Small Town America

I have been working with students, staff, local law enforcement and the fire department of a small town in Oregon, just over the state line from Idaho, to help them coordinate an "Every 15 Minutes" program. The town of Adrian, Oregon, has a population of less than 150. In fact, in 2007, the official population was 141. The high school has 88 students in grades 9-12.

Over the weekend, we decided to take a drive to Adrian so we could take some photos and enjoy a picnic lunch. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. We enjoyed our picnic lunch in Parma, Idaho in the privacy of our van as the rain pelted the roof. It was a rather relaxing sound, and we stayed high and dry. After lunch, we continued the drive to Adrian, Oregon.

Because it was raining most of the time, we really didn't take as many photos as we wanted, but we did take a few photos of some interesting buildings.

As a small town, Adrian is very interesting. They don't have a McDonald's or Burger King; in fact, they don't even have a gas station. There's only one main street through town, which is the highway, and most of the buildings and storefronts sit empty, derelicts from a bygone era. I'm not really sure which businesses are actually open because everything looks abandoned, even during the middle of the day in the middle of the week. I think I saw a market that might be open, and a bar, but that's about it.

However, the people are wonderful to work with. We've met several people from the community, who are actively involved in putting together the "Every 15 Minutes" event. They are all dedicated to their community and to their school.

Would I want to live in a community that small? Probably not, since I have almost always lived in larger communities. But I can appreciate the closeness that the smaller towns have and envy their dedication.