Twenty-seven community leaders representing 13 Kansas communities and 11 counties gathered in Solomon Aug. 27 for a Kansas Sampler Foundation Do-Alogue focused on practical ways rural communities can strengthen connection, participation and pride using the people, places and resources they already have.
One participant traveled 275 miles — about four hours — from Tribune.
A Do-Alogue is a small, on-site learning experience designed to send participants home with ideas they can put to work in their own communities. Kansas Sampler Foundation We Kan Program Manager Karly Fredrick said Solomon stood out because of the intentional way the community has worked to turn existing assets into gathering places.
“One thing that stood out from the conversation was how intentionally Solomon has worked to make the community pool more than just a place to swim,” Fredrick said. “They’ve been finding ways to make it a gathering place and a true third space for the community.”
Mayor Brandy Gray said hosting the group was an opportunity to show that meaningful community-building does not require a large population or large budget.
“More than anything, I hope the day reminded us that we do not have to be a large community to create meaningful experiences,” Gray said. “We can take the people, places, organizations and resources we already have and use them in ways that create memories and strengthen our community.”
More Than a Place to Swim
The Solomon Municipal Pool has long been a summer gathering place for the community. Beginning in summer 2024, the City and community partners began expanding programming around the pool to create more opportunities for families and residents to gather, participate and make memories together.
“We want it to be a place families want to spend time, where community groups can participate, and where people can create summer memories together,” Gray said.
Programming has included dive-in movies, a cardboard boat race, sponsored swim days, family activities and other special events.
For Solomon resident Shawna Bowers, those activities make a noticeable difference.
“When there’s a family night or something special happening, it feels different than just deciding to go to the pool,” Bowers said. “Dad gets home from work, we all head to the pool, and it feels like we’re going to something special. We’re creating a memory together. The different activities give families a reason to come together and build the community we chose to live in a small town for.”
Visitors also shared their own experiences and ideas. Kylee Maloney traveled from Kingman, where the community pool has been closed for several years.
“After visiting Solomon, I have so many new ideas, leads and connections that I’m excited to try and explore for our own community,” Maloney said.
Fredrick said that exchange is one of the most important parts of a Do-Alogue.
“Something that really drives our programming is the belief that the answers, ideas and encouragement are already in rural Kansas,” she said. “They meet people facing similar challenges, swap ideas, make connections, and leave knowing there are others out there doing this work too.”
Making Room for Ideas
The group also learned about Solomon’s fire hydrant painting project, which began when a resident brought an idea to the City Council.
Rather than immediately dismissing it, city leaders worked through how residents could participate while keeping the hydrants safe and functional.
“In a small community, we do have limits on staff time, funding and capacity, so not every idea can happen immediately,” Gray said. “But there is a big difference between dismissing an idea and asking, ‘What would it take to make this work?’”
Fredrick said that willingness to explore ideas is an important characteristic of strong rural communities.
“That doesn’t mean every idea gets a yes,” she said. “It means the first response is curiosity: How could this work? What would it take? Is there a barrier we can remove? Who else needs to be part of the conversation?”
Making the Good Visible
Participants also discussed the role communication and storytelling play in building community involvement.
The City contracts with Jackie Hynes of Market Me Pink for marketing and communications support. During the Do-Alogue, Hynes shared practical ways small communities can increase awareness of local activities using websites, Facebook events, newsletters, photos and event follow-up.
“I love the storytelling,” Gray said. “I’d say that is probably the biggest piece that the collaboration with Jackie has brought — being able to really focus on those positive things and share the good that is happening in our community.”
For Gray, sharing those stories helps shape how residents see their hometown.
“If we don’t share the positive stories, negative ones tend to fill the space,” Gray said. “It’s important to find ways to highlight the good things happening in our community.”
Bringing Community Back Into Community
While pool activities, painted fire hydrants and community storytelling may look like separate projects, Gray said they are all connected by the same goal.
She recalled a conversation with board member Keala, who summed it up simply:
“You’re just trying to bring community back into our community.”
Gray said that was exactly it.
“We’re trying to make it a place where people feel connected, where they feel proud to call home; where they feel like a sense or a piece of our community,” she said.
Fredrick said small projects like these can create lasting momentum.
“These small projects are vital,” she said. “They create shared experiences, build pride and help people feel ownership of their community. And sometimes doing one small thing together is what creates the energy to do the next thing.”
For Gray, the goal is not to copy another community, but to keep learning from others while building on what makes Solomon unique.
“The goal is not to make Solomon look like another town,” she said. “It is to keep learning from others while making Solomon the very best version of itself with the people, resources and talents we have here.”
