BERLIN — Sometimes, all it takes is a great idea and the wherewithal and willingness to turn a need into a tangible product or service benefiting many.
Now on view at the Berlin Falls House Museum is “Spark! Places of Innovation,” a Smithsonian exhibition that centers on the needs of rural communities. “Rural innovation — all it takes is a spark” is the message the exhibit aims to convey to viewers.
kAms:DA=2J A2?6=D 2?5 :?E6C24E:G6 H2JD E@ :?E6C24E H:E9 E96 >FD6F> 6I9:3:ED FD:?8 2 D>2CEA9@?6 9:89=:89E E96 :?7@C>2E:@? E@ 36 8=62?65] $6G6C2= 4@>>F?:E:6D 9:89=:89E65 2E E96 6I9:3:E H@C<65 E@ @G6C4@>6 E96:C @H? 64@?@>:4 @C D@4:2= DECF88=6D[ D:>:=2C E@ q6C=:?’D D:EF2E:@? H96? E96 A2A6C >:==D 2?5 @E96C >2?F724EFC:?8 3FD:?6DD6D 4=@D65] #6=2E65=J[ q6C=:? 4@?E:?F6D :? :ED EC2?D:E:@? 2D E96 DE2CE @7 E96 5@H?E@H? :?7C2DECF4EFC6 #px$t 8C2?E 2H2:ED :? =2E6 DAC:?8 @C DF>>6C a_af] %96 q6C=:? t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E pFE9@C:EJ :D 5:D4FDD:?8 H92E EJA6 @7 ?6H >2C<6E:?8 A=2? 42? 2EEC24E 3FD:?6DD6D 2?5 :?G6DE>6?E E@ E96 4:EJ 2?5 C68:@?]k^Am
kAmz6J E@ E96 @E96C D>2==[ CFC2= 4:E:6D 2?5 E@H?D’ 492==6?86D AC6D6?E65 2E E96 q6C=:? 6I9:3:E 2C6 E96 D@=FE:@?D E92E C6D@=G65 A2CE:4F=2C AC@3=6>D] k^Am
kAm%96D6 >F?:4:A2=:E:6D H:E9 A@AF=2E:@?D F?56C d[___ :?4=F56 (6=49[ (] '2][ uC2?<=:?[ }]r][ $E] y2>6D[ |:??][ w6=A6C r:EJ[ &E29[ pE=2?E2[ x==] 2?5 u2:C3FCJ[ x==][ 2?5 q6E96=[ }]r]k^Am
kAmpD 2? 6I9:3:E A2?6= ?@E6Di “$EC:<6 E96 $A2C<P tG6CJ E@H? :D 2 A@E6?E:2= A=246 @7 :??@G2E:@?] #FC2= E@H?D A6CD:DE 3642FD6 @7 :??@G2E:@? — C646?E @C =@?8 28@ — 2?5 E96:C 7FEFC6 56A6?5D @? 7C6D9 :?:E:2E:G6D 2?5 :562D[ ?6H DA2C<D @7 :?DA:C2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmtI9:3:E G:6H6CD 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ D92C6 E96:C :562D @7 :??@G2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(92E’D 92AA6?:?8 :? J@FC E@H?nk^Am
kAm“(96C6 5@ J@FC E2=6?ED @C A6CD@?2= A2DD:@?D :?E6CD64E H:E9 E96 ?665D @7 J@FC 4@>>F?:EJn %92E’D E96 4@??64E:@? E92E DEC:<6D E96 DA2C<]k^Am
kAm“$E2CE }@H] *@F’G6 ;FDE D66? :??@G2E:@? :? 24E:@? A=246D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ] *@F’G6 C624E65 :? >2?J 5:776C6?E H2JD] %@ D@>6 6I2>A=6D[ J@F >:89E 92G6 D2:5[ ‘*6DP’ ~E96CD DECF4< J@F 2D :>AC@323=6 7@C J@FC E@H?[ @C 6G6? :>A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm“t:E96C H2J[ J@FC C624E:@?D 2C6 7C6D9 2?5 E9FD A@H6C7F=] !=62D6 D92C6 E96>]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 9@H :??@G2E:@? 368:?D] {6E’D 86E DE2CE65]”k^Am
kAm%96 q6C=:? u2==D w@FD6 |FD6F>[ ``h w:89 $E][ :D @A6? 2? 6IEC2 52J D@ G:6H6CD 42? D66 E96 $A2C<P tI9:3:E 2?5 E96 >FD6F>’D 255:E:@?2= :E6>D @7 E96 4:EJ 2?5 C68:@?’D A2DE] %96 $A2C<P 6I9:3:E :D @? 5:DA=2J F?E:= s64] `_] |FD6F> 9@FCD 2C6 (65?6D52J E9C@F89 $2EFC52J[ ?@@? E@ c A]>] p5>:DD:@? :D 7C66] %96 9@FD6 >FD6F> H6=4@>6D >@C6 G@=F?E66CD]k^Am
kAm{@?8E:>6 q6C=:? C6D:56?E !2F= q=2:D 2?5 9:D H:76[ $FD2?[ G:6H65 E96 6I9:3:E 2?5 @E96C q6C=:? 3=24< 2?5 H9:E6 A9@E@D 2?5 :E6>D 7C@> q6C=:?’D A2DE]k^Am
kAm“xE 3C:?8D 324< 2 =@E @7 >6>@C:6D 7C@> E96 ‘d_D 2?5 ‘e_D[” !2F= q=2:D D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E 96 2EE6?565 $E] #68:D p4256>J H96? :E H2D 2 D49@@=] w6 H@C<65 :? 4@?DECF4E:@? 2?5 7@C E96 4:EJ @7 q6C=:? 7@C bf J62CD 7@C :ED C64C62E:@? 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAm{@F:D6 |4r@D9[ 2=D@ 2 q6C=:? C6D:56?E[ G:6H65 E96 >2?J 5:776C6?E 5:DA=2JD @7 q6C=:?’D 9:DE@CJ :?D:56 E96 q6C=:? u2==D w@FD6 |FD6F>]k^Am
kAm':D:E@CD E@ E96 6I9:3:E :?4=F565 p?5C@D4@88:? '2==6J r92>36C @7 r@>>6C46 >6>36CD 7@C 2 “qFD:?6DD p7E6C w@FCD” 82E96C:?8 2?5 q6C=:? r@@D r@F?EJ w:DE@C:42= $@4:6EJ G@=F?E66CD]k^Am
kAmr2?25:2? qC@2542DE r@] ;@FC?2=:DE |2E9:6F !C@DE 2?5 H@C< 4@==628F6[ 42>6C2>2? uC65 {27=6FC[ 2EE6?565 E96 6G6?E 2D H6==[ DA62<:?8 H:E9 #6??6J |@C?62F[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 q6C=:? 2?5 r@@D r@F?EJ w:DE@C:42= $@4:6EJ] !C@DE :D 32D65 :? |@?EC62=] w6 2?5 2 4@\H@C<6C EC2G6=65 E@ q6C=:? E@ :?E6CG:6H C6D:56?ED @? E96:C E9@F89ED 2D E96 }@G] b 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?D :? E96 &]$] 2AAC@24965] q6C=:?’D uC6?49\r2?25:2? 96C:E286 AC@>AE65 9:D C6A@CE:?8 EC:A[ E@ 82F86 9@H =@42= p>6C:42?D 2C6 766=:?8 64@?@>:42==J 2>:5 2 A@=2C:K65 A@=:E:42= 324<5C@A]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ 2 D9@CE 5:DE2?46 7C@> E96 w:89 $EC66E >FD6F> :D E96 |@776EE w@FD6 v6?62=@8J U2>Aj $A@CED |FD6F>[ 9@>6 E@ q6C=:? 2?5 E96 p?5C@D4@88:? '2==6J’D 2E9=6E:4 AC@H6DD]k^Am
kAm%96 9:DE@C:42= D@4:6EJUCDBF@jD A9:=@D@A9J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :ED H63D:E6[ :D U=5BF@jAC6D6CG:?8 E96 A2DE 7@C E96 7FEFC6]UC5BF@j q6C=:? 2?5 r@@D r@F?EJ w:DE@C:42= $@4:6EJ M !C6D6CG:?8 E96 A2DE 7@C E96 7FEFC6 H63D:E6 @C k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^36C=:??99:DE@C:42=D@4:6EJ]@C8Qm9EEAi^^36C=:??99:DE@C:42=D@4:6EJ]@C8k^2m]k^Am
kAm#6=2E65 &A4@>:?8 $A2C<P 6I9:3:ED :? q6C=:? 2E (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 :?4=F56 “*2?<66 x?86?F:EJ[” AC6D6?E65 3J y@ #25?6C 2E e A]>][ }@G] `g 2?5 “p r6?EFCJ @7 x?5FDEC:2= !C@8C6DD :? q6C=:?[” AC6D6?E65 3J #2J s2?7@CE9 2E e A]>][ s64] a]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ E96 $A2C<P tI9:3:E[ @E96C 6I9:3:ED 2E E96 q6C=:? u2==D w@FD6 |FD6F> :?4=F56 “%96 }6:893@C9@@5D]” %96 C6DA64E:G6 DEC66ED 4@>AC:D:?8 E96 t2DE $:56[ }@CH68:2? ':==286[ %96 pG6?F6D[ $E] p??6’D }6:893@C9@@5[ u:3C6G:==6[ xC:D9 p4C6D 2?5 r2E6D w:== 2C6 ?2>65[ H:E9 762EFC6D A2CE:4F=2C E@ 6249 ?6:893@C9@@5] u@C 6I2>A=6[ “qJ `h__[ E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E9@D6 =:G:?8 :? E96 pG6?F6D H6C6 :>>:8C2?ED[ 2?5 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96D6 H6C6 uC6?49 r2?25:2?D]”k^Am
kAm(2=E6C }2562F[ 2 q6C=:? C6D:56?E 2?5 =@?8E:>6 >6>36C @7 E96 9:DE@C:42= D@4:6EJ[ H2=<65 E9C@F89 E96 5:DA=2J C@@>D 5FC:?8 E96 ~4E] aa 6G6?E]k^Am
kAmx?G6DE>6?ED @7 E:>6[ 565:42E:@? 2?5 <?@H=6586 3J :ED G@=F?E66CD 92G6 7@DE6C65 E96 9@FD6 >FD6F>D’ 8C@HE9] xE :D “A2CE @7 @FC 3:8 8C@H:?8 AC@46DD[” }2562F D2:5 H96? 2D<65 H92E E96 ?6H 6I9:3:E >62?E E@ 9:>]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 368:??:?8 E@ 36 C64@8?:K65 3J =2C86C @C82?:K2E:@?D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~? E92E ?@E6[ 4@?E:?F:?8 @FED:56 E96 |@776EE w@FD6 v6?62=@8J 2?5 $A@CED |FD6F>[ 2C6 E96 G:D:3=6 D:8?D @7 6IE6C:@C H@C< 2?5 C6A=246>6?E @7 2 C6E2:?:?8 H2==] %92E H@C< :D 36:?8 >256 A@DD:3=6 3J 2 7656C2= 42E2=JDE 8C2?E 2H2C565 3J E96 }@CE96C? q@C56C #68:@?2= r@>>:DD:@?]k^Am
kAmq@E9 q6C=:? 9@FD6 >FD6F>D 2C6 =@42E65 @? w:89 $EC66E[ ?@E 72C 7C@> E96 4:EJ’D 5@H?E@H?]k^Am
kAm$A2C<P 6I9:3:E DA@?D@CD :?4=F56 E96 q6C=:? r@@D r@F?EJ w:DE@C:42= $@4:6EJ[ (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D r@>>F?:EJ r@==686[ }6H w2>AD9:C6 wF>2?:E:6D 2?5 '6C>@?E wF>2?:E:6D]k^Am
kAm“$A2C<P !=246D @7 x??@G2E:@?[ :D “p |FD6F> @? |2:? $EC66E 6I9:3:E:@? @C82?:K65 3J E96 $>:E9D@?:2? x?DE:EFE:@?[ :?DA:C65 3J !=246D @7 x?G6?E:@?[ 2? 6I9:3:E:@? 56G6=@A65 3J E96 $>:E9D@?:2?’D {6>6=D@? r6?E6C 7@C E96 $EF5J @7 x?G6?E:@? 2?5 x??@G2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmk6>mk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i=:D2o36C=:?52:=JDF?]4@>Qm=:D2o36C=:?52:=JDF?]4@>k^2mk^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.