Washington County: solutions from within

Readers of recent troubling news about higher mortality rates among women in Washington County should be encouraged by the response of Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, to the question, “Can things turn around in Washington County?”

“Absolutely,” Mills said. “They already have the best-known ingredient for success – working together.”

She was referring to the Washington County: One Community initiative under way now for almost two years, and growing.

The mission of Washington County: One Community is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Washington County – from infants to elders – through positive communication, promoting success, and ensuring residents receive the public health and other support they need to achieve healthy, productive and financially viable lives while respecting cultural and community differences.

This week, Rep. Anne Perry of Calais is joining the Board of Washington County: One Community, a group that is appointed by the county commissioners, and composed of individuals and agencies working in education, local government, economic development, public health and leadership. She and Sen. Kevin Raye of Perry have been stalwart supporters of the initiative since it started in 2006.

Indeed, both Perry and Raye were present when the name Washington County: One Community was born. As a Maine Rural Partners board member, Raye suggested the entire county become a Harness the Wealth! pilot community that would serve as a collaborative learning model in strategic community economic development for all of rural Maine. All agreed that the entire county is indeed one community and that we are stronger working together than as 44 individual towns.

Maine Rural Partners rewarded this commitment to regional community building with Harness the Wealth! pilot status recognition in 2006 and with a Partner of the Year Award in 2007, and plenty of welcome strategic assistance ever since.

The Washington County: One Community Web site, washingtoncountymaine.com, is supported by the county commissioners. There, one can track the activities of six action teams and receive invitations to join in the efforts. Some examples, by no means a complete list, include the following:

The youth action team is developing a youth leadership program with funds from a Rural Community Development Initiative grant. In the works as well is an assessment of the resources and facilities available for youth in the county and a Web site for their use.

The communications action team completed a countywide Quality of Life Survey in 2007. The results are posted at the Web site and are directing the priorities of other action teams.

The infrastructure action team is working on transportation options to assist with car-pooling and volunteer driver programs. They and all the action teams are supporting public-private initiatives to expand broadband access throughout the county.

The economic development action team is developing a Think Local First – Buy Local campaign that also includes connecting local businesses to fundraising initiatives in local schools. A Farm To School initiative is also supporting local purchasing, healthful eating, and increasing nutrition curriculum in our school systems.

The social capital action team is working on solutions to homelessness in the county.

The wellness action team is working on programs for work-site wellness, education to reduce children’s exposure to tobacco, and collaborating with local schools, universities, agencies and local citizens to create social norms and environments that reduce the consumption of underage drinking.

None of those working on these action teams believes they have the single silver bullet to address long standing and multifaceted issues of poverty and economic depression. Neither do they believe that their efforts will solve these problems overnight.

The common factor among all individuals, agencies and businesses that are part of the Washington County: One Community initiative is that the answers will come from working (hard) together, from communication (to avoid duplication) and from focusing on solutions while remaining mindful of the challenges we face.

There are serious problems associated with poor nutrition, obesity and substance abuse across this entire nation. They are especially acute in economically depressed areas for the reasons stated in recent studies and articles. The difference in Washington County is that we are among those working on solutions to such problems. Everyone involved in Washington County: One Community welcomes and appreciates anyone who will join in that effort.

Judy East is executive director of the Washington County Council of Governments and co-chairwoman of Washington County: One Community communications action team.