Schultz said he was impressed during his tour of the area. He noted the Sidney Health Center, Sidney Country Club, Richland Hockey Facility and the Foundation for Community Care.

“There are communities three or four times your size that would love to have these things,” Schultz said. “You should be applauded for what you’ve done - giving back to the community.”

Schultz talked about bumper stickers that described what people will do differently if they had another oil boom - how they wouldn’t waste the oil boom the next time around,

“My challenge is what each of you are going to do to make sure you don’t see those bumper stickers when the bust comes,” Schultz said.

After telling stories about successful small towns in America, Schultz provided his seven and a half keys to big success in small towns.

Those keys included “Adopt a ‘Can Do’ Attitude.” Schultz said, “We can do something to turn this community around.”

Key number two is “Shape Your Vision.” Schultz said residents should ask themselves what to do to make their community different.

Key three is “Leverage Your Resources.” “Offer a special quality of life,” Schultz said.

Key four is “Raise Up Strong Leaders” while key five is “Encourage an Entrepreneurial Approach.” “The next generation will be the most entrepreneurial generation in the history of the United States,” Schultz said. “Over half of the people who graduate from high school today have a dream of starting their own business.”

Schultz added, “You have an opportunity with all the oil in this community to build young entrepreneurs. Take some of that wealth and invest it in young entrepreneurs.”

The remaining goals were “Maintain Local Control,” “Build Your Brand” and “Embrace the Teeter-Tooter Factor.”

At the end of Schultz’s presentation, audience members were asked to write what improvements they would like to see happen in the community during the oil boom.

Sen. Don Steinbeisser and Rep. Walt McNutt then spoke about public education funding ideas that would spread oil revenue throughout the state instead of keeping it in eastern Montana.

Both asked for area residents to let their voices be heard by legislators throughout the state.

“We need your help,” Steinbeisser said. “We need people to fill the hearing room during our hearings. That’s how you get things done. They are going to try to take this money away from us, people.”

“We’re going to need your help,” McNutt said. “If they do an all out raid on our money, we can’t stop it without your help. Don and myself can’t do it alone. We will make a lot of noise, but we can’t do it by ourselves."

Audience members then heard from three area panelists who described the importance of Richland Economic Development. Organizations represented were Country Bridal Boutique, Richland County Public Works and Sidney Sugars.

by Bill Vander Weele
Sidney, MT Herald

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