Focus Group Meetings
To date, Adrienne Falcon has organized 10 focus groups.
Finland Coop Board Focus Group
Finland Recreation Board Focus Group
Fire Squad Focus Group
Girl Scout Focus Group
Northern Lake County Chamber of Commerce Focus Group
Potluck at the Old Finn Hall
Snowmobile Club Focus Group
Wolf Ridge Focus Group
Zion Arts and Crafts Focus Group
Zion Lutheran Church Focus Group
Click on the group name for a summary of the discussion at each group
The meetings ranged in size from 6 or 7 people to 25 with an average size of 11 people.
In the focus groups I asked people to introduce themselves and share why they liked living in Finland.
We discussed the community center and how a new one could help them as an organization and what they wanted to
see there as individuals. We also discussed Finland in 10 years and what people did and didn't want to see there.
The focus group notes provided here are those which have to do with Finland and Crystal Bay Township.
People brought up many ideas in each group. Many of these ideas were similar across the groups.
Because of that, it is possible to find themes which represent the community as a whole. The Land Use Committee has
reviewed the focus group notes and developed themes from them which reflect the interests of community members.
In general people spoke about a desire to preserve the sense of community in Finland and to protect it from the
kind of development we see happening along the shore. Participants want the skies to stay dark at night,
the roads to remain gravel, and the quiet to remain along with the wildlife. Participants also value the existing
local businesses. They do not want to see chain stores or big stores come into town and want to make sure that change
is thought through and done carefully. They support the idea of a new community center and trails linking the
different areas of the community. There were different ideas about the kinds of trails people want to see.
They do not want condos, town homes, or big developments. Participants spoke about developing alternative energies,
making clearer signs, and preserving the history and an awareness of the history of Finland.