Building Merrill Series: Change vs. the Same in 21st Century Merrill

In an increasingly connected world, is there a place for small towns? How does Merrill thrive and prosper in a 21st century society and economy while maintaining the quality of life we cherish?

On Monday, April 10, at 6:30 p.m., in T.B. Scott Free Library’s Community Room, the public is invited to be part of a deliberative forum, “Merrill In the 21st Century: Change vs. the Same in Small-Town America.”

This program is the third in the “Building Merrill Together” initiative, which aims to stir government, business and the general public to positively change Merrill through information and discussion, and by creating an open and transparent environment for change.

Monday’s program will employ the “Future of Rural Communities” National Issues Forums framework to take up three specific aspects of our future: promoting economic development, broadening our sense of community and preserving our rural heritage.

For each topic, suggestions for action will be presented as well as potential consequences of those actions. In previous deliberations of this type, regular citizens have discussed these issues in a free and civil manner with elected officials and other informed citizens.

Monday’s deliberation will be coordinated by John Greenwood of the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service.

On Tuesday, April 18, the Active and Aware Merrill Citizens group (formerly known as the Concerned Citizens Group) will meet for a brown bag lunch session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the library’s Community Room.

The Active and Aware Merrill Citizens, formed after a community discussion at the library last October which launched the Building Merrill Together initiative, will continue planning to explore issues of community importance, enhanced citizen communication with city and county government, and how local government can communicate better with the people on issues relevant to the community.

Building Merrill Together is cosupported by The Interactivity Foundation (IF), the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS) and T.B. Scott Free Library. For more information, go to www.tbscottlibrary.com or call 715-536-9171.