An Active Community, A Well Rounded Town

Here is an article on Lisle, Illinois.  It is larger than Dennis, it has more large employers than we do, but it provides some interesting comparisons as we think about the future of the town and where we want to be.
The article points out the benefits of a careful balance.  Commercial uses are a vital [...]

Poverty Data

I saw these two, among several other articles on the consequences of the recession and thought I would share them, along with some information that I have not yet seen reported anywhere.
Last Year’s Poverty Rate Was Highest in 12 Years
Poverty hits 1 in 8 Americans
As the articles illustrate, the recession has led to an increase [...]

Cape Cod Commission Growth Zone Relief

The Cape Cod Times had an article today that you all should familiarize yourself with, Cape Cod Commission reform proposed.  The article highlights a discussion between the Assembly of Delegates and the Cape Cod Commission on the idea that the Commission should reduce its review role in certain development areas that meet the rigid criteria [...]

The Dennis Unemployed/Underemployed Picture

Back in December, after the State of the Town Meeting, I posted some information on the big picture related to unemployment and underemployment in Dennis.  In January 2009 the Dennis unemployment rate had risen to 12.4%.   Nationally it is now being reported that for about every three people unemployed there are two people underemployed.  This [...]

Great Places – The Arts

As we move from the villages, to looking at the town as a whole, it becomes time to look at the broader attractions of Dennis.  As The Power of Ten discussion pointed out, Great Places have “sets of ten” that attract people to them.  Along with the three villages, Dennis has a tremendous number of [...]

The Unemployment Picture – Redux

Another cross post on this important employment issue.
Once I get to thinking about something, additional questions arise. Looking back at the 2000 U.S. Census, the Town of Dennis had 4,607 households reporting to have had wage or salary income in 2000. This essentially represents the households that were in the work force. The people who [...]

The Unemployment Picture – The Big Picture

Sorry about posting this issue in two of the blogs, but this issue seemed just too important for people to miss.
At the State of the Town Meeting on Saturday December 6, 2008 a member of the audience asked if anyone in town knew the true unemployment picture for Dennis or the county if local numbers [...]

Strong Villages – West Dennis To The Tens

Continuing the discussion of the Power of Ten and how it applies to Dennis, I will next turn my attention to the village of West Dennis.  West Dennis provides a number of activity centers, both public and private.  The discussion of West Dennis will start in the heart of the village, and work its way [...]

Strong Villages – Dennisport To The Power Of Ten

As I discussed in my previous post, the strength of a village is tied to the number and variety of activity centers that can be found within the village.  Activity centers can be made both public or private.  They share the common theme that they bring people to the village and invite them to stay [...]

What Makes a Strong Village?

As I look over our planning efforts and the future efforts on the Local Comprehensive Plan, one thing that comes to mind is what makes our villages strong? Similarly, we can ask, how can we improve our villages that are not so strong? The Project for Public Spaces had one such discussion, and [...]