Sunday, October 24, 2010

there's intelligent life in my neck of the woods

the main square in my town

Hey, for the fourth year in a row, my little town has been named a Smart21 Community by the Intelligent Community Forum, a New York-based think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st Century community. "Intelligent Communities are those which understand the challenges of the Broadband Economy, and have taken conscious steps to create an economy capable of prospering in it. They are not necessarily big cities or famous technology hubs."   Pretty cool, huh?


The Smart21 of 2011 are:

Birmingham, UK
Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Chongqing, China
Curitiba, Paran, Brazil
Dakota County, Minnesota, USA
Danville, Virginia, USA
Dublin, Ohio, USA  (oh yeah)
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Northeast Ohio, USA
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Riverside, California, USA
Shanghai, China
Sopron, Hungary
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Taoyuan County, Taiwan
Trikala, Greece
Windsor-Essex, Ontario, Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada





I know that I am intelligent, 
because I know that I know nothing. 
Socrates 

46 comments:

  1. I notice there are no UK towns listed - now there's a surprise ;-)
    Well done to your little town - it is well said that the best things come in small packages!
    I like the quotation, too!

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  2. They forgot my village! Congratulations to your little town Willow...xv

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  3. Willow that's really cool! Maybe Dr. M & I will take a day trip over there to see what all the fuss is about :)

    Hey jabblog - Birmingham's on the list!

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  4. Dear Willow, I regret to say that as I notice Birmingham to be on the list, I seriously doubt the meaning of 'intelligent' in this context. Sopron n Hungary, however, now that is another matter entirely.

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  5. In Dublin's fair city, where girls are so witty...

    Oh wait, that's something else. ;-)

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  6. Congrats on your town's recognition. Pretty cool...

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  7. Well I see there is a deblin but needless to say it is not Dublin,Texas!!! Go figure!!!!

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  8. We have the same camera..exactly. I thought it looked familiar. Do you take all your shots with it?
    I don't know if my little town was ever in the running for intelligence.

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  9. An interesing list...congrats to your town. I love the picture of your dad in the pumpkin!

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  10. Nice little town. I love your quote.

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  11. Thanks. It's nice to see that two are in Ontario. That corner of your town looks lovely.

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  12. Loved his post and the info!Well done.
    Linda

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  13. wow, very cool but you'd best not move away or the designation might be rescinded.

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  14. It always amazes me that I live in "the most famous small town in the world" (supposedly) - the home of progressive thinking (they like to tell me) - Woodstock NY - and we will never make such lists at this rate. We've still got folks who can't even get an Internet connection at their homes.
    Few green homes, fewer alternative energy initiatives - well done to you, Willow and small town Ohio!

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  15. I'm offended that Stratford Ontario (home of the Shakespeare Festival) made the list and my little town Niagara on the Lake (home of the Shaw Festival) didn't! Do you sense the rivalry here!!!

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  16. I am cracking up because I often think and have come to believe that there's little or no intelligent life in my neck of the woods. I am continually surprised by the stupid things I witness people do here. I am not even worried about saying this because if you are from Springfield, MO and are reading this, I am not talking about you.

    Willow - Congrats on your town I am sure it is well deserved. I have a blog question to lengthy for here but I plan to send you an email.

    Happy Sunday and warm wishes always,

    Kristen

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  17. Congrats, Willow, it's nice that there's a competition that little towns can win.
    Can we in Dublin, Ireland piggyback on your success?!

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  18. Riverside's on that list. Therefore, the list has no credibility.

    ;)

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  19. I love this and wish that I lived in one. I'm surprised by the Riverside, CA town being on the list -- I was under the impression that Riverside was one of the earliest cities in southern CA to go belly-up in the housing crisis. Oh, well, what do I know? Like Socrates, nothing.

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  20. Maybe Riverside, CA has changed
    some in the 25 years since I last
    visited there; pretty cruddy and
    beat-down town, overshadowed
    by its bigger neighbor, San
    Bernardino, and its wealthy
    cousin, Palm Springs, and its
    trash trailer neighbor,
    Escondido. Dublin, Ohio
    does sound intriguing. May
    have to Google it to get a
    tiny bit more of a handle on
    the elusive and mysterious
    Miss Willow and the Manor.
    Fun honor though, and
    great Socratic quote.

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  21. willow -- sure liked what Mr Socrates had to say. Isn't it grand that a small town like yours can be so farsighted to acknowledge the need for high tech advancement. Also like the video of "Small Town." -- barbara

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  22. Pretty awesome title to have Willow - warmest congrats. Only one Aussie place & it's not our village - I'm devastated. Will you get a sash & crown & media deal?
    Millie ^_^

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  23. I loved that last quotation. Do our children think that we get smarter as they get older?

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  24. I'd love to visit Chattanooga and ride on the choo-choo.

    Well done your town. I see there's nothing in France!

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  25. Love love that quote!~ Socrates knew his stuff, didn't he?

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  26. What can I say? Only one Australian town AND IN QUEENSLAND! Clear proof it is a dodgy survey.

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  27. Great-looking main street! What a fantastic honor for your town. In 2009, my little town was named (#9) in America's Coolest Small Towns. Not nearly as prestigious sponsor group or award as your town's notoriety, however. :)

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  28. Congrats Willow. Pretty streets, and buildings. Lovely place to window shop I am sure.

    Yaaaaay Socrates.
    I can't help but say his name
    So-Crates,
    Many thanks to
    Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

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  29. Congrats to your town making the list... a very interesting list by the way.

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  30. http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/6244/

    Thanks a lot for the support to Jingle Poetry Potluck, I could not always find time to show how much we appreciate your support, here, three awards for you, hope to see you in of week 7, our theme is love and romance. Happy Monday, Happy Blogging! xxx

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  31. For a moment I thought you meant ET life :-)

    Nice to know that communities are rated so. Much motivation to be rated 'intelligent'.

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  32. Thanks everybody! There's no place like home. I love my little town.

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  33. I've been to Dublin before. It is a very nice place. Congratulations!

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  34. Were you surprized by Chatta?

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  35. Hey, Mary, is that you? You're the only person on the planet I know that calls it Chatta. I was surprised!

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  36. What? New Jersey didn't make the list?


    BWAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Totally kidding!

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  37. "Ipswich, Queensland, Australia"?
    I had better have another look!

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  38. Love that song by S&G and love this list. how delightful for you to be included. Of course I am not at all suprised that rinky dink Colorado is not even in the picture. Oh dear me. Ohio has us beat. Ha.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)