August 2013 First Friday Coffee & Conversation

First Friday Coffee and Conversation (FFCC) is Friday morning at 8am at the Lincoln Cultural Center.

If you have suggestions or ideas concerning downtown programs or events come share your ideas.

Designed to be a small informal discussion group to give downtown business and property owners and interested citizens the chance to express their opinions, make suggestions and ask questions about downtown and the community in general. FFCC encourages social interaction among citizens and builds community.

The idea for the Coffee and Conversation series is rooted in the community planning concept of “Third Places” popularized by Ray Oldenburg in his Book--The Great Good Place. The “first place’ is the home and the people one lives with. The ‘second place’ is the work place where everyone spends most of their time. Third places are meeting places such as cafes or coffee houses the ‘anchors’ of community life that facilitate and foster creative interaction and are welcoming and comfortable.

A community's well-being is dependent on the quality of relationships among the citizens of that community. Infrastructure, roads, water, sewer, electricity and housing provides the shell within which people live. It is within this shell that people do the things together that allow them to sustain livelihoods. These include but are not limited to education, health care, business, recreation, and spiritual celebration. People working together with shared understandings and expectations are what provide a place of strong community.

You're invited to this uniquely local experience. Each month a business or community leader will be invited to participate in the conversation. There are no formal presentations or programs. The topics for discussion will be focused on whatever interests those that attend. Coffee and Refreshments are provided.  You bring the conversation.