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Take this chance to make your wish list

Ever wished that Sweet Home had (select from the following) €¦

A drive-through car wash?

A sit-down, full-service coffee shop, maybe with a bakery?

A store that served genuine ice cream on a hot summer’s day?

A full-service diesel shop?

Full-service chain saw/outboard motor/ATV engine repair?

Equipment rentals?

A plumber?

A steakhouse or other higher-end restaurant?

A department store?

Marine equipment and boat rentals?

A store that focuses on retail firearms?

Appliance sales and/or repair?

Glass sales?

Etc. Etc.

OK, OK. I’m sure you can think of plenty of things that would be convenient to buy locally and, before you write outraged letters or pick up the phone to let me know that we already have some of the above, possibly offered by you, let me add that the above list is all things I have heard others mention.

If they do exist in Sweet Home, people apparently don’t know it. Or maybe there’s room for more such goods and services.

If you read last week’s paper, you may have seen our report about a market study that is being conducted here in Sweet Home to get feedback from the public about what services and commodities local residents think are needed here, what business people need to be successful here, and basically just to try to get a handle on the economic situation in the community and how it can be improved.

The city and Sweet Home Economic Development Group (SHEDG)/Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort (SHARE) have collaborated to hire Marketek Inc. to do the study. The research firm, based in Atlanta and Portland, has done this for other communities across the country, many very similar to Sweet Home. One was Lebanon, where Marketek did a study of the possibilities of developing upper-story housing in downtown buildings.

Marketek’s assignment in Sweet Home is to gather opinions and ideas from the local populace to be used in creating an action plan to strengthen and diversify the local economy.

If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that progress is being made in achieving some of the goals for which the Oregon Jamboree was established almost 20 years ago. The SHARE effort is a year and a half old and is still alive and well.

Progress is being made on a number of fronts, as we’ve reported in recent months. The hiring of a full-time expert to help direct the economic revitalization effort is well under way; events such as the Salebration garage sale, designed to bring people to the downtown commercial district, have been successful; façade improvements have been completed on some businesses and there have been several downtown cleanup efforts. And now we have this study.

The Jamboree was founded to raise the revenue required to make the changes necessary to turn things around economically in Sweet Home. After a few false starts and some growing pains, it seems we finally have momentum.

You can help keep that momentum going by filling out this survey.

Marketek has posted surveys for customers and for business owners on the city Web site, http://www.sweet-

home.or.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=43. Deadline is Nov. 1.

This is your chance to have your say about what you think Sweet Home needs. Where would you like to shop that you can’t?

Statistically, the more people who participate in a survey, the more believable the outcome is. That’s why it’s important for as many local residents as possible to take part.

To put together an economic development plan that has a chance of succeeding, our input is going to be vital €“ whether you’re 15 or 55. (The survey is open to anyone 14 or older who lives or works in Sweet Home.)

The shoppers survey is 20 mostly multiple-choice questions that shouldn’t take more than five or 10 minutes to complete on-line. It asks where and when you most often shop, why, what you think is needed in Sweet Home, why you do or don’t shop here, the advantages and disadvantages of shopping here, etc.

The business survey asks what type of business you operate, what the advantages and disadvantages are of doing business in town, how business has been going, what you see as the major obstacles facing your business, what you think the downtown needs, what types of assistance might help your business, etc.

Everything you say is confidential. Though the business survey will ask for your business name and contact information, your survey responses cannot be linked to you.

For those who don’t have computer access, you can pick up a hard copy in City Hall at City Manager Craig Martin’s office.

Think about how a clear picture of the needs and wants of local citizens will help the businesses here. Think about how that kind of information would be helpful to a company thinking about putting a store here. Think about how local government officials might benefit from knowing how their policies affect businesses.

Say your piece and pass the word.

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