Roslyn Farmers Market

By Ingmar
(1 votes) (report abuse)
To accommodate the ongoing debate about the Roslyn Farmers Market that had been taking place at www.DailyRecordNews.com the discussion has been moved here.

Here is the original story ( http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2009/06/20/news/doc4a3c78a4da), but story comments will no longer be posted to that string, but can be entered here.
roslyn market byreally8 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Why is everyone fighting? Blaming people who have no part in this. The finger pointing is incorrect, just because someone dissagrees with your opinion doesn't mean they were the ones posting. There seems to be a line drawn in the sand. Something will have to give, every time an article about the market is published EVERYONE starts to hate everyone. How is this keeping our community together? if anything, its dividing us. Lets just all try and get along. COMMUNITY!!!
more facts? bygorilla in the room8 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Uh...correct me if I'm wrong but Roslyn was NOT made famous because of "Northern Exposure". "The Runner Stumbles" with Dick Van Dyke (and many many many local children) was ONE thing that made Roslyn noticed.

And kudos to all of those who work so hard to sell their wares at the markets. Without you, I would be buying tomatoes that were probably grown in California!
NX byreally8 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
How many times do you see people taking pictures in front of the roslyn cafe camel? Just count on one weekend. Runner stumbles was great. only one business in town still has photos from it. The roslyn cafe took down its runner stumbles picture and now the only large one left is at sterling bank. Not many people have ever heard of the movie (I enjoyed watching the shooting and meeting the stars). Look up roslyn on line its all northern exposure. I would encourage you to spend time on pennsylvania where soooooo many people ask for maps, info and stories of the show. if we like it or not, Northern Exposure brings business to the 'little businesses' in town. Those tourist are made to feel very welcome by the downtown community. By the way, is there a business in roslyn that doesn't have some northern exposure memorabilia or product that ties in to the show?
RE: NX bygorilla in the room8 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse)
I used to live there and had to deal with all the production people from N.E. The big talk "way back then" was about how great the town was when "The Runner Stumbles" was filmed. Either way...all those tourists bring money into the town. If they stay to shop during the Market time...then more power to them. We all gotta make a living!

And lordoflys: I'm with you! Long live the Roslyn Farmer's Market!
If not Roslyn, where? bylordoflys8 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
There's no denying that common folks are titillated with television and other media production. Too much (northern)exposure to movies and such. Yes, that brings in the Crankston's, Bill and Ethel, from Peoria to see that "charming little Alaskan town". Aside from all this Roslyn (and Ronald) is a gem. Despite the Californication of the surrounding area and other gentrification in the town itself...the people are real and the town is beautiful...and has a colorful and rich history. Long live the Roslyn Farmer's Market and I bow to the good citizens of the Upper County for having the good sense to live their lives there.
It's a shame byPushMePullYou8 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
That this very openly aired discussion was moved from where anyone could participate to a registered page is a shame and will surely limit open discussion in a county where it's advocated a lot but seldom seen. Count on a lot less comments which is already evident.

But back to the subject at hand.

Perhaps the resentment and vitriol directed towards the market and it's creator is found in the fact that Suncadia, in a prominent brochure selling their lots, portrayed Roslyn as already having an existent farmer's market. Perhaps folks who endeavored to create one prior to this one didn't have the financial resources that the spouse of a Suncadia employee had and perhaps they would not have been so quick to receive the financial backing of the resort as this particular market coordinator did while starting her private business enterprise while accepting and directing what passes for a Roslyn chamber of commerce in everything but name.

However it started, it is unfair to dispute the amount of work and effort generated to not only get it going but keep it going with a less than supportive community. Or any other venue for that matter. Let's give credit where credit is due and could we also dress subjects in the clothes that they deserve? Anyone within listening distance on a Sunday knows that the venture has not been all it's been made out to be so irregardless of what the papers print, most folks around town know otherwise. Certainly anyone who's held a palm counter knows that people are recounted over and over again to make the numbers to show their endeavor successful and anyone attending the market on a Sunday has never seen a crowd of a 1000 unless some other event was going on.

Which brings up another point that was mentioned. The difference between the for profit and for profit non-profits and the heritage festivals that have historically taken place in Roslyn and Ronald is that the monies received from those venues pay for parks, memorials, student endeavors including scholarships ... on top of bringing business to town. They don't benefit any one group or portion of the community but that of the community as a whole. They are not there for any other reason but celebration of community such as it is NOW in remembrance of the past. They also don't exclude any one group or a business, historical or otherwise, that is not in the 'downtown' core. They do not ask businesses to support a venue that do not benefit from the community celebration but they've certainly had more than one group ride on their coattails and take ownership of accomplishments they had nothing to do with.

So when the vitriol over the Roslyn Market and the Roslyn Revitalization group generate a lot of ill will and animosity, no one who lives here is surprised because they know the entities that run these organizations have clashed, collided, worked against each other even while patting each other on the back.

Such is the new Roslyn heritage. Maybe it always was. Maybe we'll never know the true story because as recent history shows us, it is written by the victors bereft of all facts.

A really good question at this point would be to ask why Roslyn needs a political entity to preserve, promote and protect history; i.e. a historic commission; AND a select group of business entrepreneurs in town to do the same for their own profit ... when up to this point both have ignored the larger portion of town and focuses only on main street improvements to draw business and the other desperately seeks historical significance to prevent it.

Who will put that down in the history books for others who follow to learn from?
roslyn sunday market byreally8 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I am not against anyone trying to make their own way. How they represent themselves is a whole different story. In the begining it appeared as if the market was part of Roslyn Revitalization, Then the solicitation of the roslyn business owners to contribute. The next impression after was that this was a 501(c)3. I think this confusion should have been stated upfront: I am opening my private market, would you like to contribute to my business. It is a class s corporation which can accept certain donations.
Next came the statistics of how much money everyone else would be making because of the market as well as other stats that have never been taken in Roslyn.
The best idea was that the already established businesses set up booths at the market to promote our businesses. A business in town pays rent, water, garbage, licenses and most have worked hard for years to make something out of what they have. What does that mean? Why would someone invest years of time and money in their location only to be told their business would be better if they had a hokey table in the market.(following market guidlines)
For 365 days a year most of these busineses are open, trying to pay their bills in the dead of winter and hope to see any customers. A booth at the market can't save a business then.
Be honest and up front with what is going on and I guarentee there could have been some prevention of this 'dispute.'
I don't understand why we can't get a group together who has ideas thoughts, contributions to what WE can do together as a community to promote our town. I'm not talking about UW, i'm talking about a marketing package, find direction and give people a reason to come here all the time and to stay in town, not just for the market. Everyone wants the same thing, Roslyn just hasn't figured out how to do it.
I agree with you, pushmepull you, too many groups at battle killing themselves and everyone around them.
Cle Elum-Roslyn Chamber of Commerce? byClem8 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Its kind of funny but Roslyn has ideas but no money and Cle Elum has money but no ideas. The two communities are like a broken record that keeps playing the same track over and over-again. There is absolutely no effort from the Chamber of Commerce to bring newcomers into the community. The Chamber-Visitor operation is funded by taxpayers-you would think the Chamber would have put something together to bring newcomers into the community.

In fact as has been posted newcomers are not welcome in the upper county but will be tolerated as long as they keep their mouths shut. Maybe the majority of the Chamber feels the same way...LOL. Cle Elum hasnt figured out how to spend its Hotel Motel tax and now has $125,000 in unspent funds. I am not sure what Roslyn has but it wouldnt surprise me if they had some money. Cle Elum just spent $15,000 on dubious marketing in the Seattle area. It would be nice if their was some sort of joint community effort to spend Hotel-Motel taxes on actual physical things like holday lighting. How about murals in both towns? Or other permanent art work? How about moving the Chamber office to Roslyn and turn it into a volunteer visitor center. I think overall that would be more productive than the current visitor center.

The existing Cle Elum signs on the Interstate could be changed to "Visit Historic Roslyn-Get Your Gas, Cigarttes, and Beer in Cle Elum."
RE: Cle Elum-Roslyn Chamber of Commerce? byMC8 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse)
I always liked the "easy through access" sign.
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