Imagine you are a rural town. The economy used to be centered around logging. And then logging faltered and the town was faced with seeking new economic realities. What would you do? If you were in Winthrup, Washington; Leavenworth, Washington; Ashland, Oregon; Joseph, Oregon; Plummer, Idaho; or Tupac, Arizona you looked at performing and visual arts to revitalize the community. Each of these communities is now a center for arts and the perfect meeting place for conferences and art performances. With a center for arts there would be the necessary requirements for good restaurants, hotels, art galleries. This would encourage groups to view our area as a place to hold major conferences--we are the hub for federal, state, county, local governmental agencies and coming to Orofino for a meeting should be as natural or more so than going to Boise for meetings.

The idea is to think outside the box. Once outside, think of the possibilities and the economic realities. It is not inconceivable to think of tour busses, high school and college tours, senior citizens coming here as a destination spot rather than a pass through. Arts and conferences will keep them coming back for the other attractions our area has to offer.