Strongest Town 2022, Round 2: Durango, CO vs. White Salmon, WA
Welcome to the second round match-up in the seventh annual Strongest Town Contest! In this round, eight towns are facing off, and four will advance to the next segment of the contest based on your votes. We invite you to review photos and captions representatives from these two cities provided to our questions about economic resilience, citizen involvement, community response to the pandemic, and more. Then vote for the strongest candidate at the bottom of this page.
Can’t decide? If you’re looking for inspiration, check out how we describe the Strong Towns approach.
You may vote once per match-up. Round 2 voting closes at noon CT on Thursday, March 17. For rules, and to follow along with the contest, visit the Strongest Town Contest page.
Note: All entries are lightly edited for clarity and readability.
DURANGO, CO
Entry submitted by: Bryce Bierman, Mallory St. Pierre, Scott Shine, Mark Williams, Vicki Vandergrift, Dan Armentano, Savannah Lytle, Tommy Crosby, Eva Henson.
This is a scene from our city’s event to promote multimodal transit options for our citizens. It is this interaction and engagement with the public that helps city staff to carry out the vision of Durango as a collective. Cycling has a long held place in Durango culture, as we will be hosting the Ironhorse Bicycle Classic for its 50th consecutive year in 2022. The San Juan Mountain Range is one of the most pristine regions in this country and Durangotangs (people of Durango) put tremendous value on ecologically sustainable practices to preserve our beautiful natural resources. There are a range of options for more sustainable and equitable transportation, and this picture of smiling locals features just a couple of the city’s efforts to create a better place for everyone.
The Durango–La Plata County Airport supports Durango’s role as the regional hub for southwest Colorado. Businesses, large and small, and everyday citizens’ lives are improved by the existence of the airport, and the city continues to innovate approaches to sustain and grow this important community resource. The Durango–La Plata County Airport has made it possible for large institutions like Fort Lewis College and Mercy Regional Medical Center to establish and even flourish in our relatively isolated community. Durango’s small business owners also depend on a regular influx of tourists and the airport allows for incoming traffic from around the world to visit Durango and bolster the local tax base.
The COVID-19 pandemic thrust communities all over the world into a new reality. With local restaurant owners grappling with the challenges to remain open for customers, the city created the “Bump-Out” program to offer flexibility in a time when our local small business owners needed it most. The citizen response to the program was so optimistic that the Community Development Department has incorporated permanent solutions for outdoor dining space into the design concepts currently under review for the revitalization of our downtown on Main Avenue. Durango prides itself on its culture of supporting local entrepreneurship and this was a way for us to preserve what makes our downtown area so special.
Here is an early morning view of the new public library adjacent to our Animas River Trail and Durango–Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The new public library serves as a gathering place for local community members of all ages and social backgrounds. The Animas River Trail runs the length of the city, interconnecting our citizens to our many resources in a sustainable fashion. This photo illustrates the evolution of transportation Durango has undertaken over its 141 years in existence.
Colorado serves as the reserve manager of a large amount of the nation’s water supply; Lake Nighthorse was created to preserve more water to use in years of drought, sustaining not only our population but also the farmers and communities down river. If you’ve been to southwest Colorado you will know that water is in short supply, which makes this new city park a unique experience for those who visit. This public amenity provides a rare chance for all to experience the beauty of southwest Colorado firsthand.
WHITE SALMON, WA
Entry submitted by: Brendan Conboy, City Planner; Marla Keethler, Mayor of White Salmon.
Seen here from a perch within ranchland that has been family-owned since 1883, the city of White Salmon is nestled within the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, a destination that attracts two million visitors a year. Pride in and respect for the natural amenities and resources that make this location special has helped to preserve not only the agriculture that still drives local economies, but also efforts to protect the land. A community-led effort to declare a climate emergency passed unanimously by City Council in 2021, and resulted in a resident-led City Lab board, whose work focuses on ensuring future city policies adhere to climate-conscious goals, while also addressing issues that strain natural and social resources, such as affordable housing.
Residents gather to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots at one of the five pop-up clinics since 2021 that have been spearheaded by local organization Communidades. The fiesta-style series encourages a culturally sensitive approach to healthcare, bringing the community together in celebration of health for all people as they enjoy tamales to eat and atole, a warm Mexican beverage to drink as they await their opportunity to receive a free COVID-19 vaccination or booster. So far, the turnout at each event has been double from the past, with more than 500 community members receiving vaccinations.
A Latino/a/x-led environmental and social justice organization, Communidades formed to amplify voices for environmental and social justice. When a mobile home park in White Salmon was closed in 2020, the organization mobilized the residents, meeting weekly and helping them to prepare to speak at a packed public hearing about the evictions. The activism helped spur the city council to make changes to the mobile home zone to prevent a similar situation in the future. “It was empowering to see these moms, Latinas, tell their stories in their own language, in Spanish. They talked about how the evictions have hurt their families and demanded the city council and the mayor to prevent this situation from happening again,” recalled founder Ubaldo Hernandez.
(Photo courtesy of White Salmon Valley Education Foundation.)
When schools and libraries initially shut down due to COVID-19, White Salmon Valley School District teacher Amy Sacquety (pictured, far right), couldn’t bear the thought of students not continuing to have access to books. Motivated to get books into the hands of students, Amy brought the Book Van to life with the help of the White Salmon Valley Education Foundation. The foundation initiated a fundraiser to fund books for the Book Van and within days, White Salmon community members donated thousands of dollars to purchase books. The van was a familiar sight in neighborhoods and downtown, distributing books to all ages.
Founded by local parents, WSVEF has contributed over $4.6 million dollars to White Salmon schools though grant writing to outside funding sources and awarding grants directly from community-raised funds. Contributions from the community have helped modernize and upgrade classrooms, assist in the professional development of our teachers, help fund a mental-health Wellness Center and programs for our schools, and deliver opportunities children would not have had otherwise.
(Photo courtesy of Everybody's Brewing.)
When Doug and Christine Ellenberger founded Everybody’s Brewing in White Salmon in 2008, the quiet downtown storefront held for them the promise of creating a space where friends, family, and strangers could connect and find a sense of home. Fourteen years later, Everybody’s has led a resurgence of popular craft beverage and eateries in town, and their brewery remains a must-stop destination for locals and visitors alike.
When pandemic-mandated lockdowns forced the restaurant side of the business to shut down, the Ellenberger’s made sure government resources were available to their team and paid eligible staff’s health insurance in full, so there was one less thing for team members to worry about. In partnership with Columbia Bank, they also gave back to the community, helping to support programs for at-risk youth by giving food and gift cards to local nonprofit CultureSeed, which provides aid and support to low-income youth in White Salmon.
(Photo courtesy of Community Partners.)
Though the City of White Salmon’s namesake (the white-fleshed salmon Lewis & Clark observed on their journey west) is now nearly extinct outside captive breeding, its image continues to guide two-legged visitors journeying through town. The painting of the salmon crosswalks is an annual tradition started by Community Partners, a volunteer-led organization that originally formed in 2010 to enhance the town’s beauty. The group is now a driving force behind nearly every community event, including the annual Fourth of July parade, summer concerts in the park, a community Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting, as well as winter ornaments adorning the entrance into town. With a motto of “Let’s Get Things Done,” the group is driven by the belief that if the town is successful, we’re all successful.