A national representative of the Main Street America program visited the Carbon County area during the week of April 11-15. On Tuesday, April 12, the community was invited to the Helper Civic Auditorium to meet the representative, learn about the program and give input.
The representative explained that no Main Street can be revitalized without the community and the outcome is only positive when the community wants to own it. She was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Helper to guide, support, provide and open doors, if possible. She then praised Helper City Mayor Lenise Peterman for being so involved, stating she was very impressed.
The representative shared her belief that America runs on small businesses. She continued, expressing her excitement that the arts are greatly supported in Helper.
The floor was then opened to hear from those in attendance on businesses that are desired in Helper. A book store, clothing store and bakery were immediately given voice and discussed, with the representative also stating that food, such as restaurants, is always a connector for communities.
Community members informed the Main Street America rep that though there have been businesses such as that before, there was not much support in them. The representative stated that businesses need not only a storefront presence, but also an online presence, with the reality being that e-commerce is here to stay. It was then explained that the best recruitment tool is existing businesses and there is a need to ensure that these businesses have what they need to succeed.
Mayor Peterman also brought up the need to address commercial properties not being used appropriately. Many spaces on Main Street are never open, which ultimately hinders tourism and money-making opportunities.
The representative expressed that a sense of how space is used is important and that it will lead to neglect when there are no consequences for those with no real sense of ownership. It was also stated that volunteer hours are very important to develop a sense of community.
The importance of community, the historic prevalence of Helper City, possible spaces for the dark skies designation, outdoor recreation opportunities and more were also discussed by those in attendance before the meeting was concluded. In closing, the Main Street America representative explained that this is an embarkment on a journey to bring vitality.
