Tom England is no stranger to Dunkirk’s longtime dilemma of making progress. In the late 1970s, he was the first director of development.

For all intents and purposes, it was a time of great tumult. While the manufacturing sector was fairly strong, urban renewal was still in progress. To this day, city residents, especially the lifelong ones, rue those days.

“I always thought the waterfront was where to go here,” he said. “But you couldn’t because that urban renewal project … demanded attention almost every day. … Nobody could really think too much about the waterfront development. Even today it’s not developed the way it should be.”

England left the position and the area after two years, but has never given up on the region he grew up in. Today, even though he oversees an economic development consulting firm in Maryland, he plays a large role behind the scenes of an effort aimed at changing the way people and industry looks at northern Chautauqua County.

Its genesis came during morning chats over coffee. A number of business leaders, including himself, James “Lou” Elias, John Ames and John “Jay” Warren began looking into the formation of a Local Economic Development group.

Since those small discussions, the group has grown and gained a standing in the community. And while it has no real legislative power, it is strong on advocacy. Its model, as Warren and England have noted in previous years, is a three-legged stool concept. One leg for the private sector, another for the public and one for education.

Advocacy goes only so far, but there are some tangible results. Through the Local Economic Development group’s partnership with the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, membership has been a staunch supporter of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan of which every community along the waterfront – with the exception of Fredonia – is a participant.

Also of importance to the group is the proposed North County Water District. Most business leaders, especially those who rely on water, have been on board with this project. Outlying areas, such as Brocton, Sheridan and Silver Creek, also have been supportive. It is the big players – Dunkirk and Fredonia – that could sabotage this proposal, which has been backed by the tune of $2 million by New York state.

On Thursday morning, the group and a number of elected officials heard from Jeff Belt, co-chair of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council. Belt spoke about the Western New York Strategy for Prosperity and what it means for our community.

The message was upbeat and offered an important message for entities looking to benefit from state funding: have a project in mind because those are what often get approved.

Discussion also centered around the momentum being seen in the state’s Queen City of Buffalo. “You do need a strong metro center,” Belt said. “The saying is as goes Buffalo, so goes the region. … We should all be very happy Buffalo has turned the corner and is coming back.”

But Buffalo’s rebirth, Belt cautioned, cannot overtake Chautauqua County’s resources and population. He referenced Indianapolis, which many economists and planners see as a model for growth. The city’s attractiveness does have its drawbacks for neighboring communities, draining rural Indiana’s population of many younger residents.

That same circumstance could happen here with Buffalo if local planners are not careful. “We’ve got a state government that is sensitive to the needs of the rural areas,” Belt said, “and has created a process that will enable the rural areas to access money and other resources. … We’re an area blessed by nature as well so you’ve got a lot of assets to leverage and build upon.”

England, who spoke briefly at the event Thursday, sees the rebirth of this region’s largest city as an asset in our revitalization. “We are a subregion of the Buffalo region,” he said. “Root for Buffalo … because from what I’m seeing it is a real turnaround up there. They’re doing all the right things.

“It hasn’t filtered to us yet, but I would look for a strategy of here trying to connect as much as possible with what’s good going on there.”

Ready for summer?

Our Spring and Summer Events Guide, our largest project of the year, will be included in the Saturday OBSERVER. The special section of 100 pages, which is worth keeping through the end of the season, is filled with listings of festivals, concerts and community happenings.

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.