By Mary Owen
“Be the change you with to see in Stayton!”
That’s the challenge of a local group that advocates working together to revitalize Stayton’s downtown.
“Friends of Old Town Stayton is a group of community members that got started as a result of Stayton residents attending an Oregon Main Street conference and seeing the tremendous benefits that this program has brought to other communities in Oregon and realizing what it could do for Stayton,” Alan Meyer, chair of FOTS, said.
Meyer is the regional business manager for Pacific Power, working out of the company’s Stayton office. Although he resides in Stayton with his family, Meyer grew up in Washington, Mo., a small city with, he said, “one of the best success stories of the Main Street approach.”
“Like many small cities, Washington’s downtown area slowly died until it pretty much became a ghost town,” Meyer said. “Through the Main Street Approach and with the help of volunteers, grants, city staff and the like, Washington, Mo., focused on their history and core values. Now the downtown area is alive again with art galleries, restaurants, boutique shops and, yes, even a parklet. Every one of us who are part of FOTS has a similar story and experiences and we are passionate about bringing Stayton’s downtown back to life again.”
Meyer said Stayton’s downtown already has a lot to offer, including a small, intimate parklet on Third Avenue and the placement of flower baskets.
“We just need to do a better job of getting the word out and that’s one of our goals as well,” he said.
An informational meeting is Monday, Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m. at the Odd Fellows Lodge in Stayton. Speaking at the meeting will be Oregon Main Street Coordinator Sheri Stuart.
“The meeting is to look for new members and committee chairs to join our efforts as well as show what can be accomplished through the Main Street Approach,” Meyer said. “Hopefully folks can see that we’re serious about this. We are growing by leaps and bounds and we’ve just got started.”
FOTS invites anyone interested working on projects, raising funds, taking care of downtown, or helping create a community everyone can enjoy to volunteer for one of the four committees. The committees are:
Organization – everyone working toward same goal.
Promotion – selling the image and promise of downtown to all prospects.
Design – getting downtown into top physical shape.
Economic Restructuring – finding a new purpose for downtown’s enterprises
“If you are interested in assisting downtown business, helping to plan events, decorating, planting flowers or even cleaning sidewalks, we have an opportunity for you,” FOTS materials proclaim.
Oregon Main Street is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program that works with communities to develop comprehensive, incremental revitalization strategies based on a community’s unique assets, character, and heritage. The program provides assistance to all communities no matter where they are in the process. Currently, there are 78 communities, including Stayton, participating in one of the levels of the Oregon Main Street network.
For information, visit www.FriendsofOldTownStayton.com or the FOTS Facebook page.
