Some say that the grass is inevitably greener on
the other side. However on our Sunday drive to
White Sulphur Springs Montana that wasn't the
case. The further beyond Fergus County - the
drier things got. Said visual affirming that we're
lucky to have greener pastures than most of our
fellow Montanans. After stopping for lunch, it
was again quite evident that our town is on the
upswing. Whereas other communities continue
to struggle. Yet post arrival in White Sulphur
Springs we found that Lewistown is not the only
small Montanan town amidst a renaissance. So
what drives a community's success or failure?
Before anybody jumps to conclusions - let me
be clear. Growth within isolated agriculturally
driven communities such as ours is organic.
Thus like any natural process it happens slowly
but surely. Requiring all involved to persevere.
Along with nurture and respect said evolution.
What's obvious once you leave Lewistown is
that at times community development works.
But just as often if fails. Said success is driven
by a delicate balance of industry, commerce,
and creativity. Along with ample doses of just
plain luck. Thus an occasional jaunt outside of
town can reinforce just how good we've got it.
Who knows why some succeed where others
fail? The formula for success is actually quite
simple. PEOPLE. Last Saturday Lewistown
celebrated the opening of our new Creekside
Marketplace and Pavilion park. A project that
was born out of a community initiative whose
focus was to improve our circumstances. Yet
another indication that great things happen if
and when we work together. Especially in the
middle of no where. So where do we go from
here? Can we leverage forward momentum
to insure Lewistown ends up in a good place?
We've much to gain. Or... much to lose.