Main Street revival in the offing?

McCOOK, Neb. -- Nebraska Main Street's executive director, Elizabeth Chase, told a dozen McCookites Tuesday night that it might be wise for McCook to re-enter the Nebraska Main Street program through "consortium" sponsorship, meaning that she believes the community would be better served if several leadership groups -- instead of just one -- joined to sponsor the Main Street effort.

Chase made the suggestion because, on at least two occasions in the past, Main Street efforts in McCook have fizzled because of what some community workers called "petty bickering" between the town's leadership organizations.

By sharing authority, groups like the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, the McCook Economic Development Corp., the McCook/Red Willow Visitors Bureau and the City of McCook could all be on the same page and be aware of the philosophies and viewpoints of the other leadership groups.

To make the return to the Main Street program as easy as possible, Chase suggested McCook come back into Nebraska Main Street as an Associate Member, a classification that costs only $300 per year for an 'associate' community.

It's now up to those gathered Tuesday night -- who were nick-named the buzzing' dozen -- to carry Chase's Main Street recommendation back to their groups for action. The 12 attending were: Andrew Ambriz, the strategic intern assigned to McCook by the Rural Futures Institute; Kirk Dixon, executive director of the McCook Economic Development Corp.; Denise Garey, public information officer for the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department; Mark Graff, representing the McCook Fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation; Bill Longnecker, McCook jeweler and member of the Nebraska Main Street board of directors; Jamie Mockry, the new executive director of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce; Gene O. Morris, marketing consultant for the McCook Gazette; Tor Olson, abstract officer and former McCook Main Street leader; Carol Schlegel, director of the McCook/Red Willow County Visitors Bureau; Matt Sehnert, president of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce; Terri Shipshock, director of the Community Hospital Health Foundation; and Jim Ulrich, president and CEO of Community Hospital and chairman of the McCook Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors.

As explained by Chase, the Main Street program has four major components: economic vitality, design, promotion and organization.

Thanks to recent action, Longnecker said the national Main Street organization is now much more flexible than it used to be. While the Associate Membership of $300 per year is the least demanding and lowest cost level, it might be best for McCook at this time because it would expose McCook to proven Main Street principles, but would not demand excessive action or large outlays of cash, Chase and Longnecker indicated.

Among the strong points of the Nebraska Main Street program is its partnerships with leading state government agencies and statewide organizations, including the Nebraska Department of Roads, the Nebraska State Historical Society, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the Nebraska Tourism Board, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, and the University of Nebraska through its campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, Kearney and Curtis.

No action on McCook's re-entry into the Main Street program was promised, but it is likely that the matter will be discussed at upcoming meetings of the McCook Economic Development Corp., the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, the McCook/Red Willow County Visitors Bureau and the McCook City Council.