Hoping for some civil conversation… I’m not affiliated with Bear Paw Development, but am optimistic about the Havre Tourism Enhancement Program and the proposed improvements outlined within. Some complaints I’ve seen across platforms is that people don’t know what is going on with this project, that there aren’t any opportunities for public comment, and that they don’t know who is involved.
The plan project summary, members of the steering committee, and project updates are all clearly outlined on the Bear Paw Development website (linked below). There have been multiple news articles, posts, podcasts, and open meetings seeking public comment on different facets of this plan, but there always seems to be folks claiming they didn’t know until after the fact.
How do you get your local news? Radio, Television, Havre Weekly Chronicle, Bulletin boards around town, Social Media, Word of Mouth? How do you prefer to make your voice heard? Public meetings, online surveys, round table discussions, outreach booths at community events?
In my opinion, local news and community outreach can’t seem to keep up with algorithms and national media trained to feed users sensational content that appeals to a wide base in order to provoke engagement and sow division.
How can we keep ourselves and our neighbors better informed about what is happening in our community? How can we as a community work together to foster more productive and collaborative discussions about our collective path forward?
The Havre Local 