Welcome back, Lied Main Street Program

Pull off the Interstate into any Midwestern town, and you have two choices:

Head toward the big chain store and heavily marketed fast-food restaurant or chain cappuccino emporium on the edge of town, or drive downtown and explore one-of-a-kind establishments that offer experiences unique to the community.

Travelers have a little more incentive to try the latter as they drive through McCook, thanks to our reborn membership in the Nebraska Lied Main Street Program, announced by signs at all four entrances to town.

The signs were unveiled Tuesday at the Keystone Hotel, which is promising to be the "keystone" to downtown revitalization.

21st Century Systems Inc., a cutting-edge software company supplying command and control software to the military, has already spoken for space in the historic hotel at Norris and D Street.

Organizers hope to turn the rest of the facility into a business incubator and professional offices where, for example, an attorney might offer legal advice to startup companies in exchange for office space.

We can learn a lot by taking the Main Street organization's guidelines to heart.

The "Four Point Approach" involves improving the appearance of downtown, getting individuals and groups to work together, promote Main Street and taking steps to strengthen the economic base while diversifying it.

Main Street's "Eight Principals" point out that it must be a long-term commitment, can involve small projects and simple activities, depends on the involvement of the individual, involves business and government, must take advantage of local assets, should be done in a quality manner, must involve an improved public attitude and should involve visible changes from day one.

Experience with the downtown banners, which were soon in tatters, shows the importance of long-term planning in any Main Street project.

And, how about building sidewalk kiosks, for businesses and individuals to post events and items for sale?

There are a lot of ideas that can help keep downtown McCook a lively, thriving place.

Membership in the Lied Main Street Program provides a vehicle to make it happen.