Huh, what exactly was the purpose of showing what they do though? Like... was it for something specific ?

Katie,

You got quite a little discussion going in your blog entry on shops closing. You're not the only young person I've heard lament the need for more energy or a "scene" for people your age. We middle aged types sometimes feel that way too.

So, how about channeling some of that energy by becoming involved in Main Street, or any of the dozen's of civic organizations here. You'll find a lively local culture just below the surface. One that always welcomes new people with something to contribute! How about it!

Thank you Tom,
Is is so easy to find fault with what others do. Let he/or she who critizes work to improve our community, and to make it a better place.

HDG Main Street, HDG City Council and Mayor Wayne Dougherty are consistent and ongoing failures in improving downtown and its economic output. They fail just a little bit more each year they work on in "improving" downtown and when there is an improvement that they had nothing to do with they take credit for it.

The Vineyard Wine Bar is one of the improvements to downtown that HDG Main Street, HDG City Council and Mayor Wayne Dougherty were not supportive of the project until after it was completed and successful.

I'd like to do more but I'm not so sure how much involvement I want to be included in yet, haha. I love doing graphic arts and designing stuff. I was looking at the main website for HDG the other day. I THINK it was the main street site, and their link to the antique directory was totally out of date. As in expired and not working. I'd like to fool around with creating new, up to date banners for logos and making things look more aesthetic. Maybe even another website, but I'm not so sure if that's needed and what not.

@Katie - If you help out this group of underachievers who are oblivious to their failures you will have the life sucked out of you.

Here is how it will work. The HDG Main Street, HDG City Council and Mayor Wayne Dougherty will be excited about your potential contributions and involvement. They will get you on a committee or two. You will work your butt off only to discover that your ideas aren't quite good-enough, there's no budget or we can't do that because it might offend some friend of (fill in the blank).

And to those HDG Main Street, HDG City Council and Mayor Wayne Dougherty enablers until the aforementioned "leaders" admit to their failings or are replaced by competent individuals you can rest assured that the status quo will be entrenched.

@Katie - On the outside chance of a little victory from your contributions you can count on someone robbing you of the credit and in the event you have an idea put into action not work out you will be awarded all the blame.

Hans...perfectly said!

I am sorry to read these negative comments. I cannot speak for anyone but myself but I have not given up. I continue to put my energy into the volunteer work and into the town. It's never too late and change for good is always possible. I give my time because I want to serve the community. Most people don't even know me and that's OK. I am not a politician or anything like that, I'm just a regular person who still believes in the vision of a brighter future, a community where history, business, and the arts come together. If we could set aside what used to be or old disappoints and simply come together with positive ideas and energy, I do believe everyone would benefit. That's all Main Street is, an non-profit organization that is rallying the citizens toward putting some of their personal time into revitalizing downtown, supporting its businesses, and creating destination events that would bring more people to visit and perhaps to stay, live, work & play.

@Irmgarde Brown

It is commendable that you invest your time in volunteering and I thank you.

However you need a return on your time investment which you are not getting from HDG Main Street, HDG City Council and Mayor Wayne Dougherty. I suggest you take your valuable time and invest it in an organization that will value your time and produce positive measurable results.

@Irmgarde Brown

You say "We just need more helpers to commit their time and that's where the results come in." I say respectfully you're wrong; HDG needs more consumers for businesses to be successful and an economically attractive pro-business environment for more entrepreneurs to invest in HDG.

Main Street, the mayor and city council are all well-intentioned failures.