[Vision2020] A Great meeting

[Robin Woods]

Bill, Phil, et. al.,

Thanks for your thoughtful postings regarding locally-produced pottery.  The
LEDC had our first Business Recruitment and Retention Committee meeting
Wednesday, as well as an Executive Committee meeting, and we did discuss the
fact that there may be some business opportunities for locally produced
pottery and materials.  While our recruitment committee is still in our goal
setting/strategy forming stage, we anticipate further discussions,
presentations and/or site visits in the coming future.

Again, thank you for your discussions -- the LEDC always encourages input
from our communities.

Robin Woods






Forwarded Message:
> To: "Phil Nisbet" <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>, <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> From: "Bill London" <london at moscow.com>
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A Great meeting
> Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:13:17 -0800
> -----
> I am impressed with Phil's suggestion (below) for locally-based economic
> development -- local clay to locally-produced pottery.  value-added!
> What do the LEDC board members on this list think of that option?  What
> could the LEDC do to make it reality?
> BL
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Phil Nisbet" <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>
> To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 10:30 PM
> Subject: [Vision2020] A Great meeting
>
>
> > Sorry that some of you could not make the Grange meet tonight.
Thanks to
> > those of you who made it.  Joan was there.  Donovan was there.  Roger
had
> to
> > be there, because he is the President of the New Moscow Grange.
> >
> > One of the points that Mike Wendt made at the meeting is something
that
> > ought to be discussed.  He noted that his on site sales of pottery
from
> his
> > out of the way shop in Lewiston, not exactly the best place for
tourist
> > trade, had a cash register that in a little less than 20 years of
> operations
> > had rung up over 3 million dollars in sales.  That is not from mass
> produced
> > ceramics, but from true hand crafted pottery.
> >
> > Mike's materials come from right here in Latah County.  We have the
raw
> > stuff from which to form a high value added art related industry in
> Moscow's
> > backyard.  And its not common clay or low value feldspar and quartz,
its
> > some of the best porcelain producing material in the world.
> >
> > We need to encourage the Latah Potters Guild and to help it to grow,
give
> it
> > space to highlight the skills and talents in the ceramic arts from our
> local
> > materials that can give us something vibrant that is the Palouse's
very
> own.
> >   A handcrafted ceramics industry does not sound like it can be an
> economic
> > engine, but look at places that have done so, like Marshall Texas or
even
> > Fairbanks Alaska.  Those towns employee hundreds of people in
production
> and
> > their activity draws tens of thousands of tourists every year, just
to see
> > the potters work.  And it means painting and design jobs as well, a
near
> > full gamut of the arts that would keep some of our talented artists
here,
> > rather than see them drift down to Arizona or California.
> >
> > I would just like to see us put arts back into Moscow's motto of
Heart of
> > the Arts.  We have the materials here in Latah County that could make
us
> as
> > important to ceramics as China was from the Kaolin district from which
> Ming
> > porcelain was made.  It would be grand as far as I am concerned to see
> more
> > businesses like Wendt Pottery turning out things of beauty right here
in
> > Moscow and I hope to convince the list that it's worth doing as a
> community.
> >
> > Phil Nisbet
> >
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