Our Village

Values, Challenges and Possibility

A summary from member contributions
after the gathering of Elders on August 25, 2006,
focused on the future of Fort Worden and Centrum

We value the setting of this special place and the people who are drawn to it. The physical beauty of the Olympic Peninsula enriches us and, together with our historical cityscape, provides an energizing setting for unique endeavors. We recognize the intellectual and artistic power of the people who live here. We are still a village; any individual can make an impact; any group can change the course of local history; a change here can affect the world. This combination results in an integrity of place, people and purpose that has us believing remarkable, life-changing things can happen here. The town still feels -- and is -- "locally owned and operated." It calls its own shots.

The community has serious challenges. Its important political dialogue is too often diverted into the personal and the petty. Political differences and diversity have been allowed to devolve into political schism. There is often a leadership vacuum that makes it more difficult to get things done. There are powerful economic forces at work that could ruin the town -- gentrify away its economic diversity, lose its character to the ambitions of out-of-scale development. At the same time we are losing our traditional wage-earning population. We fear the end of the functioning village.

There are sufficient tools and talent here to choose another future.

Centrum and Fort Worden are at the top of the list of remarkable community assets. The Fort is spoken of as a place, an alchemist's vessel that can multiply the ambitions, the dreams and the expressions of those who know how to use it. In a microcosm it reflects the larger community -- a village of historical buildings in a spectacular setting that invites reflection, relief, renewal and expressions of excellence.

Centrum is credited with making the town more interesting as a magnet to artists and events but is recognized as bringing much more. It is spoken of as a verb, an active force for enlightenment, education, entertainment, challenge and deep change. A vision that links together our educational resources -- colleges, the schools, the Northwest Maritime Center, Centrum -- could be exciting.
Together the Fort and Centrum are seen as important parts of a future that we would choose -- a deliberate future.