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Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Sociologist gives advice on turning around Merced

Citizen involvement is key to overcoming challenges.

Sociologist Vaughn Grisham said Wednesday he'd never bother to study Merced as it overcomes its challenges.

The area already has too much going its way.

"You people have an economic engine (UC Merced) most people would kill for," Grisham said.

Strange and perhaps startling words for a beaten-down community that saw a spectacular rise and fall in the last five years. But in his eyes, Merced can flourish. The biggest factor, he said, is catching up to the knowledge-based economy through adopting early childhood education programs.

As Merced County still works to reclaim its image, a dozen community members banded together to adopt and apply Grisham's community building philosophy that's based heavily on the transformation of Tupelo, Miss.

Grisham's book, "Tupelo: The Evolution of Community," chronicles how the revitalization began when a newspaper publisher banded business leaders together to buy a bull to jump-start a dairy industry.

In short, the philosophy is about residents growing tired of the status quo, pulling together and finding ways to make a difference.

The Tupelo Committee of Merced County hopes to hold more meetings before coming up with projects to tackle.

"We need to find a way to work cooperatively," said Bob Carpenter, a committee member who was a major player in bringing a University of California campus to Merced.

Grisham, a community development expert with a Ph.D. from University of North Carolina, toured the UC campus and Castle Commerce Center, spoke with the Sun-Star's editorial board and concluded with an hour-and-a-half speech to a packed Merced Senior Center about what can be done to build the community.

The audience included many business owners, average Mercedians and some of the area's top leaders, including UC Merced Chancellor Steve Kang, Merced College President Ben Duran, council members and supervisors.

Grisham, with a slight Southern drawl, wandered the center holding a microphone -- begrudgingly -- because it restricted where he could walk. He's one part inspirational speaker and one part tent revival preacher. Wry, witty and willing to be blunt, his gospel is what average people can accomplish without looking to government grants. "There's no Santa Claus in Sacramento," he said. "There's no Santa Claus in D.C."

One tale he told was about two people who founded a support group for children with palsy and expanded it into a medical program that serves 200,000 people.

He later highlighted a school that expanded its course offerings to adults when it was faced with closure because of low enrollment. Rather than letting the school close, the community rallied and began offering driving classes to people more than 80 years old.

The insurance companies kept customers, the drivers held onto their licenses and the school stayed open, Grisham explained. "That's the simplest lesson," he said. "You've got to have all winners."

A community's transformation must start small with projects that can succeed and build momentum. One idea is working to clean up the city by picking up garbage and painting buildings.

Grisham closed the evening by quoting anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Reporter Scott Jason can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or sjason@mercedsun-star.com.