WORLEY — It takes a community to create a town’s identity.  

This idea was the focus of a discussion on day one of the Idaho Rural Success Summit at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel on Wednesday.  

Executive Director of the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association Emily Boyd, Rathdrum City Administrator Leon Duce, Kellogg Community Director Monica Miller, and Executive Director for the Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation Paige Olsen spoke in front of several hundred people from throughout the state on the successes and challenges of their respective downtowns.  

Boyd said that while downtown events are a primary source of DTA funding, she hopes to see a restructuring of funding to ensure the future of downtown Coeur d’Alene remains sustainable.  

A few projects to refresh the city’s downtown are also in the works, including painting and work on light posts and garbage cans.  

“We’re continuing to engage our clean and safe priorities,” Boyd said.  

Moderator Jenny Hemly said that Coeur d’Alene’s downtown is considered “the gold standard” throughout Idaho.  

Even so, “you never stop working on your downtown,” Hemly said.  

Meanwhile, Rathdrum is focused on “creating a better environment for businesses downtown,” Duce said.  

Duce noted that parking has become an issue in Rathdrum’s downtown. He said the city hopes to increase capacity by 30% by turning a piece of city property into a parking lot.  

He added that popular spots such as Nadine’s Mexican Kitchen have attracted more businesses and visitors to downtown.

“We’re seeing the growth and success in our downtown, and people want to be a part of it,” Duce said. 

As for Kellogg, Miller and Olsen highlighted the transformation the town has seen after the closing of the Bunker Hill Mine and Smelting Complex in the 1980s. 

“Stores closed, and the identity of Kellogg kind of went away with that,” Olsen said.  

With “small steps towards revitalization,” Olsen added, the community has come into its own through events such as Kelloween and embracing the town’s quirky history — including the story of Kellogg’s founder, Noah Kellogg, and his donkey, Bill.  

Recently, community artists designed flagpole banners featuring that donkey.  

“The community has finally rallied around who we are,” Miller said. “We’re jackasses, and it’s a term of endearment.” 

“One person can’t create the identity of a town,” Hemly added. “It’s the community.”