Welcome to 2007. The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone the best year ever – may it be successful and happy for all of you.
Let’s begin the year by taking another trip. We’ve done that once in a while during past articles, but let’s begin the new year with an excursion through the neighborhood of Whatcouldbe on Main Street in the city of Presque Isle.
Close your eyes and image the things you would like to see in this neighborhood. Would you like to see more stores? If so, what kind? Would you like to see more entertainment venues, such as theaters for movies and/or performing arts? How about more businesses that offer specific services, or the availability of more visual arts? What about more opportunities for children, young adults, or college students? What about more restaurants, cafes, etc.?
As you think about these things, try to image what Main Street might look like during different seasons of the year. Would there be more decorations? If so, what would they look like? What would the lighting look like on Main Street? How about more signs to help you get around? Or fewer signs? What about the store fronts – what would they look like? And what sounds would you hear? Traffic honking, or just the sounds of traffic flowing by? Music? What smells would you be taking in? The fragrant smells of flowers in the summer, pumpkin pies from the restaurants in the fall, fresh snow and biting air in the winter, flowering trees in the summer? Is you imagination working now? Can you picture your neighborhood of Whatcouldbe?
Okay. You can open your eyes now. Did you have a nice trip? Perhaps those who have lived here for most or all of their lives envision it the way it used to be, or maybe they have a whole new idea based on improving what was here in the past. People who are new to the area may have ideas they have brought from the places they’ve been.
The important piece to this is that it will take all of us to revitalize and re-energize our downtown. The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee will be back in full swing this month after taking a well-deserved break for the holidays and we have lots of important, exciting work to do. We thank the community, the Presque Isle City Council, the local businesses, and the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce for your support over the past year. And, as we begin this new year of 2007, we ask for continued support as we work to help the Star City continue to shine brightly.
Please write us with your thoughts and opinions. It’s your city and we want your input. You can write us at: The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, 411 Main St., Presque Isle, ME 04769, or you can e-mail us at pidrc@yahoo.com.
The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee is an ad hoc committee of the Presque Isle City Council
