COLUMNIST W.K. VALENTINE: Presque Isle County: ?It?s our turn!?

I was looking at a map of Michigan on display at the North American Automobile Show last year depicting auto manufacturing, R&D, and supplier locations with yellow boxes on it. As one would expect, Southeastern Michigan looked like one giant pat of butter with lots of other markers sprinkled all over the Lower Peninsula. Northeast Michigan had none, even though we do have the Cadillac Products plant in our county. Nonetheless, we are not a big player in that sector of the economy.

I have another map of the Pure Michigan initiative with multi-colored boxes representing 28 partners and more than 75 travel destinations around the state. This important program is a joint venture to cover TV, radio, print, outdoor and on-line tourism promotion. It?s not the fault of Travel Michigan that our area is not included. We need to get the word out about Northeast Michigan in general and Presque Isle County in particular. It?s obvious; no one is going to give us a free pass on the carousel of prosperity. If we don?t step up to the gate and hop on ourselves, somebody from some place else will gladly take our turn. I understand we have geographic, demographic and other logistical challenges when it comes to attracting manufacturing enterprises to our area or promoting tourism. On the other hand, a very wise person summed it up quite succinctly for me recently when she said, ?Stop taking it lying down and start demanding it. I am tired of excuses. This is Presque Isle County and it?s our turn!?

For example, with all the emphasis on Homeland Security since 9/11, why can?t the federal government consider a new facility in Presque Isle County? I tried for weeks to get the direct phone number of the regional director for that department. It took a favor from a special friend in Washington, D.C. to finally make that call. The only thing the guy said to me on the other end of the line was, ?How did you get this number?? I was then brushed off to a lowly bureaucrat who never called me back. But I am not giving up. I look forward to that ribbon cutting day in the not-too-distant future when I get shake that fellow?s hand and say, ?Guess what? It?s our turn!?

Kids in school should ask their teachers, ?What are you doing to help us stay here after we graduate? It?s our turn!? Whenever (or is it When never?) they come to town, button hole those politicians and ask them directly, ?What have you done for Presque Isle County lately? It?s our turn!? Fortune tends to favor the prepared mind. People will say that you have to be lucky to succeed in this economy, but I also know that the harder I work, the more luck I have. It?s amazing what a positive attitude can achieve in any community. A national study of small communities found that a major factor of success was at once very simple and yet very rare. Successful small communities are positive and outgoing rather than negative and insular. They encourage new businesses and celebrate individuals who take risks to create jobs in their communities.

President Ronald Reagan once put it this way: ?There are three stages to the adoption of a new idea. The first is, ?That?s a crazy idea. It?ll never work. Stop wasting my time.? The next stage is, ?It does have some merit but we don?

t have the time, money or resources to make it work.? The final stage is, ?That?s a great idea. I always new it would work and I?m glad I thought of it!?? Well, it may seem like a simple little gimmick but words sometimes can push more rocks out of the way than any bulldozer. Don?t take no for an answer, just find another way to bring it up again. When that person behind the gray institutional looking desk mumbles something about why are you here and starts shuffling papers and looking for excuses, don?t be shy just look him straight in the eye when you say, ?Because this is for Presque Isle County. It?s our turn!?

I don?t think my wife would mind one bit if anyone wants to borrow her phrase and say, ?Hey, it?s Onaway and it?s our turn? or ?It?s Millersburg, it?s Posen, Rogers City, Metz, Ocqueoc and all the rest of Presque Isle County. It is our turn!?