I Believe in Main Street

It’s very easy to drive down Main Street in Woonsocket and be discouraged by the empty spaces.  However, what you do not see is that there are many people that are beginning to form work groups and meet to talk about ideas on how to turn things around.  The Main Street of today will never be the Main Street of the older days nor the Main Street my grandmother drove me down when I was kid 20 years ago, but it can be a great place again if enough people work together to find solutions that will restore the heart of the city. A person cannot survive without a heart and Woonsocket cannot survive without our Main Street.

The key to the revitalization of Main Street is communication. When a new company moves in or a historic building is renovated, that is a win for the city and a stepping stone that will lead to the next development and so on.  We have investors and developers interested in being part of the solution and we need to have an open dialogue, share our plans and vision, and work together to benefit everyone.  If we work against each other and are not open to new ideas, that will lead to failure not just for one but for all.  We can’t let politics determine what happens to our Main Street.     

I know change can be a scary thing but it is a very necessary thing.  I chose to continue to educate myself and learn all I can from other people and new experiences because I refuse to become stupid and ignorant to change.  It
is up to all of us to take on a greater cause than just our own private lives
and go out to do something positive in our community.  You can choose to continue to be negative and say things will never change or you can be the change that you wish to see in the world and make a difference.

What I love the most about Woonsocket are our small business owners, many of which live in the city as well. That is how we are going to bring back our Main Street by advertising the area to aspiring entrepreneurs to open up family owned businesses and promoting the area as an arts and entertainment district. Woonsocket has a great location and can attract many people from out of the city to shop and dine in our local venues instead of chain stores. Let’s keep our money right here in our own backyard before we send it out to some rich CEO in another state or country. 

I want to see Main Street bustling with activity; in the morning, afternoon, evening, and at night.  We can do this if enough people have plans, apply for grants, roll up their sleeves, improve the appearance of the street, get the available spaces rent ready, and then watch the businesses and people come. 

I believe in Main Street; I believe in Woonsocket; so join myself and many others by being the solution instead of the problem.