NW Ohioans share concerns, optimism

Funding for schools and localities was another common concern expressed during a regional needs assessment conducted for Bowling Green State University's Center for Policy Analysis and Public Service (CPA&PS).

Prepared by the campus-based Institute for Psychological Research and Application (IPRA), the research report documents the findings from the 27-county region served by the center. The research included small focus groups with diverse representation in five northwest Ohio municipalities-Bryan, Bucyrus, Celina, Norwalk and Ottawa-followed by a survey of citizens active in their communities region wide. The survey addressed issues identified as important in the focus groups.

Each of the five focus-group communities reported having lost at least one major employer in recent years. Recurring themes in the group discussions included loss of jobs-and young people leaving their hometowns to work elsewhere-along with the need for job training. That need was reiterated by survey respondents, who also expressed a desire for help with economic development planning.

Research participants, both in focus groups and the survey, expressed the need for increased cooperation among local governments, as well as more job retraining opportunities, to deal with changing economic realities.

Dr. Michael Zickar, an associate professor of psychology at BGSU and an IPRA project leader, noted that residents of the region who participated in the focus groups and survey were realistic about the need for change.

Thinking about economic development normally brings manufacturing companies to mind, but smaller communities aren't attracting, or keeping, large manufacturers in the competitive economic environment, Zickar said. Instead, "respondents suggested focusing on niche areas that could establish a sense of regional identity," he said.

But no one can attract business without adequate infrastructure, and some areas of northwest Ohio may not have enough water to support new development, added Christopher Cunningham, one of the BGSU psychology graduate students who facilitated focus-group sessions.

Although farm run-off is seen as a problem in general, the percentage of research participants who were satisfied with water in their area was relatively high, Zickar pointed out. Closer, however, to Lake Erie and in Celina, adjacent to Grand Lake St. Marys, residents are concerned with preserving water, he said.

Zickar said the expression of environmental concerns surprised him because most of the sources probably wouldn't be considered traditional environmentalists. Another facilitator, graduate student Ashley Guidroz, agreed, saying she expected to hear about business and jobs leaving, but not about problems with the environment.

Guidroz was also surprised, she said, with discussion about an aging population and, more specifically, how communities would cope with it in terms of such accommodations as assisted living and public transportation.

Most respondents were also concerned about funding for schools and with state government's support of their communities in general. But they are proud of their schools and their communities, believing that their local governments are qualified to deal with change and will do so successfully.

"This level of enthusiasm bodes well for northwest Ohio," notes the report, which CPA&PS staff hope can be used by local governments, economic development groups, nonprofit agencies and interested citizens to address needs now and in the future.

Dr. Beth Walter Honadle, a professor of political science and director of the center since 1999, commissioned the study to be a valuable strategic planning tool for the center and to inform organizations and governments that serve communities in northwest Ohio.

"This study was designed to learn about the most pressing community needs from a variety of citizen perspectives in northwest Ohio, and it will allow the center and others to take stock of priorities in relation to regional needs," Honadle said.

CPA&PS receives support from the state through its Rural Universities Program. The funding helps the center serve northwest Ohio with educational programs designed to contribute to the region's development. The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration also funds the center as an EDA University Center.

(Posted June 23, 2004 )