September 2025, Anyway…

First Year Thoughts

this September issue, the Milton Event Dispatch has officially existed for one year, so I have decided it would be a good time to share what we have learned thus far; a year in review, if you will.

Firstly, we were astounded by how many people have taken to picking up our Dispatch. What started as a small pile of prints making it through the month has turned into a demand for hundreds of copies, which continue to be picked up all month long. We have had a ton of positive feedback from readers, organizations, sponsors, and the community at large. We thank you all.

The 80/20 Rule

The next thing that we noticed is that events in Milton certainly follow the Pareto Principle. For those unaware, the Pareto Principle (or the 80/20 rule) states that eighty percent of the outcomes generally come from twenty percent of the causes. In the case of events in Milton, there are many businesses and organizations that do great things, but as far as hosting events open to the public, only twenty percent seem to be either willing or able. Certainly, there are plenty of businesses that couldn't reasonably host a public event at their facilities and maintain safety or garner any real benefit. We are not judging; only observing. And many organizations that don't host, will still be generous in their sponsorship.

Even within the organizations that host regular events, a select few seem to be hosting the lions share. Any regular reader will note just how often Timber Hill Winery, Good Works Brewing, and the Milton Public Library show up in bold. We are not playing favorites. Those places just hammer out so many public events that it's impossible to ignore.

A similar ratio can be seen with live music. There are a slew of great local musicians that make the regular rounds in the area, especially in the summer. But it seems that about twenty percent of them show up again and again, venue after venue, show after show.

The 8/21 Rule

The other thing we have noted is that while there are plenty of events that are for young children ages eight and younger, and a bevy of activities for adults, there seems to be sparse pickings for tweens and teens in the area. With the majority of live music and events happening at bars, pubs, wineries, and the like, anyone under the age of twenty-one is excluded, and many events for kids become focused on the younger age groups

Without a bowling ally, skating rink, mall, dance hall, soda shop, or any other establishment of teenage amusement to hang out in, they are relegated to parks and sidewalks and basements. The Milton Public Library is one of the few organization that seems to try to cater specifically to teens on a regular basis. They do a fine job but the landscape is such that getting the teens out of the house an uphill battle now. They are objects at rest, and thus they want to stay at rest. It almost seems like a natural law.

I believe that we should want to see teens engaged with society, and not just in the ways that we find undisruptive. They are the ones who will be bolstering our numbers in the future, be it in the workforce, volunteering, or just being active in the community. If we don't welcome them out now, they will not