Oakridge is going to change. The question is, "How?" Will it change in a way mountain bikers will like - or will it continue to drift along with small improvements fighting the downward pull of high unemployment and lack of business investment? I don't think that's in anybody's best interest.
What would you like Oakridge to become? What services would you like to find here when you come to ride? We've got the bare essentials: bike shop, internet cafe' w/ microbrews and good java and food, gas stations, grocery store for supplying camping trips, and two coffee kiosks, art gallery.
What if there were enough cool jobs here that more cyclists could move here (and not starve)? What if a major bike manufacturer had a test facility here - you know, for R&D. Or a kayak manufacturer?
How about anything to do with programming? We've got Broadband and potentially WiFi for the whole valley, I've been told. Small home businesses in the Web design area, photography, video production, "fill in the blank" could be here and ride every spare moment instead of fighting traffic and driving for 2+ hours to get to some good trails.
Who wouldn't like to live and work in a place that has some of the best riding in the country?! What if Oakridge also had more of the amenities we all like (natural food co-op, more restaurant choices, more live music - maybe some big name acts). What if all the town looked good and the people were happily employed and comfortable?
My Point: I'm proposing a grassroots effort to recruit green businesses and people who see what Oakridge/Westfir could be and invite them to move to Oakridge. I know it's happening already (slowly), but wouldn't it be fun to take charge of the direction of Oakridge's future?
Imagine what a few new businesses (it's an Enterprise Zone, so there are incentives) and maybe 500 mtn. bikers could do to change the outlook for this town. The blight problem would quickly be solved. Just "vote with your feet!"
A good site for relocation information: www.Oregon Prospector.com
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Why do I care? I moved to Oakridge in 1989, seeing potential and beauty when the closure of the mill was understood to mean the death of the town. I was on the Lane County committee (along with Tim Kaiser, Dave Linsdell, Don Person, and Dan Geiger and others ) that brainstormed possible ways to breathe life into the community: starting a mtn. bike festival and bike tours of the area were mentioned. I took the idea to the Chamber of Commerce and - after overcoming a lot of opposition - I became the promoter of what became the Oakridge Fat Tire Festival, growing it from 52 riders to about 1500 riders and family in 4 years.
A lot more needs to be done so that the brave pioneers like the folks at the Trailhead Cafe and Willamette Mountain Mercantile and Oregon Adventures have enough business to keep the doors open and not wonder "what the heck did we get ourselves into?"
The answer is not to rely on pass-through traffic or people accidentally hearing about this undiscovered little mtn. bike heaven, but to do some coordinated Web promo to invite the right people to move to Oakridge/Westfir before the homesites get priced out of reach by an older generation of retirees. The answer is to recruit a fresh crop of citizens who will support local hip businesses, in addition to whatever seasonal pass-through skiers, boarders, bikers, etc. come through.
And, of course, events like Mt. Bike Oregon and the Fat Tire Festival and the Creampuff are a great way to expose the area to poor trail-starved citydwellers. Local merchants are appreciative of the dollars they bring and we all enjoy the excuse for a party.
In an area surrounded by National Forest and a limited Urban Growth Boundary, I'm not worried about the town getting too big. But it can get priced out of range of many younger folks. Obviously, Oakridge is not for everyone, but if you want it to be here for you and made the way you want it, I'm suggesting a grassroots email/viral campaign to move a few green businesses (especially bike-related) to Oakridge, along with about 500 nice people.
If you love Oakridge and want to make it healthier, tell someone you think might like to live or do business here. Thank you!
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