Sparkle and Shine, Spit and Polish

Is spring finally here, do you think?
It’s amazing the effect that spring has on people’s outlooks and their attitudes. It’s such a beautiful time of year – white changing to green, the warm spring breezes whispering the promises of summer, blue skies and drifting clouds inviting us to lie on the grass and dream, new buds on the trees letting us know that life continues.
   It’s a season that also invites us to clean our houses and make them shine like the “sparklies” that dance delightedly on Aroostook waters. We wash our windows, clean and polish our floors and walls, maybe even paint or paper some of them, wash curtains and bedding, and on and on. There’s nothing like a clean home!
In a similar fashion, Presque Isle’s Main Street is the “house,” the heart, if you will, of the community. And, like home, springtime gives us the opportunity to houseclean. Let’s compare our downtown to your home. Let’s start our housecleaning!
For over a year now, the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee has worked to decorate Main Street and make it a warm and welcoming destination. The benches and trashcans will be back out soon, and once the danger of freezing is over, the flower barrels will be brightening up the downtown again.
But we need help. It will take everyone to encourage businesses on our Main Street to houseclean their areas. Part of any housecleaning regimen is to wash the windows. Let’s encourage all downtown businesses to clean their windows, get the winter grime off them, and make them sparkle. For those who already do that, a kind word of thanks is in order.
Washing floors in our homes is also part of the spring-cleaning. Let’s encourage the businesses and the city of Presque Isle to keep the sidewalks and streets clean. There is no need for litter and dirt to tarnish our image.
Sometimes, as we are cleaning, we find a wall or a room in our home that needs a good washing or a fresh coat of paint. We need to encourage businesses and building owners to get the soap and water or paintbrush out and liven up their exteriors. Many think that if they give their building a facelift, their property taxes will go up. That is not true. It is to their benefit, as well as the city’s, because a pleasant facade will attract more business. We want the people who live here to be proud of our downtown, and we want visitors to stop here and maybe even want to stay.
Sometimes, when we’re done cleaning, it’s nice to do some decorating. A few flowers here, a knick-knack there. Let’s encourage the owners of empty storefronts to do the same thing. Let’s encourage them to decorate their windows. The PIDRC already has some creative ideas on how to help with that! While a little decorating will be of benefit to the Main Street, it may also help these fine building owners find a good tenant and get good rent for their property. That’s called a win-win situation.
It’s important to remember that just as our homes represent us, Presque Isle’s Main Street represents the citizens who live here. We need to show the pride, the work ethic, the kindness, and the welcoming that are so much a part of our community. Let’s show the world the pride we have in our city. This is the beginning of the revitalization of Main Street. And it will take all of us to change things. So why not begin with the housecleaning of downtown Presque Isle now?
You can get more information or join us by calling Sandy Gauvin (764-0876), Cathy Beaulieu at Wilder’s Jewelry Store (764-0309) or Patty LeBlanc (769-7731), or you can contact us through the information listed below. We meet at the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce on the Houlton Road at 7:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
Please write us with your thoughts and opinions. It’s your city and we need your input. You can write us at: The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, 411 Main Street, Presque Isle, Maine 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