Our vision statement came to us directly from a community workshop held in May, 1999.

Our vision is to work cooperatively to improve our communities. Our needs for employment, education, recreation and basic services must be met in light of the things we value, those things that brought and keep us here. In our decisions, we want to demonstrate our respect for people of all ages: children, youth, adults and older adults.

We Want to:

Improve our ability to provide for our families economically by developing existing businesses and creating new businesses where needed. In keeping with the rural nature of our area, we seek to encourage a variety of small businesses that meet the needs of the residents. We want to emphasize sustainable community renewal for long-term prosperity.

• Develop attractive, thriving town centers with a variety of businesses and services. Reliable transit to town centers, as well as safe access for pedestrians and non-motorized modes of travel are desirable.

•  Assure the health of our residents through access to health care.

•  Strengthen the sense of a unified community that increases the well-being, safety and security of our residents.

•  Enhance our ability to grow through a variety of educational opportunities

• Present a strong unified voice in communicating with the county government We seek governmental recognition of the development needs of our businesses and assistance with obtaining variances in regulations.

• Encourage an active cultural environment that includes art, music and theater that enriches the lives of area residents.

•  Provide residents with the opportunity to utilize their skills and talents through employment, volunteerism and mentoring or apprenticeship programs.
•  Promote celebration of, and appreciation of, our local history: gold, timber, Indian and ethnic diversity of the area. We seek to preserve our historical buildings and sites.

•  Support good air quality and watershed management; clean, free-flowing rivers, healthy forests, clean air and preservation of wild areas.

•  Develop recreational areas for all residents, with opportunities for family recreation, and safe areas for children’s and youth activities.
  

BMCRC evolved from an economic renewal process sponsored by the Foothill Conservancy and the Sierra Nevada Alliance that began in February, 1999. Following the Rocky Mountain Institute guidelines for developing sustainable communities and funded by grants from the W. Alton Jones Foundation, a series of town hall meetings were facilitated by a core group of community residents which became known as the Mokelumne Alliance for Economic Renewal.

Between February and November, 1999, more than 200 residents of the Glencoe, Rail Road Flat, West Point and Wilseyville area participated in the process. (For more in-depth coverage of, and results of business and household surveys conducted in conjunction with, the process, see the 1999 Calaveras Community Renewal Project). This report requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The economic renewal process resulted in the creation of a community vision for a preferred future in the northeast region of Calaveras County. Based on this vision, and an analysis of community assets and needs, participants in the process reached a consensus in November, 1999, to start up some community renewal projects.

These included:

 Creation of a long-term organization to support on-going community projects.

 Community Learning Center, to provide instruction nights twice a month in both Rail Road Flat and West Point. Preceded by dinner, classes include computer skills, cooking and nutrition, arts and crafts, and a young children’s program.

 Community Revive and Re-Leaf, to provide "beautification" activities and to organize a Community Garden in West Point.

 Community Switchboard, later renamed the Community Network, to provide resources information to and for the Blue Mountain community. It produced its first "Business and Community Services" directory in 2001. In addition to a print version, the directory also was made available on this Web site. An updated second edition was completed in the summer, 2002.

In December, 1999, volunteers formed an economic renewal council advisory group to look into what forms of organization might best support the goals derived from the town hall sessions. This advisory group formed the Mokelumne Alliance for Community Renewal in February, 2000, by a Memorandum of Agreement among 12 community members to keep alive the progress that had been made during the previous year. Using grants obtained through SNA and Foothill Conservancy, they received organizational development technical assistance and training in strategic and implementation planning from Rick Breeze-Martin of Breeze-Martin Consulting

Wilseyville Library

Since its formal organization in 2000, BMCRC and its partnered groups have:

•  Sponsored workshops in strategic planning, organizational development and creating effective volunteer organizations.
  
  
•  Sponsored clean-ups in Rail Road Flat.
  
  
•  Performed monthly trash clean-ups in West Point.
  
  
•  Painted several buildings, and installed a sprinkler system and planted a lawn and perennial flowers near the Odd Fellows Hall, on Main Street in West Point.
  
  
•  Acquired property and worked on developing a Community Garden in downtown West Point.
  
  
•  Organized local Garden and Music tours, and an annual "yard" sale.
  
  
•  Had information and fundraising booths at the annual Lumberjack Day celebration.
  
  
•  Helped with improvements at the Youth Center.
  
  
•  Sponsored Harvest Festivals at Humbug Creek Farm in Glencoe.
  
  
•  Compiled and distributed two editions of a local Businesses and Services Directory.
  
  
•  Co-sponsored monthly class nights to present educational and enrichment opportunities for the entire community.
  
  
•  Added community garden at Rail Road Flat School
  
  
•  Added a preschool program at Rail Road Flat School
  
  
•  Provided updated lighting to the Community Center in West Point.

Wilseyville Library

The BMCRC Board of Directors normally holds quarterly meetings as needed. Call Susan McMorris at 293-2272 for location and time of next meeting.  All interested persons are invited to call or sign up for email notifications using the form on this page.