Babe the Blue Ox

The installation of Babe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or0lbU0kWWk

No, this is the not answer to what we need. But it's better than snarky, anonymous nihilists sniping at the town from the flickering glow of their smudgy laptops in some small dirty room in a run down house at the corner of Disappointment Street and Sullen Avenue. People enjoyed the installation. A positive moment in town. Will it turn us around? Probably not. There are other efforts, efforts that the town leaders may have trouble understanding, which could be more effective. But this was a tangible thing and people understand tangible things and the town government paid for this because it was tangible and they understood it. And the installation was a nice moment.


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Q.E.D.

"There are other efforts, efforts that the town leaders may have trouble understanding, which could be more effective. But this was a tangible thing and people understand tangible things and the town government paid for this because it was tangible and they understood it."

Couple of question if you don't mind Phil? In over a years time is the only "tangible" development you have to show is the ox? Are you saying the selectman are only able to grasp simple ideas? Are you saying something that may not be effective is worth $7000 because it looks good? Was there a study done to see a rough number of people who actually stop and visit Paul Bunyon each summer? What type of marketing, other than the Sunjournal, have you done to promote the ox, or Rumford?

Finally doesn't this video seem a little ironic to you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbz6kvnQDA

Despite the fact that Paul Bunyan, a fictitious character (and this includes Babe) was set in Minnesota (did someone confuse MN with ME?) , this reminds me of my trip to Viet Nam where in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), there are giant fiberglass trash receptacles in the shape of Disney characters (toss your burger wrappings into Mickey's mouth). That, for some reason, just didn't seem right either. And clearly, copywright laws don't work in VN!

This doesn't mean I am against a 1/3 size foam replica of the Statue Of Liberty at the head of Congress Street or a plaster copy of Mt. Rushmore at the foot of the falls. I am sure it would bring in the tourists.

The town needs an economic development sales, marketing and promotional effort. Sales of something like economic growth is intangible, progress is incremental and big successes take time. The current town leadership has been shy about starting a serious economic development sales effort.

I, myself, did not propose nor support the Blue Ox. But I didn't oppose it either. There is a chance it may do what it's supposed to do. I would have been more comfortable with a smaller expenditure or something supported in part by private contributions, but what we have is what the Selectboard thought appropriate.

The world (the entire bloody world) is in a near depression. To say that the efforts at economic development haven't born fruit in Rumford because our little volunteer committee failed is bizarre.

What did the committee do? Here's the report as of last December:
http://www.growrumford.com/EconomicDevelopmentReport.pdf

Things then stalled due to politics involving the Growth Council lobbying the then-town manager into handing over to them the rest of the economic development budget. They have remained stalled, but may get going again in the near future. Stay tuned.

Addenda: The Growth Council did not succeed in getting their hands on the money, but they did succeed in paralyzing any further activity.

Just so you are aware I read the Economic Development Report when it first came out. I'm not expecting mircales because the whole nation is in desperate times. Which is why possibly making more frugual decisions is wise?

Rumor has it that Babe the Blue Ox will be evicted from it's site at Rite Aid. Apparently someone didn't do their homework.
Any guesses as to where Babe will go?

probably to a lawn on the South Rumford road

But seriously, who thought that placing it in a parking lot was a good idea? (this is in total disregard for the wisdom of purchasing it in the first place).

Wait, what??? Who's evicting the big blue pig, I mean ox? And why? If not at the end of Congress, where else would it go? Is there room for it in front of the Municipal building?

Mark H

A fuss could be useful. The more ink, the better. Just spell the name correctly.

There is plenty of room in front of the Town Hall since they cut down the trees!

Then the people could greet it as they go pay there tax bill! Maybe they could get a voice box and motion sensor so it could greet you like at Walmart. Whats another few thousand dollars into it?