As the energetic principal of an alternative school in Seattle, and as a former PR man who persuaded business people to roll up their sleeves to help schools, Ron Snyder is familiar with the notion of brainstorming.
You get a bunch of people together and start offering ideas — with a rule against snide comments, groans, eyerolling and other comments or reactions that might stifle the flow. Then you sift through the ideas for themes, and pick the best ones to work on.
Now retired, Snyder and his wife, Cathy Taggett, settled in the forested hills outside of Blaine four years ago to pursue their art — painting and ceramics, for her; brooms and, in the future, whirligigs, for him — and to become active in the community.
They’ve already helped organize an alliance of northcounty artists to sponsor a Mother’s Day studio tour and to stage the annual Winterfest arts and crafts show in Blaine.
It was at the last Winterfest that Snyder came up with the idea of hosting a brainstorming session on ways to boost Blaine. After some initial contacts and publicity to spark attendance, Snyder and Taggett moderated the first session last month at Blaine Library.
About 15 people showed up, including artists, local officials and other residents, including a youngster who came by for the snacks and hung around to add several good ideas. The group generated 92 ideas in half an hour, then used stickers to narrow the field to their 11 favorites.
About a dozen people came to a follow-up meeting to identify two themes from the top 11 ideas, then plucked ideas from the original 92 that fit under the themes. The top themes? (1) More activities at the harbor, and (2) turn an empty Blaine building into an artists co-op.
“The maritime and the arts,” Snyder said. “That’s where we’re headed.”
Not such outlandish ideas. Blaine is already focusing on its most appealing amenity, its shoreline location, by building a downtown view boardwalk and by changing its zoning to promote development of the waterfront. In addition, Snyder is helping to start summer sailing classes in Blaine for kids and adults.
Debbie Harger, Blaine’s coordinator for community and tourism development, attended the first brainstorming session, and says the list of waterfront ideas might spawn new activities and events.
“It was a very worthwhile process,” she said.
Richard Blackburn, a retired construction worker whose wife, Guo Cheng, is an accomplished knitter and crocheter, plans to research possible funding sources for an artists co-op.
Meanwhile, Bonnie Venture, a potter, has begun checking out buildings in Blaine to see if one might be available for artists’ studios, a gallery, and maybe space for classrooms and theatrical performances.
“The more people we talk to, the more are interested,” she said. “We see it as a positive for the town as well as the artists involved.”
In addition to generating ideas, the brainstorm sessions also resulted in a list of two dozen people willing to help.
“If you provide the people,” Snyder said, “the rest will come.”