CITY OF BUCHANAN RECEIVES “NICEST PLACE IN AMERICA” ACCOLADE

(Photo by Callie Lipkin of Reader’s Digest)

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

BUCHANAN – Buchanan residents are still celebrating being honored as the “nicest” place to live in America this year by the Reader’s Digest magazine.  A parade is being planned for Oct. 24 to recognize the people who made the honor possible.

Buchanan was nominated by local resident David Van Dyke. Van Dyke noted the dedication of fellow residents to find a way to honor local veterans for Memorial Day after the annual parade was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Hometown Heroes” banners were placed throughout the downtown in late spring and early summer.

Amid all the congratulations and best wishes, local officials are also considering what the honor can mean to the future of the Redbud City where the motto continues to be that “life is better here”. Does it signal a new era with people looking forward to new possibilities and not looking back at what could have been when Clark Equipment left decades ago?

New City Manager Heather Grace called the Reader’s Digest

recognition “an extreme honor” that will continue to mean a lot to city residents moving forward long into the future.

“Not only is it a great privilege to be given such a wonderful designation as ‘Nicest Place in America,’ but we are also very excited about what an enormous opportunity this is for us all,” she said. “It will have a huge impact in driving tourism, spurring economic development, and increasing interest in our residential housing stock.”

“But it also provides an amazing chance for us all to remind each other to always strive to reach that goal of living up to our new title, in every aspect of life,” she added. “Whether it means remembering to care for our most vulnerable citizens when we are being asked to make difficult decisions that affect the community, or whether it means simply smiling at a stranger, or holding the door open for the person behind you.”

“So much of life is built around small moments that might seem trivial at the time, but that might mean the world to the person who is affected by them,” she said. “It will be a great, high bar to live up to, and we are happy to take on such a positive challenge!”

Grace said economic development and tourism doors are already opening for Buchanan and she thinks this will help in that effort. “Luckily, we are already starting to see some new doors open already in the areas of economic development and tourism,” she said.

“We were very fortunate today to have a very productive meeting with State Representative Brad Paquette, who was kind enough to offer us some assistance so that we can successfully collaborate with the ‘Pure Michigan’ folks to try to leverage our new label as much as possible to promote tourism, and hopefully even get some great signage and advertisements out soon,” she added.

She noted that Rep. Paquette also made arrangements to help provide the city with some great contacts to explore additional opportunities for economic development that they will be sure to take advantage of and help capitalize on this enormous opportunity.

As for whether it marks a turning point away from the nostalgia of what might have been if Clark Equipment hadn’t left over three decades ago, Grace said she thinks city officials and local residents will see this honor for what it is: a chance to create a new future for Buchanan.

“As a relative newcomer to the community, I have only been able to see the tip of the iceberg regarding what a huge impact Clark used to have on the area, and still does in the legacy of their previous locations and facilities,” she said. “I think that having a large employer in the area is still desirable and something we will continue to strive for.”

“However, I have heard from many sources that residents are keen to make sure that the City also keeps an eye out for ensuring that our local economy is diversified, and not too heavily weighted towards just one single employer,” she added.

“To that end, I strongly believe that our new honor of being the ‘Nicest Place in America’ will help us attract a lot of talented people who will see the value in living in such a great place, especially now that so many employees, business owners, and entrepreneurs are working from home,” she said.

“It also seems like it will be a natural inroad to encourage site selectors for larger businesses to come and see for themselves the enormous amount of resources that are available in our area, in addition to a great, friendly work force,” she added.

“Here at City Hall, we will definitely be doing all we can to spread the word and encourage businesses and industries to take a second look at our community,” she said. “I am certain that this is just the start for many great things ahead for Buchanan.”

For her part, Mayor Patricia Moore said she continues to be amazed at the response the city has received with this most recent honor. As for the Clark Equipment legacy, she said will always be part of the community and culture. “For many of us, the jobs supplied by Clark’s contributed to our families and our personal stories of growing up in Buchanan,” she said.

The Clark legacy has had both negatives and positives. While the city is still coping with the environmental impact the company had on the city, they’re also reaping some positives. “Our future is also tied to the Clark past with the Promise program (for Buchanan students) springing from the resources of the Schirmer estate and legacy,” she said.

Mayor Pro-Tem and City Commissioner Dale Toerne sees the Reader’s Digest honor as proof that the city has moved into the 21st Century with new ideas and new ventures such as the opening of medical and recreational marijuana facilities in the downtown.

He thinks the honor and the accompanying publicity will promote economic development and show off “Buchanan’s many good sides”. Similarly, it should promote tourism. He believes the influx of marijuana businesses and the growth they’re bringing will finally allow the city to turn the page from the Clark years.

Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce Director Viki Gudas said the honor is confirmation of what Buchanan has always done and should serve to attract new people to the area. “Buchanan was a tight-knit community way before COVID,” she said. “Neighbors helping neighbors, businesses supporting a myriad of community fundraisers and school events.”

She said people doubled down when the pandemic hit earlier this year and have had the unified goal of not only getting through it together but also building an even stronger community spirit. “The recognition by Reader’s Digest acknowledges that they have achieved those goals,” she said. ‘This is a proud moment for everyone in the community.”