Friday Feature: Greensburg, Kansas

“What we have gained is not measured in physical buildings but in the character of the community.”

Bob Dixson, Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas

EF5 tornado nearly destroyed Greensburg, Kanas in 2007

May 4, 2007 is a date no one in Greensburg, Kansas (population 777) will ever forget. That’s the day an EF5 tornado, with winds 205 miles per hour, touched down more than 75 times, destroyed 95 percent of the town, and claimed the lives of 12 of its citizens. With the nearly total destruction, it would have been easy for townsfolk to throw up their hands and walk away—who could have blamed them?—but they didn't. That’s not the way people in this town operate. Instead, they stood among the rubble and, with a real “cup half full” vision, saw opportunity. They made the decision not only to rebuild, but to rebuild better and greener.

Rebirth: Greensburg’s 5.4.7 Arts Center

In 2007 the City Council voted to rebuild all city buildings in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum standards, making Greensburg the first town in the United States to do so. Extending that vision to the arts, the new 5.4.7 Arts Center is entirely solar and wind powered. Private companies got in on the act, too. A 10-turbine farm just outside of town produces enough energy to power 4,000 homes. The John Deere dealership has a new facility powered by wind and it has become a distributorship for small- to medium-sized turbines. And there’s a new a business incubator, which provides temporary office and retail space to businesses, funded by donations from Frito Lay and the actor Leonardo DiCaprio. 

On the homes front, 193 permits have been issued for single-family homes. There’s still a ways to go—more than 900 homes were lost—but how many towns, small or large, can claim such strong construction numbers in this tight economy? On top of that, the town is planning a chain of eco-homes to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies for sustainability. The first home is the Silo Eco-Home, which was inspired by the grain silos still standing after the tornado’s tear through town.

The road to recovery has been tough, but town leaders say the way to stay on course is not to look back but to go forward. And it seems to be working. The town was recently named a top 10 “Coolest Small Town in America” by Budget Travel for its tenacity and vision. The tornado may have nearly wiped out Greensburg, but it did nothing to wipe the resolve of its people to survive.

Sources:
Greensburg still growing four years later
Voted top 10 coolest small town in America
Greensburg, Kansas website

Shop ’Til You Drop

“If they shop and come buy, I’d be glad to give them money.”

Jim Gates, Harper County Commissioner

Harper County official pays local shoppers

Putting His Money Where the Shoppers Are

If you’re needing groceries in Harper County, Kansas (population about 6,000), you’re in luck. They’ll pay you to shop. Jim Gates, a county commissioner, decided the county needed his commissioner’s $16,000 salary more than he did, so he’s giving it away—to shoppers. To give the local economy a boost, Gates is giving shoppers $25 for every $200 they spend at one of the four grocery stores in Harper County, and $50 for every $300. Gates says he’s doing this because he saw firsthand how devastating it can be to a community when hometowners take their shopping dollars down the road. In St. John, Kansas in the 1960s he saw the population drop from 1,832 to 1,673 as large chain stores opened in nearby towns. St. John’s population never recovered and today is 1,174. Gates says if the idea takes off he’ll expand to local restaurants and businesses. So if you find yourself near Harper County, stop and shop. Gates says he’s happy to offer the same deal to outsiders.

Read the Article ® Harper County official pays local shoppers

Lost and Found a Bargain

Now if you’re a bargain hunter, Scottsboro, Alabama (population 14,899) is the place to be. That’s where all the luggage that’s lost on airplanes and never gets reclaimed goes to find a new home. The company, Unclaimed Baggage, purchases the suitcases in bulk sight unseen. Inside the luggage employees have found everything from designer clothes to scuba gear and diamond rings to iPads. And it’s all for sale. Unclaimed Baggage draws more than a million shoppers a year from around the country. Might be worth a trip down there, but make sure you keep close tabs on your luggage.

Read the article ® The land of lost luggage

Lots o’ Land

“Towns need to grow to survive.”

Karen Lauer, Barnesville, Minnesota Economic Development

Barnesville offers an incentive to those looking to build a new home

Land of the Free

Small towns and rural communities are using what they have to woo newcomers, and for some that means free land. In Kansas there’s so much free land they host an online site, Kansas Free Land, that provides links to all of the communities giving it away. In Curtis, Nebraska lucky homeowners can snatch up a lot overlooking the golf course. And in Marne, Iowa, one family not only got free land but also got $10,000 in down payment assistance. Sometimes when a deal sounds too good to be true, it’s just good.

Read the Article ® 7 towns where land is free

Bonus Link ® Click on USDA Rural Development for information on getting low-interest loans to buy or build in rural areas.

I ran the following story last week. It’s about one town’s incentives for attracting newcomers. I thought it was worth repeating here . . . in case you missed it the first time . . . and in case you’re thinking about building in Minnesota.

If You Pay Them, They Will Build

Town leaders in Barnesville, Minnesota (population 2,314) have been hard at work attracting folks to their community. First, they offered free lots to newcomers willing to build. Then, they sweetened the pot with utility incentives. And now—cold, hard cash: twenty-five hundred bucks to the first four people who move to their town and build a home. This is one town that knows the way to a homeowner’s heart is through their pocketbook.

Read the Article ® Barnesville offers an incentive to those looking to build a new home

Gotta Have Groceries

“I grew up scooping turkey manure and driving a tractor.”

Nick Graham, Small Town Grocery Tycoon

Iowa grocery tycoon, 21, builds small-town business

Tycoon Nick Blows into Town

Nick Graham is kind of a big deal in small town grocery stores. Where others are throwing in the towel and shuttering stores, he’s buying them up and keeping local communities supplied. At 21 years old, Graham might be considered a youngster, but he’s an old hand in the grocery business. He bought his first store in Minnesota when he was 17, and by the time he sold it two years later he was grossing $100,000 a week. Graham’s empire now includes three stores in small town Iowa. Read the article to see which popular American novel gave Graham the idea for his first business plan.

Read the Article ® Iowa grocery tycoon, 21, builds small-town business

Students Pitch in to Bring Grocery Store to Town

A grocery store is the lifeblood of a small community. The kids from the Cody-Kilgore Unified Schools in Nebraska get it. A group junior and senior high schoolers from the tiny town of Cody (population 149) traveled to Lincoln to make a pitch to lease land along a popular nature trail so a grocery store can be built. The nearest full-service store is 40 miles away. As the students put it, the store would attract people to their community and provide jobs for both adults and after-school workers. These students are pretty smart cookies.

Read the Article ® Grocery store could help tough town survive

Need to Help Neighbors Burns Strong

After a fire destroyed the only grocery store in Onaga, Kansas (population 683) late last year, residents have been desperate to get a grocery store back in town. With the closest store 45 miles away and winter driving conditions making the trip seem even longer, townspeople were especially concerned for the elderly in their community. The local diner, Wanda’s Country Cooking, stepped up to the plate to help out. They set up a makeshift grocery store in their restaurant and stock it with necessities picked up in town three times a week. The manager says the store has been good for business but, like everyone else, she’ll be glad when a full-fledged grocery store is back in town.

Read the Article ® Small town diner opens makeshift grocery store to keep Onaga fed