River Roots Redevelopment: The Upstarts

Selina Pedi-Smith,

Founder, Pellere Foundation

The sun finally came out in the last few days, AND our skid loader is finally up and running again. So, I’ve been doing a lot more digging! I’m happy to report that our driveway drainage network is almost complete, and a ton of work has been done on the myriad other jobs around the property. And, with the ditch-digging complete, we decided it was time for an upgrade! The E50 went back to Bobcat of Clarion, and I’m now getting the hang of an E88.  I’m hoping this one, with its longer reach and extra grunt, will make shorter work of the rest of the pond expansion. Wish me luck!

Now, I’ve had a few people ask why I didn’t just hire a professional. Fair question, as it does seem that we have quite a few around the area. And my answer is: I tried. Truly.

Over the last several years, I’ve called contractor after contractor. A few of them came out to the property, took a look around, and must have decided it was too much of a hassle, because we never heard from them again.

And honestly? I get it. I have a long, tree-lined driveway. Red mark. I have thick clay soil riddled with huge rocks. Red mark. I have choppy, hilly terrain with clumps of trees everywhere, and I am inordinately fond of those trees. Red mark. For many folks, it’s simply too much of a bother when there are other, simpler jobs to be had. It’s good business to be picky.

But my jobs still need done. So here I am, learning another new skill. Not well enough to be a threat to any of the pros, of course. When it comes to precision, I’ll trust their years of experience any day. But for this rough work? I’m managing, and feeling pretty darn good about the results.

And I’m not the only one in this situation. Any time the topic comes up in casual conversation, everyone in the room seems to have a story or three about trying to find someone to take on a project. I run into the same thing with Pellere projects, too.

We’re still trying to gather estimates for the 2nd St remediation project. HVAC, interior work, exterior work. Either I or someone on our team has reached out to many, many contractors. We’ve had site visits. We’ve had conversations. But...no estimates yet.

And I don’t chase people. Either they’re interested in the work, or they’re not. For the folks who aren’t, I have one humble request: just say so. Tell me the project is too messy. Tell me you’re booked solid. Tell me I’m too weird, too opinionated, too bossy, or that you simply don’t want the headache. Whatever the reason, just say it and move on. It’s kinder to everyone than leaving folks hanging, I promise.

But I spend a lot of time thinking about systems, and lately I’ve found myself wondering why this seems to happen so often in our area.

I suspect part of it comes down to the kind of economy we have. In a small region with lower population density, a lot of businesses are family businesses. Skills get passed down. Experience accumulates. People learn from people who already know what they’re doing. And that’s wonderful.

But it also means there are fewer people in that young, hungry, willing-to-try-anything stage. The stage where you take on weird jobs because that’s how you learn. The stage where you’re still building confidence, building skills, and building a reputation. Every experienced professional was that person once, even if buffered by the experience surrounding them.

So what is a small economy to do? Because a healthy, resilient community needs both: the seasoned professionals who know exactly what they’re doing; and, the eager upstarts willing to tackle the jobs nobody else wants because they’re still figuring out what they’re capable of. One brings expertise. The other brings experimentation. And somewhere between those two things, most work actually gets done.

Well, apparently, sometimes you rent your own equipment and become the eager upstart for your own projects. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself every time I climb into a machine I’ve never operated before and learn yet another way to spread mud to every corner of my life.

Got another idea? I’d love to hear it. Just…bring your Muck boots.

---

Rachel Brosnahan is the Community Engagement Coordinator for River Roots Redevelopment. Want to help us rethink what redevelopment can look like—together? Follow the conversation and share your thoughts with us on Facebook and LinkedIn, or reach out directly to rachel@riverrootsredevelopment.org. We’d love to hear from you!