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THE SHIFTING & POSITIVE FUTURE OF YORK COUNTY: An Article and a Video That Might Surprise You

2011-12-08T12:16:00.019-05:00

(Please be sure to watch the video at the bottom after reading this).

The key to understanding the future of York County is to take a moment and drop all preconceived notions.

In the past, we have mistakenly assumed that the suburbs would always be the venue for growth in our community and our country. It appears clear that this will not be the case during the next 10 - 15 years.

We have mistakenly assumed that home ownership would always reign supreme. It will not for at least the next 5 - 10 years.

We have mistakenly assumed that middle class and affluent citizens would always prefer to live, shop, dine and play in the suburbs. A small portion of these middle class and affluent individuals will be thinking in different terms for at least the next 5 to 10 years. They will surprise everyone with their lifestyle, entertainment and residential choices.

Many people focus on young professionals as potentially driving the downtown renaissance. But the baby boomers / empty nesters will play just as significant a role.

The baby boomer generation has changed the game for the country at every stage of their lives. The large majority of them are presently in the process of reevaluating their living situation. 5% of the boomers are likely to move into downtown environments during this decade. They are tired of shoveling, mowing and maintaining a house. They also value a walkable urban environment close to places like the market, the Strand, restaurants, nightlife, stadium, rail trail, YMCA, YWCA, Martin Library and more.

Additionally, they're looking for a lifestyle that allows them to travel and recreate more. Those houses in the suburbs just aren't cutting it for this "unconventional 5%" of baby boomers.

As a result, this particular boomer life stage shift promises to change the landscape yet again. 5% of the entire baby boom generation is a huge number of people. Almost none of them will have school age children so schools will be a minor issue instead of a major one. This doesn't mean they won't care about quality schools. It just means that the quality of the schools does not preclude them from moving downtown.

Here are some questions we might consider as we look to the future: Is downtown York prepared to capture the demand from young professionals and baby boomers / empty nesters? If we would prepare, we could capture this market and energize downtown with tax dollars, shopping dollars, dining dollars and investment dollars.

Are we moving quickly enough to position ourselves to take advantage of these national and local trends?

Are we trying to just survive or are we trying to thrive? Are we managing decline or setting up for success?

Are we paying attention to what's happening around the country? Or are we so insecure about our own downtown that we are ignoring the fact that people want what we have? Will we ignore demographic trends that show we are positioned to thrive if certain steps are taken?

Those of us who own businesses have assumed for too long that "the unconventional 5%" of our customers who value urban environments are unimportant. In fact, those "unconventional 5%" who have different values may be the very key to future success for many businesses in York County.

National trends suggest that this "unconventional 5%" segment isn't so unconventional. If the business models of York countians are to succeed, business leaders must adapt to these emerging trends. This would obviously benefit downtown York as much as it would businesses around the county.

In York, our traditions are both a blessing and a curse. They ground us, sustain us, enrich our cultural heritage and make for a wonderful environment in which to live and raise a family. On the other hand, our traditions can blind us to the future that is staring us right in the face.

Businesses across the country are beginning to leave the office parks and are coming into downtowns because their existing and potential employees and customers value downtown environments. These employees and customers want to be close to places like Central Market, the rail trail, Sovereign Stadium, the Yorktowne, restaurants, nightlife, new brew pubs, new Marketview Arts center and new apartment buildings.

These employees and customers also want to be green and we all now know the stats that show cities are much greener than the suburbs. Eating up land at 4 times the rate of population growth is clearly unsustainable. Just look at gas prices and it's not hard to see the future demand for walkable urban environments.

As far as I can tell, this is why Wagman, LSC Design and others have moved or are moving some of their offices downtown.

In order to compete for talented Gen Y candidates, large corporations around the area need York to have a strong countywide brand (something we currently lack). They also need York to have a vibrant downtown core. The downtown core piece includes (but is not limited to) the "Market District" prescribed by consultant Roger Brooks. This downtown district should have ten restaurants, ten night spots and ten retail shops all open after 6 p.m. This "Market District" is in early stages of development but is gaining traction.

If any of you haven't been downtown recently, I highly recommend you take time this weekend or next. Roll into Central Market around 11 am on Saturday. See the transformation underway (a real difference just in the last year). There are many new stands, a new brewpub and a new seating area with live music. It's wonderful place, a real community hub. More to come at Central Market with a $3 million renovation occurring in the next 12 months thanks to local leaders winning state funding for this historic gem.

A significant percentage of York countians (420,000 strong) will be interested to learn about and visit this great attraction if we make the decision to do significant marketing of downtown to citizens around the county. Right now the market is pretty much invisible to most York countians.

After you tour the market, take a stroll around the neighborhood. See the new shops, new bakeries, new restaurants, new Eagles Arts Center, new brew pubs, new apartment buildings etc. (all completed in the last year or so or under construction now). If you look closely, the downtown of January 2010 is very different from the downtown of December 2011.

Our county's top employers are trying to attract the best and brightest employees. But the candidates they are trying to attract weren't raised on the Brady Bunch and Dallas. They were raised on Seinfeld and Friends where urban environments are valued. Many Gen Y / millenials are skipping the suburbs altogether and are remaining in downtown environments even AFTER they get married and have kids. I know many York countians would shudder at the thought, but it's happening and will be happening more and more in the coming years. To ignore the handwriting on the wall with the emergence of charter schools would be to basically write off 5% of our potential customer base. It is also important to note that only 25% of households have school age children.

A lot of time, energy and money is being put into downtown revitalization. Institutions are beginning to participate because they realize that there is a lot at at stake for them as they struggle to compete and hire the great employees. The H.R. departments and recruiting professionals understand quite well that a thriving downtown would certainly improve attraction and retention of top employees.

We should work quickly (while maintaining quality) to put up our sails to take advantage of the powerful winds that are the local and national trends. If we do this, York can do more than just survive. It can thrive. To get there though, we need to begin referring to York with a sense of ownership. It's not THE city. It's OUR city.

Where this is going to end up in ten to fifteen years is likely to surprise 90% of York County. David Rusk may in fact have been right when he said that downtown real estate will eventually be the most valuable in the county. It's happened in other cities as we all know.

I realize this goes against conventional wisdom. But let's look at how conventional wisdom has been unseated by the facts before.

Who would have thought just two or three years ago that we'd have a premier International Baccalaureate Charter school downtown and suburban parents would be lining up to get their kids enrolled?

And who would have thought five years ago that we'd be averaging 96 - 98% occupancy at two new apartment buildings in downtown York (a $16 million total investment)? And who would have thought that 80% of those apartments have rents of $1300 - $1400. And who would have thought that three different market studies by national firms would show that there is demand for 700 - 800 new apartment units in York county like the product at Codo?

Who would have thought a few years ago when the Strand Capitol was struggling that we'd have a new Strand director who seems to have nearly doubled the number of shows? Who would have thought he'd be partnering with WXPN radio out of Philadelphia (affiliated with University of Pennsylvania) and bringing the once dark Capitol theater to life with sold out live shows that attract 20 - 40 somethings with good incomes. (Looking for young professionals? If you run an area business, I'd recommend your firm serving as one of the sponsors of the CapLive Music Series at the Strand (www.caplivemusic.com ). Check out the "past shows" tab. You might not recognize the acts but the 20 - 40 year old architects, engineers, attorneys, entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses and others who are going to these live shows will tell you that they are amazed at the quality of national acts that are coming to their doorstep. Does this matter? Ask your nearest H.R. director.

Who would have thought the IDA would put together a deal where York College was a tenant in a new $2 million arts center across from Central Market. This arts center is now under construction.

Who would have thought that Central Market would win $3 million in state funds for an upcoming renovation?

Who would have thought that large corporations and institutions would establish a multimillion dollar renaissance fund that would invest in downtown projects?

When you have a chance, check out www.freshyorkpa.com . This site gets quite a bit of traffic from locals and people traveling to or moving to York. It is attracting a whole different type of customer to town: the 20 - 45 year old market that we in York have virtually overlooked.

We keep wondering how to attract young professionals and lament the brain drain out of our community and yet we continue to ignore the solid data in market studies that show a need for 700 - 800 new Codo-type apartments in York. York has only built about 60 out of those 700 - 800 units in demand and we've known about this for 4 years. Why isn't the Northwest Triangle full of apartments?

In some ways, these young professionals and empty nesters are quite literally the future of York county. I think this is why many large York companies use www.freshyorkpa.com in their recruiting process to help bring new people to York.

We have a chance to do something great here. The city of York can do more than survive. It can thrive. The wind is with us. All we need to do is put up our sails. Will we?

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********** Click here and glimpse the future of York. This is an AMAZING VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ. Five minutes might give you a whole new view of York's bright and promising potential.

We need to plant the seeds now for the trees that will give shade to our children and grandchildren later.

"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir people's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that your work will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us. Think big."

Daniel Burnham
Chicago Architect

"Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manor of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Goethe

BIG NEWS IN DOWNTOWN YORK

2011-02-05T10:41:00.015-05:00

There's something pretty remarkable happening in downtown York. You may know about some of the items on the list below. All these things have happened / are happening in a short period of time and are concentrated in a four or five block area. I think the big story here is that downtown York renaissance is approaching the tipping point. This story can get lost in all the individual stories.

1. Hip new photo gallery at 9 W. Phila. St. opened last night LAST NIGHT. Big crowd.

2. Awesome new yoga studio opened on N. George St. LAST NIGHT. Big crowd.www.lotusmoonyogayork.com

3. New Liquid Hero beer purveyor opening soon near stadium (Behind Codo 241).

4. New tapas restaurant now open on N. George near stadium. www.tapasyork.com

5. New brewpub under construction next to Cntrl Mkt behind Codo 28. The huge copper casks inside Central Market all lit up behind glass are a huge addition

6. New deli opening soon on N. George.

7. New bakery now open on Phila.St. next to Cntrl Mkt.

8. Another new gallery just opened on King St.

9. 2 new coffee shops have opened in last 3 months.

10. Shared kitchen and demonstration kitchen opening soon at Central Market (YCEDC)

11. Eagles Arts Building under construction with lots of surprises for all

12. Kinsley's architectural and design firm, LSC Design, moving into Sommerville Building - 50 architects and engineers will be eating lunch downtown.

13. International Baccalaureate Charter School opening soon near new LSC Design facility. http://www.ibo.org/diploma/

14. Strand Capitol running 30th Cap Live show - a real milestone - bringing audience members into York from Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Washington, DC and more. Restaurants and night spots in York are benefitting from this. Partnership with WXPN (University of Pennsylvania Public Radio) has really been a key driver in addition to the beautiful venue of the Capitol Theatre and the series promoter Sean Kenny who has developed serious connections in the national music scene.www.caplivemusic.com

15. CODO 28 at 28 N. George opened in October. Two other new apartment buildings with newly renovated units have opened in the last month and a third will be opening next door to Codo 28 soon.

16. Cool new sculptures popping up all around the market district

17. Central Market has added a dozen new stands and there are more on the waywww.centralmarketyork.com

18. AWESOME new seafood and jazz restaurant "Tanzania" recently opened downtown next door to Granfalloons

19. Gruver’s Bakery just opened on the first floor of the Susquehanna Commerce Center

20. Feb 10th at 11:45 am - Chris Leinberger, internationally known urban land use strategist & developer, will be giving a keynote speech at the Building York Community & Economic Development Summit. Leinberger works for the most respected think tank in the world, the Brookings Institution. For more info or to sign up, please visit www.york-summit.com . This is going to be a very special event with potential for real impact on Pennsylvania cities.

The Perfect Storm: How York is Reaching the Tipping Point

2011-01-07T05:57:00.000-05:00

THE PERFECT STORM: How York is Reaching the Tipping Point

Despite the well known challenges, there's something happening in York, something that can get lost in all the details. York is reaching the tipping point where the market incentive takes over and the emerging renaissance gains serious traction.

Below are a few examples that show the momentum. There are many others of course. You already know many of the items on this list but it's interesting to see them all in one spot. Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

1. The stadium, a $35 million dollar investment, is consistently beating attendance records and the team won the championship.

2. Central Market is seeing an influx of new customers. The market is also seeing a lot of new high quality vendors inquiring about opening a stand. Apparently the word is out that the market is on the way up. Central Market is also in line for some serious funding from the Governor, funding that could be just around the corner. This market could be a major economic driver for downtown, possibly even more influential than the stadium. It will also likely be a regional destination, one worthy of one of those huge brown signs on the interstate.

3. Two new eating establishments are opening in the next few months on restaurant row in downtown York. One of them will have a pretty fabulous bar.

***** MANY MANY MORE EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING TO BUILD THE MOMENTUM -- just click here to see them :)

4. The Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center is now featuring a hip live music series in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania public radio station WXPN and is bringing top indie acts to town. In addition, the Strand's new director is rapidly transforming the business model and marketing of the Strand to meet an even wider audience.

5. York will soon be positioning itself as the center for industrial art and design with the new Creativity Unleashed Campaign. This effort is quietly gaining steam and the results will soon begin to percolate. A large number of companies (big and small) are rallying around the effort and have signed on as official partners. This brand is actually in our DNA: innovation, creativity, industriousness. That's us! Dentsply grows teeth. Harley does amazing thing with motors. Rudy Art Glass does incredible glass work and ships it world wide. We all know the companies, from big to small where the level of innovation is extraordinary. Those working on this long term 5+ year effort have already identified 60 companies that fit the brand.

6. YCEDC is helping out on all sorts of fronts including making the new shared kitchen project and a new Eagles arts building happen downtown.

7. CODO just opened a $4.8 million dollar green apartment complex in downtown York. This could be the first LEED certified residential complex in York County and it's downtown. As you may know, this brand new complex is called CODO 28 and 35% of the units were rented in the first 3 weeks. More info at www.codoyork.com . CODO's first project next to the stadium, CODO 241 (a $12 million dollar complex) filled up 30% faster than expected. CODO's market study from a national firm indicates demand for 700 - 800 of these units in our county. The interesting thing is that the city is really the only municipality that welcomes apartment development. Other municipalities have created zoning restrictions that won't allow apartment development. This obviously creates a great opportunity for the city of York to meet this large demand. www.freshyorkpa.com is experiencing heavy traffic and many folks are moving into downtown York from outside the area, including some from out of state.

8. Jeff Lau, owner of Insurance Services United, is opening a brew pub downtown soon. It's right at the intriguing intersection of Clarke Avenue and Cherry Lane, a place that's emerging as a new focal point.

9. Lots of businesses are flourishing downtown. Campbell Herrington and Brear, Kimmons, White Rose, Esaan, Sunrise Soap Co., Insurance Services United, Stock and Leader, Rock Real Estate, the York Revolution and Barley Snyder just to name a few.

10. There's an emerging bike culture tying into some wonderfully active groups thanks to people thinking green and healthy. The local bike shops and the rail trail have been instrumental in making this happen. Downtowns and bikes go together. Various area leaders are meeting soon to discuss ways to make our town more hospitable to cyclists.

11. The White Rose is investing more and expanding its business yet again. Tom Sibol continues to prove that the investment pays off and that people from the suburbs can be the main support for a downtown restaurant.

12. A regional leader in the construction industry, Wagman, has located its offices downtown. That's a very big deal.

13.. Kinsley is beginning construction at the Northwest Triangle. The town is really buzzing about this. Additionally, a new International Baccalaureate charter school is moving in right next door. It's my understanding that there's a large waiting list for this charter school and that many of the parents who signed up their children live in the suburbs (at least for now).

14. Local business and educational leaders are opening a high tech coffee shop soon on Market Street near the Codorus and another fabulous coffee shop is opening near city hall.

15. There's a fantastic yoga studio opening in CODO 241 near stadium in the next few months. I saw them testing paint colors on the walls today. Stay tuned.

16. Downtown Inc. and its economic development committee chaired by Eric Menzer are working hard to help establish and populate a Market District. The idea is to have ten restaurants, ten nightspots and ten retail shops all open after 6 p.m. all clustered in the district. The district is a J that goes from White rose to Market St., Market St. to the square and the square to the stadium There are many fronts to work on of course. But we should be gratified to know that Eric, the person who was instrumental in working against all odds to bring fabulous treasures like baseball and CODO (and Kendall) to York, is the chair of the economic Development committee of Downtown Inc. He is working systematically along side other individuals and teams to help make this dream become reality. Imagine compelling downtown district, a place that's so full of fun that you don't even need a specific destination. You just go down to see what's going on.

***** HERE'S THE MAIN POINT OF MY MESSAGE: Downtown York is on a roll and I think many see this as part of a LARGER STORY about lifestyle as it relates to our economy. This lift we're seeing isn't by accident. This wind we feel at our backs is part of a national shift of priorities. The new normal is downtown for many people. I believe all this has something to do with these two items:

Brand new from the Brookings Institution (the world's most trusted think tank) -- totally relates to York's future: http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2010/11_real_estate_leinberger

Glimpse York's future (this is really fun):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Something exciting is going on in York -- something bigger than all the small stories put together. It's adding up to an authentic renaissance and a real success story in a central Pennsylvania town in the middle of one of the worst national economies in 70 years. It's pretty remarkable actually. Who would have thought? Despite all the challenges, York is on a serious roll.

What's the difference today as compared to two years ago? Two words: outside money. The out of town residents, business owners, investors, artists and hipsters are starting to discover this gem. And the great part is that they can buy property relatively cheap because some local owners don't realize their town is hitting the tipping point. This is the free market working it's magic. This is the perfect storm.

Last but not least, let's not forget that the renaissance of downtown is only one small piece of the the revitalization of the city of York. There are serious issues to be addressed in our city and most of us are all too well aware of them. At times we can't see any solutions. We want this to be more than just a vibrant downtown. We want it to be a vibrant and dynamic community, a whole town that not only attracts and retains residents, businesses and investors but also nourishes the hearts and minds of its citizens, young and old, regardless of race, economic background, or creed.

The truth is that, to solve the problems on our plate, we'll need to develop some confidence and very deliberately drop the distinction between York City and York County. It will be at that point that our community will begin to open up and the real resources will begin to flow. To achieve that, we'll need to continue the work to build the compelling PRODUCT that creates value. Restaurants, nightlife, shops, galleries, entertainment venue, residential homes and apartments, a world class market, a compelling and innovative Northwest Triangle, etc. When people value their city, they will call it their own, whether they live on Pershing Avenue in York or on Main St. In Dallastown.

The good news is that we have serious momentum. And we should not underestimate the power of that.

Goethe said this: "Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manor of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Let's go for it.

How Our Community Might Get Rich Off Central Market and the Northwest Triangle

2011-01-06T03:02:00.000-05:00

"HOW OUR COMMUNITY MIGHT GET RICH FROM CENTRAL MARKET AND THE NORTHWEST TRIANGLE

"We don't inherit buildings and land from our grandparents. We borrow them from our grandchildren." - Native American saying

For a long time, we have lamented the loss of industry in our community and mourned what we have perceived as the end of an era. But the era has not really ended. It wasn't the factories, the machines or the products that gave York it's real vibrancy. The dynamic nature of the community, the buzz, came from the creativity and the collaboration that combined to create quality. And that creativity and collaboration are alive and well today and can continue to flourish if we keep working to nurture the conditions necessary for a dynamic community. The era continues.

"HOW OUR COMMUNITY MIGHT GET RICH FROM CENTRAL MARKET AND THE NORTHWEST TRIANGLE

"We don't inherit buildings and land from our grandparents. We borrow them from our grandchildren." - Native American saying
It's really exciting to realize that construction work begins soon on the Northwest Triangle in downtown York. It's also thrilling to see the ship beginning to turn at Central Market where Phase One renovations are about to begin, the Left Bank is planning to open a stand and many other new stands are being added to the mix. There is an awful lot of work to do in the coming years at Central Market but something special has begun. If the renaissance of this market is successful, it's possible this is going to be more than just a turnaround of market. This could bring with it a significant change in the way people think of the historic aspect of York. This shift could, in turn, inform the way the Northwest Triangle is developed.

Up until recently, some of us thought the history was mainly something to be preserved and protected behind a velvet rope. We perhaps thought the only way people might connect with old institutions, buildings etc was to visit artifacts in museum setting. We at times have thought THAT would be York's identity, York's draw. "Everything we used to be."

The truth, in fact, is shaping up to be quite different. It turns out that what may really draw people to our community is history meeting the future in an accessible an useful setting. Whereas some of us had, without admitting it, given up on the usefulness of some of the historic relics (therefore relegating them to museums an anecdotes in books), others have shown a belief in the present value and have, in their own minds begun to visualize the old married to the new. Market is historic but hip. One is just as likely to see a young person with fancy glasses and trendy clothes at the market looking for ORGANIC LETTUCE lettuce as they are to see an old fashioned Yorker looking just looking for LETTUCE. Yesterday, I saw a world famous musician at Market.   Additionally, as you may know, the highest paid living artist in the world frequents Central Market. He has a long running exhibition in Italy or Denmark or New York and he spends his Saturday morning strolling our aisles with his kids. I find myself asking why?

In the same way, other historic buildings in York are being brought to life (by Eric Menzer, Frank Dittenhafer, Dave Cross and others). Residents are living in buildings that were once grocery warehouses or auto parts outlets or candy stores... and the buildings now have a cool new usefulness and an appeal that's drawing some people who work in Harrisburg, Lancaster and Baltimore to choose to live in York.

The question is, why is this happening? I believe there's more going on here than meets the eye. If we consider the Strand, the Central Market, the York Auto Parts Building, Murphy Dittenhafer's headquarters, Rudy Art Glass headquarters and countless others, it is rather remarkable to see what's being accomplished. This matters because it relates to the identity we will portray to others as we work to attract more residents, developers, employees, diners, shoppers and businesses to the city.

I think the answers to why this is happening are quality and authenticity.   The care and attention and craftsmenship people put into the original buildings still shines through and it energizes the new enterprise whether it's market, Codo or an office building or school. That authenticity shines through a new lens...a working active practical lens. Some, like yourself, are drawn to this authenticity and haven't given up on the usefulness of these buildings that were assembled with such care. And the cool part is that it is is paying off in spades (not in necessarily in financial terms but in other rewards). I think it's paying off because, by giving these old "talented" once glorious places a chance, we end up being lifted, carried and energized by them. Those old "guys" have a significance far beyond historical interest. These historic structures (like the old jazz musicians in the documentary "Beuna Vista Social Club" who played at Carnegie Hall) still have a real usefulness. In fact, they might even be better than the young guys.

These buildings, because of their original quality and authenticity, can be alive and useful in the present and future. The quality shines through and lights the place up with a glow that warms people in a way no drywall strip mall space or modern grocery store ever could. THIS IS THE HUGE ADVANTAGE CENTRAL MARKET HAS.   I think our greatest asset is that we have something people want and need: an authentic quality destination where people can get healthy food, bump into their friends an feel like they live in a community. These old buildings and institutions were built for people first and money a close second. The modern strip malls and stores and apartment buildings were built for money first and people a distant second. People were almost an afterthought. And you can feel it, going from one to the other. Isn't it facinating to see that the institutions and buildings that will survive longest and make the most money over time are the ones that put people first?

The secret seems to be that people perhaps have an innate desire for authenticity and so they just FEEL better in places and institutions that were built with care, places like market. They have an innate need to experience that community and authenticity. *****So they're more likely to shop and live there. This is something that seems at once obvious and huge...but it's intangible. It's probably the reason people make the effort to come to market. (One of our jobs, by the way, is probably to make it less of an effort - adding clean and convenient to the list of modern market attributes since other modern institutions have set a high standard on those fronts. There's no reason we can't compete on that level in my view without losing our charm).

Don't get me wrong. I think the historical society and the agricultural industrial museum and others are real treasures and provide an extremely useful function. The visionary people who helped found them were obviously incredibly smart, forward thinking and generous to preserve all those artifacts and I'm sure they will be enjoyed by generations. The people who continue to support and nurture these institutions are doing great work that should be applauded. My thought, however, is that we can't let ourselves slip into an entirely historic mindset because that would lead us to miss out on the benefits of LIVING history...the institutions and buildings that can continue to play a direct roll in our lives.

Incidentally, I think it's entirely possible (in fact it is ESSENTIAL) to build brand new buildings and brand new institutions with the intrinsic quality and authenticity of the old stuff.  This is what is likely to happen at the Northwest Triangle soon with the project in the extraordinarily talented hands of Rob Kinsley along with the Enterprise development group. New residential buildings, right up out of the ground with built in quality and authenticity that the residents will FEEL. That is slated to begin in the next 18 months and York has a tremendous opportunity here to do something spectacular with it's last downtown development plot that comprises nearly 24 acres. If all goes well, we could have 300 - 400 new residents living downtown across from the stadium in three years.

What will make this possible is that the talented design, development and construction teams at Kinsley/Enterprise will build those key attractive inviting ingredients into these new residential buildings at the Northwest Triangle: quality and authenticity into new buildings.

This can be done on this project and many others. This is why it seems it's so important that our brand identity not but limited to historic images because doing so rules out the possibility that we can do it again, build with a quality and authenticity that is worthy of multigenerational stewardship.  Here we are as a community over a hundred and twenty two years after the construction of Central Market and we are stewards of this high quality building. There's no reason our grandchildren and great grandchildren can't be in the same position with the Northwest Triangle buildings and the other residential projects that will someday be built along the Codorus and elsewhere.  New buildings can be invested with this enduring appeal and quality. Our brand identity, therefore ought to leave room for (indeed inspire) innovation, new buildings out of the ground with the same care and intention and precision as the old.

For a long time, we have lamented the loss of industry in our community and mourned what we have perceived as the end of an era. But the era has not really ended. It wasn't the factories, the machines or the products that gave York it's real vibrancy. The dynamic nature of the community, the buzz, came from the creativity and the collaboration that combined to create quality. And that creativity and collaboration are alive and well today and can continue to flourish if we keep working to nurture the conditions necessary for a dynamic community. The era continues.

It takes extraordinary care and attention to build quality buildings. Putting people ever so slightly ahead of profits may be a prerequisite. Not way ahead. Just slightly. And that little change makes all the difference in the world. Whether it's products, institutions or buildings, it seems this quality is still possible. I think it's this PRESENT LIVING QUALITY that is York's brand, not it's history. History in a museum you visit once. You can shop or live or work in authentic high quality historic buildings every day. Or you can shop, live or work in authentic high quality NEW buildings with heart and soul every day. ****What matters, it seems, is the original intention. Like it or not, it is always fairly obvious what that original intention was -- money first and people distant second OR people first with money a close second.

That little change, that orientation of putting people ever so slightly above profits in designing buildings and institutions, was clearly embraced by our citizens of York generations ago and it apparently informed everything they did. It seems to me that this deliberate decision gave them quality of life far above ours at present. Perhaps that orientation towards quality, authentiity and PEOPLE first is the reason that so many people still love to shop and have stands at market. Perhaps it's the reason world famous musicians and the highest paid living artist in the world shops at Central Market. Maybe this intrinsic quality is the reason people who work in Baltimore and Harrisburg are choosing to live in downtown York now, because architects and craftsmen are continuing York's legacy of innovation, developing old and new buildings in a way that creates a lasting appeal.

Generations ago, craftsmen, architects, developers and entrepreneurs CARED. Today, it is clear that many still do. Because those of long ago cared, they BUILT IN an enduring quality into their buildings, products and institutions, a quality that still shines through. This authenticity and quality are intangible but important. These aspects just make buildings feel human and alive, make people feel valued and at home. I think that is something that has the potential to inspire those that experience it to do something with that quality and orientation in their own lives.

These buildings, and the quality and authenticity that went into them, seem to be the gifts that keeps on giving. I believe it's up to us to utilize those gifts and also to build some of our own, new ones, right out of the ground. We can do it by putting people first when we create institutions, products or buildings. If we do, the people (customers, residents, employees and citizens) will FEEL that original intention (feel that they were a priority rather than an afterthought) and they will, as a result, want to live, shop, dine, work or play there....because quality buildings (whether new or old) have an intrinsic welcoming nature built into them.

It all seems to begin with the original intention, something that cannot be hidden and always shines through, good or bad. A person selling cheap flimsy shoes in a strip mall can't really hide his or her intention no matter how slick the marketing.

It is possible that the experience of shopping at market may have an even larger impact on people than just being an enjoyable and healthy social or retail experience. It is possible that the act of experiencing Central Market's quality, authenticity and sense of community could inspire visitor to carry those same qualities into their daily lives at home, work and play.

If the light of the intention of the original craftspeople shines through, that light may inspire our shoppers (who are, among other things politicians and business people) to begin THEIR day with the original intention of putting people ever so slightly above profits. By doing so, it is possible that they and their customers and constituents will be the richer for it. THAT is how we as a community can get rich off a revitalized Central Market and the brand new Northwest Triangle. They are both virtual gold mines. :)

IT'S 1810 IN PENNSYLVANIA AND OUR KIDS ARE LEAVING THE STATE

2011-01-05T04:15:00.000-05:00

Many people across the state are stepping up efforts to take school boards to task for what they see as shortcomings in their management, teacher compensation and student achievement. Many justifiably decry the continuous rise in property taxes that are undeniably a burden, particularly to those on fixed incomes. Some have said that they will not tolerate any additional school tax increases.

That sounds great, but do the common suggested solutions really solve the problem? And are the taxpayers really addressing the right audience? Instead of writing to the school boards, perhaps taxpayers should be talking to their neighbors. We, the citizens of Pennsylvania know the real problem and it is us. We are 200 years behind the times and we haven't demanded enough of our political leadership.

The real root of the tax problem is our failure to pressure our state representatives to make a serious attack on a broken system. Our current setup is more suited to our agrarian and small-town roots than the reality of the geography and challenges of today's Pennsylvania and a globally-competitive economy. Our "leaders" seem in thrall to teachers unions, on the one hand, or self-absorbed and parochial school boards and taxpayers, on the other. What will it take to get them to tell us hard truths about the fact that, if we want more successful outcomes and a fairer funding system, somebody has to give up power, somebody will pay more, and something must be done differently? ........Please click below to READ MORE.........
Let's stop posturing and taking the easy and ineffectual route of pushing school boards to cut programs for our kids and blaming our hardworking teachers. How about we begin to push each other and our state and local representatives to address the real culprit, the silly little boxes we've clung to for so long with 501 school districts and 2,566 municipalities in one state. It's absurd. We look ridiculous. We are ridiculous.

If we are as passionate about fixing this tax crunch as we claim we are, why don't we take the next logical step and have one school district for each county?

We currently cling to our little boxes. David Rusk, national expert on revitalization and author of "Cities Without Suburbs", called these 2,566 municipalities "rocket fuel for separatism." At some point, we'll realize we're all in the same boat and we'll begin working together for the benefit of all our children.

Until I hear a demand for the unity that is the only true route to tax relief and educational achievement for all, I can't take too seriously the demands voiced by taxpayers in any district. If we really want lower taxes, we're going to have to stop maintaining our separatism and stop thinking of this tax issue as an isolated problem. Inelastic borders will always be inelastic borders no matter how much we criticize the teachers, advocate simplistic solutions like outsourcing or push for cuts of student programs. The only solution to inelastic borders is no borders at all.

Here's what our political leaders are afraid to tell you: We have way too many political leaders. What in Maryland would be a simple neighborhood association is an entire little government in our state, a government with offices, equipment, systems, vehicles and personnel just like the other dozens of municipalities in each county. Redundancy is inefficient and wasteful. No one wants to see any municipal leaders lose their jobs, but that is certainly preferable to continuing poor scholastic performance and ever-increasing taxes.

And it's not just the tax burden that's serious. There are kids all over our state who are being shortchanged and we're missing out when they don't reach their potential. Even when some students do excel, we lose again since they often move out of PA once they're out of school.

Why do our young people leave their home state at a rate much higher than the national average? Is it because they don't want to live in a state where its citizens lazily allow their competitiveness to be strangled by an antiquated system? And with so many of our young people leaving, don't we run the risk of becoming a state largely devoid of youthful talent, energy and ingenuity?

United we stand and divided we fall. There are a few notable exceptions, but, for the most part, PA's state representatives are maintaining a broken system and managing decline. They work for us citizens, us voters. So what are we waiting for? Why do we keep whining to school boards and fail to take responsibility for the fact that we are the problem. Our failure to act is tantamount to complicity in this ongoing crime of separation that is hurting our kids, driving talent out of state and stifling our competitiveness.

If we want to benefit from quality education, benefit from the magic of collaboration and attract and retain young talent, we're going to have to put serious and sustained pressure on our self-serving shortsighted state legislators. We need them to vote in 2011 to empower our communities to eliminate our little boxes.

And if we're really serious about saving money, we're going to have to face reality right now and stop segregating ourselves and our kids. The little boxes we cling too just cost too much.

EXTRAORDINARY

2011-01-02T12:23:00.003-05:00

This video is EXTRAORDINARY. We all know that a community thrives if its children thrive. If we lift and empower them, we lift ourselves. If you're searching for ways to inspire children in the city of York to discover their true potential
and flourish, check this out. This world famous Harvard / Princeton professor knocks it all of the park with one of the most dynamic speeches I've ever witnessed. Important to watch all three parts. I recommend beginning the first section at "4:38" on the youtube clock (skips the introductions / thank you's :) . Enjoy.

part 1 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjZydhfUxqs (start at 4:38 to skip introductions)

part 2 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTOfjle-fK4&feature=related

part 3 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH1uxEMoBMY&feature=related

"Justice is what love looks like in public."

Troubling Times Demand Kind but Active Citizenship

2011-01-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

As we gaze out at the landscape of our town and our nation, it is easy to become demoralized.

Here in our own community, we find ourselves with schools that are still essentially segregated. We see a core of tremendous poverty surrounded by a ring of relative wealth. This injustice is perpetuated by our maintenance of boundaries that needlessly divide York into 16 school districts and 72 municipalities.

Both locally and nationally, we see corporations like Harley Davidson preaching rugged individualism on the one hand while taking massive government handouts with the other. We grimace as our forests are mowed down and our air and water are polluted while shortsighted leaders call for an easing of environmental restrictions.

We watched in horror recently as an American minister cavalierly burned a copy of the Koran on his barbecue grill, an un-Christian act that has resulted in numerous deaths and a ratcheting up of tensions among millions of human beings on this fragile planet. We see the dramatic economic hardship in our nation that resulted from deregulation and corporate greed and shake our heads in disbelief as the pundits and the privileged blame the American working class for the economic collapse.

We see the Supreme Court decide that corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money on elections without any disclosure and wonder to ourselves if in ten years there will be any elected leaders who aren't quietly sponsored by a corporation.

We look out at the all this dysfunction and feel powerless. We fantasize about the emergence of leaders who will help our community and country change course. Ironically, it is this very fantasy that is the root of our troubles. For it reveals our mistaken belief that citizenship is a spectator sport and that someone else will come along to make things right.

The truth is that we citizens already possess all the power we need to reset our course. If we get off our sofas and engage actively as thinking citizens rather than loafing as passive consumers, we can move our community and our country in a new direction. We know kindness must be at the heart of any effective change, but we often become paralyzed because we mistakenly equate kindness with inactivity. Love is an active verb.

Collectively, we hold the power. One need only to google "2005 citibank memo" to see how nervous that power makes those who benefit from the unsustainable status quo. It is not outside forces that are ultimately responsible for our recent decline. It is our own failure to act and engage as citizens. Our community and our country evolve as we allow them to.

Earn your citizenship. If you don't like our essentially segregated school system that originates with municipal and district boundaries, then call on your political leaders to tear down these walls. The only solution to a declining tax base and inelastic borders is no borders at all.

And if you agree that homogeneous classrooms make for a mediocre education, then demand redistricting, a redrawing of the lines that determine the building in which a student learns. If you agree that maintaining a core of poverty surrounded by a ring of relative affluence is not only unjust but also unhealthy for our community, then call on your municipal leaders to enact common sense zoning reform that encourages and incentivizes affordable housing throughout our county.

If you are tired of religious intolerance, speak out loud against it. Let the citizens of other countries hear the kind voices of millions of Americans drown out the divisive speech of zealots.

If you're sick of corporations like Harley preaching rugged individualism while regularly extorting taxpayers by threatening jobs, then consider this when you're making purchases. The same goes for those corporations who pollute our environment. Vote with your wallet and watch how fast change can occur.

If you agree that it's absurd to blame American workers, teachers and the middle class for the economic hardships we face, then say so out loud to your political leaders. While you're at it, demand that key Wall Street criminals who stole from American taxpayers are put behind bars.

And if you agree that our democracy can't survive corporations spending unlimited funds on political campaigns, then contact your congressman and senators today and tell them to enact sensible legislation limiting the influence of corporations in elections and requiring full disclosure.

This is your country. Your elected leaders work for you and can be fired by you. Those who benefit from the unsustainable status quo have always worried there would be a day that you and your fellow Americans would arise from the sofa and act like citizens. Now is the time to justify their fears.

Momentum, Goethe and the CERTAIN SUCCESS OF YORK

2010-12-30T06:37:00.000-05:00

MOMENTUM. Think about the last time you really pushed hard towards a goal for a sustained period of time and then began to feel some traction. Little by little, the momentum began to carry you and your effort. Eventually, somewhat incredibly, your project took on a life of its own. How in the world does that happen? And how can we use such knowledge to gain traction in York, a town that's yearned for traction for so long?

Think about this: York has been saying for a hundred years that it's going to utilize its waterfront. Olmstead (who of course designed Central Park) did a plan for the Codorus waterfront in 1909. We never acted on it. And we also know that we lost control of our creek because we failed to care for it (dumped sewage into it and didn't take action to prevent floods even when homes were destroyed and people died). As a result, the federal government took over our waterway and it would take a literal act of Congress to get back control of our Codorus. Our inaction was in itself not a neutral position. We essentially abdicated our control of our own destiny through our inaction, through our paralysis.

The band "The Killers" has a great line in their hit song "Sam's Town": "I've got this energy beneath my feet like somethin' underground's gonna come up and carry me."

That momentum doesn't happen on its own. You don't just "catch a wave" and sit on top of the world. You have to be bitten by the bug, buy your surf board, get in shape, paddle out, learn timing, then paddle like hell and catch the wave. A great rider makes it look easy but it's not. Careful planning, financial prudence, deliberate and thoughtful action are all very important. Here's the problem though: Too often, we focus exclusively on the planning and preparation. As a result of this unhealthy balance, we have a serious problem in York with execution.

If you have any doubt about this, just think again about the Olmstead plan. We had the best guy in the world do a plan and design for us and we just let that plan sit on the shelf and gather dust. Then, we often have the audacity to complain about all the plans on the shelf. Like some deluded batter who keeps complaining about the sheer volume of pitches coming right over the plate, we never swing. We check our stance, dig our back foot into the dirt and go through all the other motions and rituals batters perform...but unlike most batters, we hardly ever swing and when we do, we don't swing very hard.

There are, of course, some notable exceptions. We could all name one or two. But that doesn't change the fact that these are exceptions. It doesn't change the fact that our city schools have an atrocious drop out rate, doesn't change the fact that we've been dawdling around at the Northwest Triangle for a decade, and it certainly doesn't change the fact that we have yet to take advantage of the waterfront that runs right through our downtown (under 7 bridges in the city which could easily be lit). It is absolutely true that we want to plan carefully. But I would assert that now, especially now as our momentum is building, it is time for BOLDNESS.

Goethe said: "Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manor of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you cab, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

I believe this Goethe quote contains the key to this town's future success. If we can let go just a bit and let ourselves care and become just a little absorbed and just a little bit passionate and just a little bit bold and carried away (not too much just a little tiny bit), we'll soon find ourselves out of the vicious cycle and into a virtuous one. I think many of us don't honestly believe we can win. We don't believe it in our heart of hearts. And I think we don't believe it because we lack vision.

It seems we think vision is being able to draw an exact map from A to B and knowing every turn in between. We often won't start on any journey until we know everything. That's our self imposed rule. Under that rule inactivity, even constant inactivity is seen as prudence. In the great Robert Redford film "The Milagro Beanfield War" there's a great line that relates to this. "If everyone knew what they were in for, they wouldn't do anything.". I believe we're all to proficient at studying and looking for "what we're in for." And, as Redford's character points out, that causes paralysis. We see that paralysis very clearly every day in our community. But it doesn't have to be that way. We can get our groove on. And there's no better time to do so because trends are in our favor. The wind is with us. We just need to put up our sails.

Again, think about the fact that York has been saying for a hundred years that it's going to utilize its waterfront. Olmstead who designed Central Park in New York City did a plan for the Codorus waterfront in 1909. We never acted on it. And we also know that we lost control of our creek because dumped sewage into it and didn't take action to prevent floods even when homes were destroyed and people died. So the federal government took over our waterway and it would take a literal act of Congress to get back control of our Codorus. Our inaction was in itself not a neutral position. We essentially abdicated our control of our own destiny through our inaction, through our paralysis.

Vision isn't knowing every turn. I think vision is having such a crystal clear picture in your mind of what success will look like, feel like, taste like that this crisp picture guides you and lifts you through the navigation of the journey, bumpy roads and all.

Of course we need to plan. To not plan and to not act with prudence would be completely foolish. But planning is of course necessary, not sufficient. In some ways in York, we're so process oriented that process itself becomes the goal. Planning and prudence is useless unless they're wrapped around a heart that beats and cares and really really really sees clearly what can be. It's not faith as a hoping. It's faith as a knowing. It is only then, I believe, that we (all of us in this community) will have the courage to keep going when the route (no matter how well planned) gets bumpy.

We take bumpy to mean "stop" or "we took the wrong road." The truth is EVERY path has bumps. So if we turn around at every bump or take the very existence of a bump as evidence of the wrongness of our path, we are, I think, guaranteed to continue to be locked in this paralysis we've been in (again I think of us talking about doing the Codorus waterfront for 100 years and never doing it). We had a plan from one of the world's greatest architects and we didn't act on it.

I think we cut ourselves off from the momentum Goethe speaks of. Take just a moment and reread that quote of Goethe's above. We never give that genius and power of boldness a chance to work its magic. I think we are actually afraid of momentum because we see it as a loss of control. And we are absolutely convinced we are currently in control. And obviously this is our greatest delusion, the one that cuts us off from accessing the magic of a virtuous cycle.

I am not at all depressed by this because I don't think it can stand. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best. Truth crushed to earth rises up. Eventually that wave of momentum will rise up and carry us and we'll feel lifted. We'll feel the wind in our hair. We'll feel momentum. We can't hide from it or suppress it forever. The illusion of control can't stand. And once that dam breaks in this town it's going to be a beautiful thing to behold. The water's been building up behind that dam for a long long long time. I think it's beginning to break in a very good way. :)

Again, I don't deny that we need to plan carefully, be responsible and act deliberately with calm and reason. That is essential. But I think we also need the other part. :)

Daniel Burnham, Chicago architect, put it this way: "Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir people's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that your work will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us. Think big."

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

PS - The following are super cool and totally relate to what we're all ultimately trying to achieve.... Creating a "great place".

Glimpse York's future:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Brand new from the Brookings Institution (the world's most trusted think tank) -- totally relates to York's future: http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2010/11_real_estate_leinberger

York reaching the tipping point. The winds are with us. We just need to put up our sails :) http://clearblueskyyork.blogspot.com/2010/11/perfect-storm-how-york-is-reaching.html

AMAZING VIDEO PLUS THE TWO BEST PHOTOS I'VE EVER SEEN OF YORK CITY - It turns out next generation needs us to plant the trees to provide their shade.

2010-12-30T03:37:00.000-05:00

We're talking about a whole lot more than just literal trees here. Please see the link in this paragraph to get A GLIMPSE OF YORK'S FUTURE -- This will be a GREAT "PLACE" if we plan properly. And by plan, I don't mean endless meetings and not doing anything in the end. Doing nothing is a choice and it is a choice that our kids and grandkids won't forgive us for. I'm talking about considering their future and acting decisively in ways that will result in a dynamic community, full of places that provide future generations with the shade they'll be thanking us for. We can plant those trees each and every day. Click here and glimpse the future of York.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ Five minutes might give you a whole new view of York's bright and promising potential. And it involves a lot more than just literal trees.

"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir people's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that your work will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us. Think big."

Daniel Burnham
Chicago Architect

"Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manor of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Goethe

SOMETIMES DOING NOTHING IS A DECISION (and not a good one)

2010-12-26T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here they are, the workforce of the 21st century. We need to attract & retain the best of them. So why are we driving so many of them away?

We're one of the nation's cradles of industrial art and design, innovation and creativity. Picture the innovation that takes place at Dentsply, Harley Davidson, Graham Packaging and 60 of the other highly creative firms in our community. If we want to keep these companies here and maintain our reputation for creativity and vitality, we need a workforce that will help power these innovative companies. But there's a problem: We're not making York as comfortable for these talented workers as we could. We're not protecting a large portion of the very people we're trying to attract.

How will York County compete in the global economy with no countywide human relations commission? How will we compete in a world where majority of workers are non-white when we have not built in genuine protections for that majority? It is shocking but true: Here we are in 2010 (the 21st century!) and York has no countywide agency to enforce rules in the sandbox to protect people who are the victims of discrimination on the basis of age, disability, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender. Silly when those who are in those groups make up more than half of the American workforce.

This is all the more surprising when you consider this statistic from a recent study: On a per 100,000 population basis, York County ranks emabarrassingly second in the entire state for reported bias-related incidents. That is in a state of 67 counties. And that is without a county-wide commission.

Though some might counter that there are laws on the books protecting these groups, the reality is that these laws mean nothing if there is no comprehensive countywide agency to enforce these laws. And we can't wiggle out of this by abdicating this responsibility to the state government. Anyone advocating for that knows the state will never be equipped to handle those claims efficiently. Such a move would sentence workers and area businesses to extraordinary, expensive and unfair delays. We need to act right here at home.

York county is one of the more residentially segregated counties in the nation per a University of Michigan study (see link at bottom). We aren't just one example of many. We are a national standout in this particular injustice. What must that do to our reputation? And when we do attract talented people, what will happen when they are on the receiving end of discrimination and have no where to turn? Word of mouth is king. What will those talented people tell others about their experience in York? What must that do to our ability to attract and retain the best and brightest?

We need to begin taking responsibility for our future and we have the potential to do so. The positive trends that are benefitting York won't take us to the tipping point if we undermine our own effort by leaving the exercise of justice to the free market. Let's not kid ourselves. Business owners will not regulate themselves in this department. Oddly enough regulation in this case will actually bring more wealth because it will make our county more hospitable to people who make up 50% of the American workforce. We must have clear enforceable ground rules for fairness in our county's sandbox. Otherwise we'll remain uncompetitive. And it will be our own fault. Business leaders take note. Our competitiveness is being stifled by our failure to act. We have had our collective head in the sand and have ignored this reality. This failure to adequately protect those that represent over half of the American workforce is going to continue to hold us back. We need to take decisive action and create a countywide human relations commission.

University of Michigan index of residential segregation measures on scale of 1 to 100. 1 is perfect integration. 100 is complete separation (apartheid). Look at York County's score in the first link.

http://enceladus.isr.umich.edu/race/pa.asp

http://enceladus.isr.umich.edu/race/seg.html

http://enceladus.isr.umich.edu/race/racestart.asp

So now that you've seen York county's score, check the scores of some other cities. In metropolitan Los Angeles for example, the index of dissimilarity comparing the distribution of blacks and whites across census tracts was 69 indicating a A MODERATELY HIGH DEGREE OF RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION. Keep in mind: here a score of 69 was considered a "moderately high degree of segregation." What was York's score? Please see first link above and consider what this means for our ability to attract and retain the best and brightest since the majority of workforce is now nonwhite. And think about what it's like for someone who we do attract if they are the victim of discrimination. Where would they go. If they're working in 71 out of 72 municipalities, they might as well shout their legitimate complaint into the air.

Why haven't business and political leaders in York county seen this problem and taken decisive action to create a fair environment.... A fair environment where employees and companies have a professional countywide resource for education and accountability related to discrimination on the basis of disability, age, gender, race, sexual orientation or ethnicity? We are stuck in neutral and we need to get it in gear.

Note: Los Angeles score of 69 means that either 69 percent of the white or 69 percent of the black population would have to move from one census tract to another to produce a completely even distribution of the two races across census tract. Then look at York's score. We have a SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT WON'T BE SOLVED BY US CONTINUING TO PRETEND IT DOESN'T EXIST. It's unfair and it's hurting our competitiveness. And waiting for the next census report won't solve the problem.

While you're thinking about how residentially segregated our community is and what that means for our ability to attract best and brightest, ask yourself why we have 16 school districts and 72 municipalities. Does that seem efficient to you? Why would we cling to those little boxes? Is this somehow related to York county being one of the most residentially segregated counties in the nation? What would it do for our competitiveness if we didn't cling to an antiquated inefficient system? Why do we have such trouble retaining the best and brightest in York and PA in general? Is it because smart young people don't want to hang out in a place where citizens lazily accept this inefficiency and non-competitive environment? Are we going to end up a state devoid of youthful energy?

Final note: Here is an extraordinary video that speaks directly to our situation in York. You'll never look at our town the same way again after viewing this: http://clearblueskyyork.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-predict-youll-finish-watching-this.html

The Future of Human Beings is Looking Rather Bright

2010-12-22T21:51:00.004-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpv6aGTcCl8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

A Glimpse into the Very Near Future

2010-12-18T05:58:00.009-05:00

Here is one of the coolest articles I've encountered in a very long time. A fun and fascinating read. The whole piece is great , but the last 20% is the clincher. Read the whole article start to finish and you'll be thoroughly entertained and will feel upbeat about the future. :)

The Viral Me

In the age of sharing every tiny scrap of our lives—every emotion felt and purchase made and bar visited and etc., etc., etc.—Devin Friedman socializes with the barely pubescent geniuses of Silicon Valley and asks: What is the endgame of your revolution? And can you promise me it won't suck?

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/big-issues/201012/viral-me-silicon-valley-social-networking-devin-friedman

Excerpt: "Quora is going to—if they continue to do what they're doing—compete with Google," Ashvin says. "Think about the Google-search experience: not very intuitive. The right way to ask a question is to ask a question and put a question mark at the end. The thing about Quora is there's no notion of technology trying to figure this stuff out. A human question is put into a feed of topics, and people who are experts in that will answer the question. And they're building this corpus of information. It's not social in the traditional sense that 'Oh, he's my friend.' In the world of Quora, and in the world of information identity, a stranger is often more important than a friend. Especially if the stranger is the expert on the topic that I need to know about."

Baby just found out that his parents' & grandparents' generation are to blame for high school taxes in all 16 school districts around York County

2010-12-12T07:12:00.000-05:00

"IT'S 1810 IN PENNSYLVANIA AND OUR KIDS ARE LEAVING THE STATE"

Many people are taking school boards to task for what they see as shortcomings in their management, teacher compensation and student achievement. Many decry the continuous rise in property taxes
that are undeniably a burden, particularly to those on fixed incomes. Some have said that they will not tolerate any additional school tax increases.

That sounds great, but do the common suggested solutions really solve the problem? And are the taxpayers really addressing the right audience? Instead of writing to the school boards, perhaps taxpayers should be talking to their neighbors. We York countians know the real problem and it is us. We are 200 years behind the times and we haven't demanded enough of our political leadership.

The real root of the tax
problem is our failure to pressure our representatives in Harrisburg to make a serious
attack on a broken system. Our current setup is more suited to our agrarian and small-town roots
than the reality of the geography and challenges of today's Pennsylvania and
a globally-competitive economy. Our "leaders" seem in thrall to teachers
unions, on the one hand, or self-absorbed and parochial school boards and
taxpayers, on the other. What will it take to get them to tell us hard
truths about the fact that, if we want more successful outcomes and a fairer
funding system, somebody has to give up power, somebody will pay more, and
something must be done differently?

Let's stop posturing and taking the easy and ineffectual route of pushing school boards to cut programs for our kids and blaming our hardworking teachers. How about we begin to push each other and our state and local representatives to address the real culprit, the silly little boxes we've clung to for so long with 16 school districts and 72 municipalities in one county. It's absurd. We look ridiculous. We are ridiculous.

If we are as passionate about fixing this tax crunch as we claim we are, why don't we take the next logical step and have one school district for York County?

The York Suburban district, my alma mater and the subject of the most current taxpayer dustup, borders the York City district,
undeniably the poorest and most troubled. It serves thousands of students of
color and low incomes. Does anyone care enough to tell us some hard truths
about what we must do as a community to change their lives for the better?

We currently cling to our little boxes, something David Rusk called "rocket fuel for separatism." At some point, we'll realize we're all in the same boat and we'll begin working together as one York for the benefit of all our children.

Until we hear a demand for the unity that is the only true route to tax relief and educational achievement for all, we can't take too seriously the demands voiced by taxpayers in any district. If we really want lower taxes, we're going to have to stop maintaining our separatism and stop thinking of this tax issue as an isolated problem. Inelastic borders will always be inelastic borders no matter how much we criticize the teachers, advocate simplistic solutions like outsourcing or push for cuts of student programs. The only solution to inelastic borders is no borders at all.

Here's what our political leaders are afraid to tell you: We have way too many political leaders. What in Maryland would be a simple neighborhood association is an entire little government in our state, a government with offices, equipment, systems, vehicles and personnel just like the other 71 sister municipalities. Redundancy is inefficient and wasteful. No one wants to see any municipal leaders lose their jobs, but that is certainly preferable to continuing poor scholastic performance and ever-increasing taxes.

And it's not just the tax burden that's serious. There are kids all over our county who are being shortchanged and we're missing out when they don't reach their potential. Even when some students do excel, we lose again since they often move out of PA once they're out of school.

Why do our young people leave their home state at a rate much higher than the national average? Is it because they don't want to live in a state where its citizens lazily allow their competitiveness to be strangled by an antiquated system? And with so many of our young people leaving, don't we run the risk of becoming a state largely devoid of youthful talent, energy and ingenuity?

United we stand and divided we fall. If we want to save money, we're going to have to face reality right now and stop segregating ourselves and our kids. The little boxes we cling to just cost too much.

DISPATCH ARTICLE: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/ci_16573203?IADID=Search-www.yorkdispatch.com-www.yorkdispatch.com

Trickle Down Beginning to Work

2010-12-07T02:32:00.043-05:00

Trickle Down Economics Beginning to Work (from"The Onion"). Please see article at this link:
http://mobile.theonion.com/articles/reaganomics-finally-trickles-down-to-area-man,2302/?mobile=true

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, Says Reagan Was Wrong: Trickle Down Economics Doesn't Work

2010-12-05T00:13:00.037-05:00

Warren Buffett, one of the most celebrated businessmen and investors in history said this recently: "I think that people at the high end should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we’ve ever had it.“

Regarding the notion that tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires will help spur the economy, Buffett had this to say: "The rich are always going to say 'just give us more money & we’ll go out & spend more & then it will all trickle down to rest.' That has not worked the last 10 years, & I hope the American public is catching on.”

Please click here to read more :)

Article from Bloomberg regarding ABC News interview with Warren Buffett: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-21/warren-buffett-tells-abc-rich-people-should-pay-more-in-taxes.html

Interesting article on Warren Buffett: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.solarnavigator.net/sponsorship/sponsorship_images/warren_buffett_fortune_magazine.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.solarnavigator.net/sponsorship/bill_melinda_gates_warren_buffett.htm&usg=__nu1XCBXUuUk_T_z3otnPs0MQuZw=&h=287&w=220&sz=20&hl=en&start=34&sig2=oaka-ZHvCdmrmA8nfjNstw&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=339qAZp5wDTuMM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwarren%2Bbuffett%26start%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=uor7TNyRMYWdlgffi9GKBQ

Trickle down economics hasn't done more than run down the leg of millionaires since that spokes model Ronald Reagan popularized this self serving delusion 30 years ago. Did you know that 4/5 of all the income between 1980 and 2005 went to the top 1%? To quote Cornel West, how long can you sustain a democratic experiment with that kind of oligarchical plutocratic tilting of wealth towards the top?

Despite so many republicans preaching the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" philosophy, the reality is that the top 1% of the population (in terms of net worth) holds more than 50% of the wealth and 90% of that is inherited. And that gap widens more every year. See above article to see what Mr. Buffett has to say about that. Taking an even more global view, Warren Buffett had to say this about the foolishness of concentrated wealth: "Mr Buffett was asked time and again why he had not handed all the money to his three children and responded: "I am not an enthusiast for dynastic wealth, particularly when the alternative is six billion people having much poorer 'hands' in life than we have."

20% if all of American's children are living in poverty. That is a disgrace. And it won't be fixed by willful self serving ignorance. It also won't be solved by blaming these kids or waiting for the wealth to trickle down the legs of millionaires. And it won't be fixed by deregulation since it is exactly that deregulation under Bush that got us in this economic mess in the first place.

What WILL fix this is more people reading things like this article about York in Rolling Stone Magazine and waking up to the fact that as a nation, we can't be both strong and intellectually lazy.http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/210904

One last thing: Please remember what happened when 100,000 British stationed in India tried to rule over the country's population of 30 million. They got their asses kicked out of the country and it was done by average poor people led by a little guy wearing a bedsheet (Gandhi). If the people sitting around in the country clubs and board rooms of America think that they can keep this up, they're likely to discover that history begs to differ.

John Muir & the Codorus Waterfront: Practicing the Art of Alchemy in the 21st Century

2010-12-02T23:35:00.000-05:00

Do the words "Highpoint", "Codorus", "the importance of the commons", "environmental catastrophe" and "grandchildren" inspire or provoke something in you?

Well, then Yosemite is the perfect topic for discussion. Did you know that one of those who fought for the preservation of Yosemite, Frederick Olmstead, also designed Central Park? Better yet, did you know that Olmstead also created an incredible plan for the Codorus waterfront in York PA, a plan York put on the shelf and allowed to gather dust for the last hundred years? York, as we all know, has a wonderful waterway running right through the center of town which we've alternately ignored and exploited. Years after Olmstead's plan was shelved, York lost control of its city's waterfront. We lost control due to our failure to protect our citizens from floods and also our predilection for dumping raw sewage into our water.

The federal government was forced to take over the Codorus waterfront to protect York's citizens from a lazy and cheap political leadership.

And now, as a result of the absurd failure of our political leadership many decades ago, it will now take a literal act of congress for us to ever take back control of our city's waterfront. We stewards, it turns out, could only think of sewers and savings. Our imagination for our waterfront ran dry as a bone.

Now, a new generation has a chance to earn the mantle of stewards. What will we do to right this wrong and help transform our community? How will the excellent leadership now in place in our town and country rise to the occasion?

Perhaps we should all go to Yosemite and replenish our spirit of connection to the land, the desire to protect the land, the essence of the humbleness before the splendor of nature. I feel that rekindling that sense of wonder and awe would give us a shot at inspiring today's and tomorrow's leaders to rise to the occasion and seize their moment in time to be true stewards.

Check out this Ken Burns documentary when you have a chance. "America's Best Idea" :)

The best part is that you learn that John Muir's day job early on was working for some city slicker building cabins in the middle of the woods so that huckster could make a buck off Yosemite. That huckster later gained wealth and power and helped SHELVE PLANS FOR PROTECTION OF YOSEMITE. He wanted to exploit the lush valley by charging big bucks for two bit tours and half assed accommodations. Ironically, Muir used his natural ingenuity to help the huckster (Hutchings) improve his facilities and this helped Hutchings attract more visitors and build a war chest to fight the protection of Yosemite.

But the story, of course, does not end there any more than the story of York or the U.S. ends with the greatest minds from ivy league schools day trading or serving the interests of Goldman Sachs or Eli Lillie. Don't ya just love the art of alchemy? Amazingly, Muir took the raw fuel of this huckster's money and political resistance and used both to feed his belly, a gut hungry for authenticity. Please click below to READ MORE.........

Like an akido master, Muir transformed resistance into fuel for his own cause.    The results of this alchemy, as we now see in our incredible system of national parks, were spectacular. What Muir (and Roosevelt as a result of meeting Muir) pulled off was nothing short of a miracle. And isn't it some what of a miracle that we're in need of today to protect not only the vistas of our communities but also the landscape of our hearts?

Perhaps the secret for turning around today's corporate swallowing of our lands, souls and minds lies in a new generation of Muirs mastering the art of alchemy. Perhaps the best method to turn this thing around today resides not in raw resistance but in clever and relentless appropriation of the resources of the most powerful institutions of our time. Leverage in the right place in the right time in the right amount.   Maybe we can harness the ephemeral yet mighty wealth of today's institutions and corporations. Perhaps we can engage in a little alchemy ourselves, us citizens, and use the raw energy wielded by those clumsy giants to transform our shortsightedness into vision.

Isn't it precisely that clear vision that will inspire us to protect the outside world while at the same time nurturing our inner world? Isn't it in the woods (some of which were protected by visionaries like Roosevelt and Muir) that we restore our sense of humility and our connection to the world? It is this type of homecoming that I believe has the power to inspire us to rise to the occasion and practice the art of alchemy.   Perhaps we can win this thing Muir-style by working for the huckster and then turning his bullshit into fertilizer.

The Generation After the Greatest Generation Has Another Chance at Greatness

2010-12-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

Excellent cover article in Atlantic Monthly on the cool opportunity available to Baby Boomers: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/10/the-least-we-can-do/8228/

Incredible video - The Black Keys - "Lengths"

2010-11-30T10:07:00.000-05:00

If you get a chance, check this out. If you watch all the way through (3 minutes), you'll be glad you did :). Simply splendid! Poetic even :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87G8rIZramM&sns=em

FAVORITE QUOTES

2010-11-21T19:09:00.017-05:00

Albert Einstein:

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Gandhi: "With non-violence, first they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then you win."

Goethe:

"Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manor of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you cab, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Daniel Burnham (Chicago architect):

"Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir people's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that your work will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us. Think big."

Henry James: "Connect. Only Connect."

Gandhi: "Genuine laughter is more effective than speech."

Martin Luther King, Jr.: "The moral arc of the universe bends towards justice."

Breyton Breytonbach:: "Whether we win or whether we die, freedom will rise in Africa like the sun through the morning clouds."

Benjamin Franklin: "Energy and persistence conquer all."

Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Truth crushed to earth rises up."

Cornel West: "if you're going to be a long distance runner, you're going to have to have a blues mentality."

Anonymous: "It's all raw energy, including the resistance, ESPECIALLY the resistance. The trick is to calmly smile and use that furnace within you to alchemize that raw energy into gold. In that way, you don't just survive resistance. You thrive on it."

Please click here to see more :)

Martin Luther King, Jr.:

"I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be and you can never be what you ought to be u til I am what I ought to be. We are, all of us, inextricably linked."

Mark Twain: "Patriotism is living your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."

Dostoevsky (paraphrasing from the Brothers Karamazov):

"Everywhere one can see people trying to live in isolation (moving away from the idea of community). And no matter how pervasive the selfish isolated mindstate becomes, it is still madness because the security of the individual can only be secured through the security of community. A man acquires goods and smiles thinking how mighty he's become but he's missing the point obviously because he's powerless without a calm heart, a calm mind, and a generous, humble and kind approach. An individual lives only half of life and does not fulfill him or herself as a human being by only following the path of individualism. One must also fulfill ones self in community with others. One must endeavor to keep the great idea of community, unity and love alive even if he is taken as one of god's fools."

Napoleon: "The whole art of war consists of a well-reasoned and extremely circumspect defense followed by rapid and audacious attack."

Anonymous: "The hardest enemy to fight is the one that you can't identify, let's be that enemy."

Richard Hofstadter, historian (1916-1970:)

"One of the primary tests of the mood of a society at any given time is whether its comfortable people tend to identify, psychologically, with the power and achievements of the very successful or with the needs and sufferings of the underprivileged." -

Susan B. Anthony:

"Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation."

**************************************
Select Buddha Quotations:

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.

****************************************************

Anonymous:

If you can observe your mind, you are not your mind. So what are you?

.
.
.
.
.

Thomas Paine, Commonsense (1776):

"These are the times that try men's souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,
in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country;
but he that stands it now,
deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered;
yet we have this consolation with us,
that the harder the conflict,
the more glorious the triumph.
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.
Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods;
and it would be strange indeed,
if so celestial an article as Freedom
should not be highly rated.”

THE ELEPHANT IN OUR ROOM

2010-11-02T10:08:00.000-04:00

Interestingly enough, one of the biggest things we could do to improve our city is also something that would help Spring Garden Township, York Township, Dover, Red Lion, North York Borough and the rest of the 71 municipalities that surround York city. This big improvement could also benefit not only the York City School District but also York Suburban, Dallastown and the other 13 school districts in our county.

The big improvement I speak of is consolidation.

Please keep in mind two things as you read below:

1. York Suburban taxpayers are freaking out right now and that has what inspired this post.

2. I believe Eugene DePasquale is our only representative at the state level who has the courage to do the right thing on this issue.

So what's this consolidation all about? It's about thrift and it's about community.

The only thing more wasteful than having 16 school districts is having 72 municipalities. 72 little governments in our county. There are actually 2,566 of these in the state of Pennsylvania. I'm shocked that in such a conservative state like PA, in such a conservative county like York, we would allow such incredible duplication and waste. I'm also shocked that as rational human beings we would allow such segregation over 40 years after segregation supposedly ended.

York county has been listed as one of the most residentially segregated counties in the nation. What does that do to our productivity, our competitiveness and our ability to attract and retain the best and brightest? More importantly, what does it do to our ability to create authentic community? Rusk called these 72 little municipal boxes and 16 school district boxes "rocket fuel for separatism". I think most of the people who are lamenting PA's lagging competitiveness or protesting high taxes in any of the 16 individual school districts in York County should take a good long look in the mirror. We school district taxpayers, we York countians, we Pennsylvanians are so focused on the trees that we can't see the forest.

If we were truly concerned about competitiveness, efficiency, waste and high taxes, we wouldn't cling to our 16 school districts and 72 municipalities.

Why do we?

I think we all know the answer and it's the elephant in the room. Everyone in the York Suburban school district is losing their mind right now over high taxes and poor school performance as if somehow it's isolated new news. Where were they when the Rusk Report was distributed countywide in the Sunday paper? Where have they been while the city of York and its school district have been suffering under the same antiquated municipal and school district structure? If we York Suburban taxpayers are really as upset about taxes and school performance as we say we are, then we should ask our state representatives and our new fiscally responsible governor to bring Pennsylvania out of the 19th century horse and buggy era and into the 21st century.

Why do we cling to all this separatism and repeatedly elect representatives who fail to address our fundamental problem? Have we been accidentally pushing the wrong button in the voting booth? Was the light too dim in there when we were indicating our choice?

The real answer is fear, right? We are afraid of what might happen if we York countians actually choose representatives who will fix the problem. But what are we afraid of? What is so scary that would make us waste conscious, fiscally responsible Pennsylvanians cling to all this duplication with 16 school districts and 72 municipalities. What is the big scary elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about? Why was York county listed as one of the most residentially segregated counties in the NATION? What is all this segregation doing to the quality of education? And how much does all this separation cost?

It's a bad bargain folks and we'd do well as fiscally conservative York countians to take all of this energy and use it to dial up our state representatives. We should tell them we're mad as heck and we're not going to take it any more. It's not fair to the kids, the people on fixed incomes. It's not fair to any of us.

Let's do the one thing that will actually solve this problem. Let's cut all the waste that is involved in maintaining this system of segregation. Our 16 school districts and 72 municipalities are "rocket fuel for separatism.". And that separatism, that segregation, is too expensive. We just can't afford it any more. It's hurting our wallets, our efficiency and our ability to compete in a global economy. More importantly, though, it's cutting off our access to each other. It's blocking the priceless benefits of true community. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Together we are one York.

When IDEAS have sex: A British researcher offers a perfect diagnosis of what's holding York back & a solution to unleash our collaborative potential

2010-11-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

Here's one positive solution for York! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHh9E5ilZ4&feature=youtube_gdata_player . This is a brilliant presentation by acclaimed British researcher and author Matt Ridley at the 2010 World TED conference. It offers a precise and fascinating solution that will result in economic prosperity and a socially dynamic FUN community in York, PA!

This totally meshes with what David Rusk has said: The disadvantage of our little municipal and educational boxes not just the financial inefficiency but the stifling of the creative process and collaboration that make for a socially dynamic and economically prosperous community. Henry James said it best: "Connect. Only connect."

In this provocative TED presentation, Ridley mentions a society in Tasmania that was cut off from the world by natural events that made their community a literal island. Not only did their society not progress. It regressed. Sound familiar to the situation with our 72 municipality boxes and 16 school district boxes? Ridley clearly outlines the real scientific and economic benefits of "the free flow of ideas."

I think this guy has us nailed. His main conclusion after much research is that societies progress when ideas are able to have sex with each other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHh9E5ilZ4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cornel West Says Everything I Ever Wanted to Say to York

2010-09-29T20:51:00.000-04:00

part 1 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjZydhfUxqs (start at 4:38 to skip introductions)

part 2 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTOfjle-fK4&feature=related

part 3 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH1uxEMoBMY&feature=related

Descartes and Other Obstacles to Feeling at Home in Your Own Skin

2010-02-17T08:43:00.004-05:00

Disclaimer: This is not a scientific, religious or geographic post but it does mention Einstein, Descartes, God and Michigan . To read more, please click here:

I believe I have a healthy suspicion of religion. Too many people have been killed or harmed by those who use it for ill. Spiritualality is pretty cool though. :). And I'm certainly in agreement that the majority of religious folks are wonderful, kind, loving, spiritual people with good hearts. I think religion's great when it joins us rather than divides us.

Here's a provocative quote I came across in a Tom Robbins book. In a paragraph, it kind of sums up what may be a problem with the typical concept of God and sort of points the way to a more useful definition. Also wonderfully points out that divinity is within us all...that divinity is rather "ordinary" and accessible for everyone, something magnificent to be cultivated and felt within....And something to be nurtured, recognized and celebrated in others.... NOT something to be studied from a distance. To borrow a phrase from others, talking about tasting the honey here rather than just knowing ABOUT the honey.

In the novel "Another Roadside Attraction," Tom Robbins main character says this in an attempt to sum up where American religion ran off the rails in some cases: "On a Michigan funny farm, there are three inmates, each of whom believes he is Jesus Christ. They are all correct, of course, but when they learned the secret -- that everyone is divine if only he knows he is divine -- they became confused and behaved in a manner that led them to the looney bin. Their culture hadn't prepared them for divine revelation (that everyone contains divinity within). It hadn't even encouraged them to ask the only important question - "Who am I?" - let alone taught them to give the only logical reply. So when these three lower-middle-class working stiffs stumbled onto self-knowledge, they translated it into the absurd vision of the Sunday-school Superman, then wondered why they got locked up when they each started saying they were Jesus. Tough titty, boys. Most of us Americans prefer our God to be as singular as he is distant."

Not saying that there aren't great ministers and texts at present and from the past that capture the accessible nature of divinity within us all. . But I think an awful lot of us Americans have been led to believe in the God of TV evangelists and southern fire and brimstone churches: "And with lightning coming from his fingertips to fry the sinners!". You can hear that voice booming from the pulpit and can see the negative results of that dualistic mindset in our politics, communities and personal relationships. God as something outside us rather than within each of us...divinity, as many have said, is really within each of us, not in some angry white haired old white man above the clouds who gets involved in the outcome of sporting events and supports a good war now and then. :-)

It appears a lot of us folks in this modern culture have COMPLETELY missed the point and made the exact opposite point. In doing so, we may have gotten ourselves further away from god, more sinful, less prayerful and less happy. . We're probably more boring too. :) A huge wrong turn. Oops. Do you think we'll stop to ask for directions now that we're lost? (I think this is the job of writers, novelists, ministers and professors actually, to stop and say, wait a second this Chinese box is only a box, the world is bigger than this).

  By the way...I think part of the problem is Descartes. (the film "Mindwalk" and the book "The Turning Point" wonderfully reveal this). That bastard Descartes taught us that everything can be understood by simply dissecting it and analyzing the parts. In teaching us that, he took us down a very long dark wrong road, a road we now consider to be the whole world. On that road, NOTHING is greater than the sum of its parts. To Descartes Central Market is 480 tons of lumber. Jim Smith is 192 pounds of flesh, etc. Descartes' thinking causes us to miss the animating force, the mystery, the soul of a place or person or movement. He misses the feeling that must have been in the air after one of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches. Even after the room was empty, that feeling wqs likely still there. Descartes seemed to never taste the honey. He only learned ABOUT the honey. And it's possible that we human beings, most of us, seem to have followed Descartes down that road thereby developing a certain blindness to the realities of life.

So by believing in Descartes reductionism and following him on that wrong turn for nearly 400 years, we've really lost touch with the reality that things are often greater than the sum of their parts and lost touch with internal divinity, interconnection.....and value of community, the commons, etc. Want to know why people haven't invested more in the future of poor African American children's in the city? It doesn't seem like too big a mystery to me. Most people's current worldview cause them to believe that there is no inextricable link between people. . . That the future of that poor African American child has nothing to do with them. I blame Descartes. I'm not kidding. I also blame the ministers and professors for not adequately revealing how lost Descartes has gotten us. How long are we going to keep following that bastard. The emperor has no clothes. And this mindset of his isn't a clear view of the entire world. It's a view of the inside of a Chinese box. It's up to the great ministers out there, the great writers, the professors and all of us really to lift the lid.

Descartes' reductionism has led us to believe that nothing is greater than the sum of its parts, anything that's not visible isn't real, and there are no connections between people.   I'll end with a quote from a guy most of us consider to be pretty smart who clearly thought Descartes was full of crap:

It was Albert Einstein who said:

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Downtown York, PA is on a roll!!

2010-01-29T01:36:00.003-05:00

You know, we all see things popping up all the time in downtown York that are cool, but when's the last time you saw all the cool stuff that's happened over the past two years listed in one spot? I'm obviously missing a ton of stuff and not everything is in chronological order but here are just a few examples:

- stadium ($35 million dollar development and lots of fun now and in the coming decades :). HUGE MILESTONE!! People from all over York County attend the opening game.

- York Blue Moon opens on West Market Street

- David Dietz begins selling his wonderful fresh local produce (and delicious chocolate milk in old fashioned thick glass bottles) at Central Market

- Martin Library renovation

- David Albright, owner of Left Bank, wins best restaurant in Central PA for the third year in a row

- Mezzogiorno opens at Central Market

- Insurance Services United opens near stadium

- Fresh York campaign begins (more info at http://www.freshyorkpa.com )

- Moxie design opens near stadium

- Central Market adds many new board members including Dave Cross, Blanda Nace, Frank Dittenhafer, Jessica Brubaker

- Pat Sells and Casey Tyrrell, award winning metal working artists, travel the country in search if the ideal location to set up a live, work, gallery complex and choose to move to York, PA because of the great people and the huge potential of the town

- Beaver Street merchants alliance

- First Fridays pick up steam

- Huge success with closing down Beaver Street on a beautiful summer day for "Go Green" festival

- Downtown Inc. growth

- N. George St. Alliance

- Northwest Triange land prepped and Kinsley/Enterprise/City setting up for $50 million dollar development

- Stadium beating attendance estimates. 3,000 to 5,000 people at 70 home York Revolution games each year

- regular Central Market shopper and world famous artist, Jeff Koons (from Red Lion), sells a work for $16 million dollars, making him the highest laid living artist in the world

- David Byrne, Lead Singer of Talking Heads performs in York and hangs out at a few bars in the afternoon reading books written in hieroglyphics

- Codo 241 opens at 241 N. George near stadium - $12 million dollar project with roof deck overlooking stadium. More info at http://www.codoyork.com

- Wagman Construction moves corporate headquarters to downtown York (see http://www.wagman.com ). Dave Cross and Eric Menzer now sitting within 5 feet of one another all day.

- Cap Live has first show at the Capitol Theater bringing nationally known live independent music to downtown York.

Please click here for MORE :)...

- New board members join Downtown Inc. Additional focus on public safety and merchant support

- Vincent Hedger, owner of bike shop at Central Market, and his group of renegade cyclistst
WIN top honors at St. Patrick's day parade for incredible cycling powered float complete with rock band

- Owner of Kimmons gift shop, Caroline Morris, wins DT Inc. best merchant award

- Roger Brooks, nationally recognized consultant, comes to town to begin process of advising on how to achieve two things: a new countywide brand and critical mass for successful downtown core

- Cap Live performers (national acts from around the country) stop in local downtown bars after shows at Capitol Theater and perform impromtu shows. The author of this post sees the sun come up prior to going to sleep on some of these evenings.

- Architecture firm Murphy Dittenhafer (York/Baltimore) wins top regional design award for their innovative design on Codo 241

- Bistro 19 opens near square

- Blue Moon adds patio with fireplace and free appetizers on Thursdays during happy hour

- Julie Lando wins 40 under 40 award for Central PA and is named one of the top 50 business women in Pennsylvania by Governor Rendell

- Downtown Inc. moves to square of York

- - Central Market hires new Operations Director, Annette Fisher.

- Downtown Inc. hires new executive director, Sonia Huntzinger

- Susquehanna Photographic hits the scene

- Downtown gets KEO, great new sushi restaurant and ESAAN, great new Thai restaurant (with gelato - Life's short..eat dessert first)

- Cultural Alliance brings in former exec producer of the Grammy's to help further energize the arts in York.

- Eric Menzer answers 1,000th email from author of this blog. Eric - you're a patient man.

- Justin Ayala turns the square into a world class light show venue on New Years eve

- Flair (Brooklyn style) women's shop opens

- Roburritos opens in a truck in Central Market

- first Codo project (near stadium) filled 3 months faster than independent market study predicted in middle of worst economy since great depression. York now has complex with $1300 a month apartments.

- Sustainability committee started at Central Market

- Nuts About Granola stand at Central Market appears on Rachel Ray show

- Bike shop opens at Central Market - kudos to Vincent Hedger!

- Central Market adds Erin Casey and Alex Chiaruttini to board of directors

- Kim Bracey becomes Mayor of York!!

And here are some things that seem to be ON THE HORIZON. No one knows for sure but it appears like the following things are in downtown York's future:

- Cap Live sells out first show, over 425 people pack the Capitol Theater to see the Felice Brothers (who are opening this summer for Dave Matthews). It turns into a party that moves onto local nightspots. Much merriment ensues. Sean Kenny deserves huge props for volunteering his time to book amazing bands for Cap Live!!

- Central market begins live music on Saturdays

- new restaurant/bar opening at old Harp & Fiddle location

- Central Market - version of phase one revitalization (please see more at http://www.centralmarketyork.com ) starts in the next 8 - 12 weeks

- Local downtown regular, Bryan Tate surprises many and wins a spot on the U.S. bobsledding team for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Bryan, we'll be cheering for you!

- Left Bank to open stand at Central Market

- Codo 28 - $4 million dollar apartment complex next to Cherry Lane and Central Market - October 2010 - 28 N. George. Water feature on side of building will be lit at night (more info at www.codoyork.com and even more at that site on Codo 28 in 8 weeks)

- Logos Academy opens near the Codorus on King St.

- Kinsley Construction begins work on commercial portion of Northwest Triangle across from stadium (June 2010)

- Julie Lando to appear on national television as contestant on American Idol

- Market District and Countywide branding begin to take shape under direction of Brooks Steering Committee. Strong public support for this independent steering committee (240 people including many community leaders attend consultant Roger Brooks presentation at Capitol Theater and seem to cheer on the effort). Market district would involve 10 restaurants, 10 night spots and 10 retail stores in the 3 to 5 blocks that immediately surround Central Market. Countywide branding would give whole new cohesive image to York that ties to what we really are and helps attract and retain residents, businesses, investors, developers, restaurants, nightlife, economic development, retail, arts and much much more.

- Central Market officially receives $500,000 federal grant via U.S. Senator Casey and begins next aspect of revitalization (beyond phase one)

- new user takes over Woolworth Building on Market Street

- U2 plays at Sovereign Bank stadium as a result of letter from York resident who moved here recently from Northern Ireland

- Construction begins on 3rd Codo project: Codo 200 in 2010

- 2011 - Central Market could undergo more extensive physical renovations, evolution of the business model and, as a result, it attracts even more great vendors, making it a premier regional destination, a countywide asset, a solid downtown anchor and a profitable business.

- 2011 - National Folk Festival comes to York for three years bringing 150,000 people per year downtown

OK - Everything here is true as near as I can tell, except for:

- the part about U2 playing Sovereign Bank Stadium

- the part about Moxie's Julie Lando appearing on American Idol.

- the part about Bryan Tate competing in the Winter Olympics on the U.S. bobsledding team

Sorry. I made those 3 things up.

Oh, and two more things....

1. Here's to the future of downtown York (cheers)...... The heat is building as the fire burning hotter and hotter.

And

2. remember: "We don't inherit buildings and land from our grandparents. We borrow them from our grandchildren."

- old native American saying per Blanda Nace