From Jim Stalker
Creston
Nothing stifles a business section more than “no business” within that section of a town. I’ve already mentioned the vacancy factor. That’s as obvious as the nose on your face. That’s easy! What I’m about to mention may not be as obvious, so we’ll just call it “Jim’s idea.” That way you’ll have somebody to blame if it doesn’t work out. First of all, with any idea, you have to conjure it up, dream about it and visualize in your own mind what it might look like as a finished project. As always, you have to rationalize the big question ... Why? What do you expect to gain from such a (as some might call it) wacky idea? Answer! To draw new customers into the old downtown.
And just how do we accomplish that small feat? By expanding to meet the crowd.
Phase one! Extend the downtown to Highway 25 via Adams Street. Later, if all works out, extend to Highway 34 on the south. You see, the whole problem is that we’ve isolated ourselves from the rest of the world. The locals know where we are, but have forgotten for one reason or another. The outsiders don’t have a clue that we exist, far from the madding crowd.” When I say outsiders, I’m referring to the thousands of people who come to shop, eat and be entertained “every day” in the stores on the outskirts of Creston.
So here goes! Close your eyes and imagine Adams Street from the News Advertiser west to Highway 25.
Housing will be much the same except that within each house, will be space on the main floor for soft businesses like real estate offices, insurance agencies, beauty shops, etc. There are already a smattering of businesses located on West Adams. On the north side of the street, the parking from the sidewalk to the street is wider and could easily be narrowed for angle parking to allow for more parking. Soon, this street would become a sort of gateway to the rest of the old historical downtown for more people to find and discover.
Sound like a good idea? I think it is! But here’s where everything could fall apart. An idea is just a lot of gas, until somebody or a lot of somebodies take it up and work with it. Support from this newspaper could help to get it started and keep it going. Expansion is what rebuilds a struggling downtown and creates new interest.