Guest opinion: 'Possible Dreams' and the Soul of Haverhill by Alice Mann

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January 20, 2010

Alice Mann

This Monday night (Jan. 25) at 7, Team Haverhill hosts the third annual Possible Dreams event, a festive night for the whole community to share hopes, make new¬ connections, and discover "possible dreams" for 2010. The location is Northern Essex Community College Technology Center.

Everyone who cares about Haverhill's future is encouraged to attend—residents, business people, elected officials, organization leaders—and here's why:

Dreams can come true.

The Possible Dreams event has a strong track record of stimulating positive action. At last year's gathering, residents¬ expressed a hope that our small¬ Farmers' Market could be revitalized¬ and expanded.¬ A project team formed in February and the rest is history.¬ Each week¬ of the growing season, vendors in attractive booths¬ offered vegetables, fruit, eggs, herbs, cheese, honey, ice cream, baked goods, coffee and crafts. Music, craft demonstrations and children's activities made the Farmers' Market the place to be on Saturday mornings. Possible Dreams 2009 also set the stage for the successful Soles of Haverhill public art festival that unfolded through the summer and fall.

Two years ago at Possible Dreams, residents spoke up about expanded recycling. Within a month, a project team had started to research recycling facts and options, in co-operation with the Mayor's Task Force and the Haverhill Environmental League. When Haverhill paperboard closed, this team was ready with facts, proposals, and a collaborative spirit. The partnership they forged with government and community leaders paved the way for¬ a single-stream recycling pilot on two city routes, approved by Mayor Fiorentini¬ in 2009. A¬ permanent, citywide program¬ remains a¬ "possible dream"¬ for 2010.

Results like this don't happen by accident. Possible Dreams follows an enjoyable format called "World CafÃ©," a method used all over the world to foster co-operation and innovation in civic gatherings, corporations, nonprofits, and third-world community development. After the event, Team Haverhill provides a way for participants to follow-through on good ideas. Every year, our regular February meeting (February 8th in 2010) is an open, public session where community members can pursue ideas from Possible Dreams and test whether there is a critical mass of volunteers to form a project team. This follow-up process launched both the Recycling and the Farmer's Market initiatives, and surfaced new leadership for our city.

New relationships can form.

Each year, the large crowd at Possible Dreams includes a significant number of newer residents, plus excellent representation from established city organizations and networks. For people new to Haverhill, this event is easy way to learn about the city, have a direct voice, make friends, and discover activities that fit their interests. Existing groups have a chance to meet the city's newest talent. Communities like ours sometimes fall into conflicts between "old guard" and "newcomers"—but Possible Dreams is a place where older and newer elements of the city's life are treasured and connected.

The soul of our city can flourish.

In Team Haverhill's recent survey about the "soul of Haverhill," people told us that the city's spirit has still not recovered fully from two major "hits" — the collapse of the shoe industry and the demolition of key segments of the downtown fabric, such as White's Corner at Merrimack and Main Streets, during "urban renewal." Respondents noted two effects on the soul of our city. First, we have trouble believing anything good will really happen, so we easily revert to cynicism and back-biting. Second, we are prone to fragmentation in our efforts. Many terrific projects don't quite "take off" because they are done in isolation. Sometimes, groups with similar aims become competitors — or even enemies.

No one individual or group can heal the soul of Haverhill. But by turning to one another — paying attention to shared hopes and dreams, then taking co-operative action to pursue them — we nourish the city's invisible spirit and build civic capacity to act in thoughtful and creative ways. At the deepest level, that's what Possible Dreams is all about. We hope to see you there.

ÔÇ¢ÔÇ¢ÔÇ¢

Alice Mann is chairwoman of Team Haverhill — an independent, volunteer action group dedicated to making Haverhill a better place to live, learn, work and play. For more information, visit www.teamhaverhill.org.

IF YOU GO:

When: Monday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.

Where: Northern Essex Community College Technology Center, 100 Elliot St., Haverhill.

How: Reserve a seat by e-mail to team.haverhill@comcast.net, or phone Elaine at 978- 372-3861.

Weather: If the college is open, the event will proceed. Visit www.teamhaverhill.org for any other last-minute announcements.