Sunny Skies – Predicting a Positive 2012

The forecast called for a crisp, cold, bright January day, and we could clearly see our shadow -- sunny skies and an “early spring” for business. In the spirit of our local “Beauregard,” able to predict end of winter, we also felt strong in our own prediction for a positive 2012.  

The sunlit entry hall of the Gwinnett Center was filled with tables of warm handed, smiling merchants, chatty business folk, community organizations, city officials, and media representatives -- all of us looking for a positive, long-range forecast. The Duluth State of the City Address to be delivered by Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris and hosted by The Duluth Civitan Club was the ticket of the day.   

As we surveyed the crowd with our video camera blazing, we could sense a general feeling of optimism, good will, and positive outlook, as if saying “things are kind of OK now, but we want to do better.” With the state of the world, country, region, state, city and winter weather, able-bodied people of resource felt a sense of readiness to create value and to make things better for everybody. A few positive signs would go a long way to jump start something special.

We worked our way through the crowd, stopping at business displays presented by fellow Duluth Merchants Aassociation members, sharing a few words or a smile with other DMA members, Civitan Club members and City of Duluth officials, capturing some of the positive momentum around us in our video.  

“Press here for Budget,” “Press here to Grow the Economy,” “Press here for Healthy Citizens”…ah, if only it were so easy! However, Mayor Harris’s technically current “cell phone app approach,” reflecting the mayor's passion for wanting to meet the needs of the Duluth community, was very well received by the sold out crowd of 250. We hope our forecast and Mayor Harris’s 2012 plans for Duluth prosperity are a success. Look out your window: the future is now! What’s your forecast?

Positively yours, Sheri & Bill