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| What is the Pacific Ring? |
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| How big is the Ring? |
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| Where did this initiative come from? |
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| What has happened to date? |
| The
Pacific Ring Initiative in 2009 The Pacific Ring
initiative is an ongoing study of the micropolitan area of the City of
Pacific for the purpose of providing local citizens, businesses and
policy makers with the best tools and objective information to assist
them in guiding the development of the area consistent with the self
determination of the community.
The area, identified as
the Pacific Ring is intended to become a national model of a
sustainable community.
The first meeting of the
Pacific Ring was held in 2004 and meetings continue on a timely basis
addressing specific concerns and interests of the community. Since then
a number of programs and project have found their beginning with the
Pacific Ring, including water quality studies, Community Policy
Analysis Center (CPAC) studies, Amtrak and bus service initiatives,
flood mitigation, promotion of clean city status, use of alternative
fuels, and numerous other activities supporting community improvement.
Eight Action Items for 2009 I. A return to river issues
including a focus on tributary management in cooperation with the Open
Space Council and the Meramec River Tributary Alliance. The
continued study and implementation of flood mitigation to make the
Pacific Ring a model for the entire Meramec River watershed;
II. Refocus on advancement of trail
development throughout the area, specifically the Brush Creek trail
from the Pacific Palisades to the Shaw Nature Reserve and trails along
the Meramec River;
III. Study the use of flood plain
property as an agriforestry demonstration site and support site
development;
IV. Revisit the Amtrak project as
the federal government considers increased funding for transportation
and support the establishment of an Amtrak stop and transfer station in
Pacific;
V. Work with the University of
Missouri in addressing reform of the health care delivery system by
analysis of the quality of community health care within the Pacific
Ring and supporting field tests, education and demonstration of a newly
developed system by MU and working with CPAC in providing creditable
and reliable test data and outcomes of this system at the community
level;
VI. Continue to build on the CPAC
initial base line study for increased knowledge of the Pacific Ring and
to support of these eight and other action items as they emerge;
VII. The completion and airing in
2009 of a documentary with teaching aids by the Higher Education
Channel (HEC) identifying the Pacific Ring as a guide for
sustainable community development.
VII. In 2009 the Pacific Ring will
focus in particular on the above areas, striving to set new community
planning standard for the State of Missouri through superior project
performance and to advance the Pacific Ring as a national model of a
sustainable community by the successful demonstration and documentation
of these projects.
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Get Involved! If you have a committee of special interest please contact the Committee Chair. Standing committees:
All
members of the community are encouraged to select a committee and
participate to the degree of interest.
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| What is the Pacific Ring? |
The Pacific Ring is the community in and around the City of Pacific that is defined by the way we live, work, and think about this area.
| How big is the Pacific Ring? |
It could be any size, but the further you move away from the immediate proximity of the City of Pacific there is most likely a decreasing vested interest in the area. A seven-mile radius has been suggested as a reasonable compromise but it might be considered as a broad line extending a few miles in either direction from the seven-mile circumference. For discussion purposes the seven-mile radius is suggested.
| Where did this initiative come from? |
In 2002, the Pacific Partnership was formed to preserve and develop Old Town Pacific. The community came together to support this effort, the Pacific Station Plaza was begun, the Pacific Community Action Committee was formed and numerous cooperative projects were initiated with the service clubs and local organizations to sponsor and promote community activities. Festivals have been established, old buildings are being preserved and remodeled, new designs and funding for streets and street lights have been initiated, new highway signs are being posted along with a number of other projects.
As these initiatives grew it was clear that much of the support, direction and effort was coming from individuals and groups in areas surrounding the City. These efforts were of indispensable value and importance to the City but this broader community has no common identity and is fragmented by county lines to the degree that its’ identity is difficult to characterize, in particular to those not intimately familiar with the area.
It was suggested that this area be identified as the Pacific Ring, i.e. the City of Pacific and its’ most immediate surrounding area.
| What has
happened to date? |
In the mid 1990, when Jim McHugh as board president of the University of Missouri was in a position to experience first hand the important contribution that university research makes to the progress and welfare of this country, e.g. the extension service, by bringing the products of university research to the farming community, developed the greatest farm economy in the world. Over the years, these benefits have been extended to areas outside of agriculture becoming the foundation for adult education and life long learning.
In recent years, Jim and some of his colleagues formed the Magi Foundation, a nonprofit Missouri corporation, with a mission to fund university based public policy research in areas including community and economic development. Although the foundation was formed a few years ago, it had not yet begun working on a project until it was suggested that it consider bringing selected university research and policy groups together to study the Pacific Ring and offer support to those local citizens interested in planning and development. The first Pacific Ring meeting was hosted by Dr. Peter Raven at the Shaw Nature Reserve in November, 2004. A winter and a summer meeting has taken place each year thereafter at the Great Pacific Coffee Company in Pacific with the last meeting in January, 2007. The date of the 2007 summer meeting is set for July 20th. Committee meetings take place throughout the year.
Three standing committees have been formed and meet at the call of the committee chair:
All members of the community are encouraged to select a committee and participate to the degree of interest.
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The Pacific Ring
A Magi Foundation Initiative
The McHugh & Dailey Mercantile Bldg.
218 South First St. Suite 200
Pacific, MO 63069