minden’s night to shine. Dignitaries, along with many members of our community, assembled at the Minden-South Webster Chamber of Commerce 75th Membership Banquet.
Gov. John Bel Edwards made the trip from Baton Rouge to give the keynote address, while we honored some of MInden’s finest citizens in the Man and Woman of the Year Awards. A good time was had by all.
The annual banquet reminds us that despite our challenges, there is a lot of good taking place in Minden. Our citizens are some of the finest anywhere.
Our city is often seen by outsiders as “quite a lovely place” with a “picturesque downtown” and “many conveniences of larger communities.” In recent weeks, I’ve visited towns of similar size to Minden within our geographic region. In my personal opinion, our home is in the top echelon of those communities.
So, are we perhaps too hard on ourselves? Yes and no. While we are better than many around us, Minden’s potential is far greater than any of us realize — if we are willing to strive for it.
When looking at some of the fastest growing small cities in America, (https://www.zippia.com/advice/fastest-growing-small-cities-in-america/), you will find many, many similarities to Minden. However, there are also some very real and drastic differences.
In the book, Start with Why, Simon Sinek says the “what” doesn’t matter if the team doesn’t understand the “why.” The “what” and the “how” are part of the process, but the “why” is the thing that makes a team buy in to the rest.
With that in mind, let’s ask, “Why do we want Minden to grow?” Here are a few of my reasons, but certainly not all of the potential “whys”
Minden needs to grow to provide a larger tax base, so that the cost of government, public works, public education, plus safety, etc. are not on the backs of a few.
A city on the grow is attractive to new industries, retail, restaurants, and entertainment. And, non-suburban communities need to reach roughly 20,000 population in order for those things to be real possibilities, according to some of my research.
A growing city is place where our children stay after graduation. They become a part of the fabric of our businesses, civic organizations, and the community at large. Personally, I am tired of our kids thinking they need to move away to chase their dreams.
Minden needs to grow to enhance our culture and the arts. The things that seem to make other cities “cool” are possible because of the number of citizens involved in such endeavors. More citizens equals more culture.
These are just some of mine. What are your reasons why Minden needs to grow? I’d love t hear them. So often, we get hung up on the “how” or the perceived impossibility of the task, but if enough people agree on the “why,” the “what,” “how,” and “when” can get done.
David Specht is president of Specht Newspapers Inc. He may be reached via email at [email protected].
Fastest Growing Small Cities Source: https://www.zippia.com/