Saturday, October 4, 2008

City Talk - Rolla area continues to top "Best of Lists"

One of the positive aspects of living in an area of the country that has a high quality of life with a diversified economy, clean air, scenic landscapes, and over one million acres of national forest is that we are frequently included on the “Best of Lists” in many publications, national surveys and research polls.

And I’m pleased to report that after months of extensive research, Outdoor Life magazine has included Rolla, Missouri in a list among the top 200 towns for hunting and fishing in America.

Rolla, which is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, including thousands of acres of parkland, reserves, conservation areas, and pristine trout-filled rivers, was ranked number #74 and included among such cities as Durango, Colorado; Grand Junction, Colorado; Grants Pass, Oregon; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Fairbanks, Alaska; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Helena, Montana. Mountain Home, Arkansas topped the list at number one, followed by Lewiston, Idaho (#2) and Sheridan, Wyoming in the number 3 slot. Other Missouri cities that made the list include: Boonville (#22), Kirksville, (#53), Springfield (#129) and West Plains (#151).

The Outdoor Life Website at http://www.outdoorlife.com/article_gallery/Paradise-Found says that the Top 200 list is about moving to “places where life seems simpler, the people friendlier and where the economy is nourished by postcard-perfect vistas.” Many of us living here in Rolla have known this to be true for a long time, but it’s always nice to know when a reputable and well known magazine such as Outdoor Life writes about it and better yet, tells the world about it.

The Website article goes on to state that “Outdoor Life has evaluated towns across America to find the places that offer world-class hunting and fishing, easy access to public land and water and vibrant economies that remain affordable and hospitable.” I have always believed that Rolla’s location in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest and the foothills to the Ozarks is something many of us take for granted. Maybe that’s why magazines like Outdoor Life and the many other market research companies who continue to rank Rolla as one of the best places to live in America do us all a big favor by reminding us how fortunate we truly are to be living here.

In closing I’d like to mention that the City of Rolla has been doing a little bit of informal polling of sorts of its own by creating a BLOG on the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org. We began using the BLOG about six months ago as a communications tool to offer residents and members of the community an opportunity to comment and provide input about the proposed Rolla West Master Plan. I’m pleased to say that we have, and continue to receive, numerous positive and constructive comments regarding the Rolla West Master Plan.

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