Have you ever heard of a SWOT or SWOC analysis?  It's an acronym based on the words Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (or Challenges).  Lewisburg is working toward doing some planning and analysis of our identity as a River Town.  A SWOT/C analysis will be an essential part of that process.  And the idea of paired Opportunities and Challenges is particularly relevant when it comes to the topic of the river and its impact on Lewisburg.

This coming week, the LNC is convening a meeting of community leaders to take the pulse of area organizations on the subject of embracing our River Town identity.  We need to gauge the level of interest.  And in coming weeks, there will be opportunities to celebrate River Town life at a block party at the William Cameron Engine Company on N 5th St (Saturday, March 29, from 11 to 3pm) and to participate in river bank clean ups (March 30 and April 6, from 2 to 4pm).  Stay tuned for details on all that as it evolves.

The North Ward Neighborhood which initiated this effort with its expressed interest in a canoe/kayak access facility is now working with the Borough, the Downtown Partnership, and the Susquehanna Greenway to see what the possibilities may be.

At the same time, we are all amply aware of the challenges posed by the proximity of the river.  The changes to the National Flood Insurance Program wrought by the Biggert-Waters Act of 2012 are frequently in the news and a subject of great debate in the region.  The LNC will also be organizing a public meeting on the topic on behalf of the borough for the latter half of April.  As surely as rising waters can seriously threaten many properties in the borough, the significant blanket rate increases have the potential to challenge everyone in the area, whether they own land in the 100-year flood plain or not.

Is our current only partially visible connection to the river a result of ambivalence?  Does it arise from denial about floods past and future?  Or is it an oversight -- more of a historical accident?  In that scenario, the industries which once crowded the riverbank gradually disappeared and were in spots replaced with small parks, just waiting for the borough to take an interest.  Ignoring the river clearly doesn't have any effect of what floods may come, but it certain has an impact on quality of life in the area day by day.  It's time to reclaim that link and more fully explore the opportunities and challenges it represents.