October 6, 2023 3:40 a.m.

Covering coastal Douglas County:

The Reedsport Main Street Program was presented with the Special Project Award at the Excellence on Main award presentation held during the 2023 Main Street conference on Wednesday in Independence.

According to Oregon Main Street, the Excellence on Main awards were created in 2010 and honor outstanding accomplishments, activities and people making a difference in historic downtowns and traditional commercial neighborhoods across the state. A total of 9 projects, activities, and people were recognized.

Reedsport’s Main Street special project was an open house, held in May which sought to engage with the community and communicate plans for the coming year. It was held as a progressive dinner which included four meal courses. Each was served at a different business location, along with presentations featuring Main Street’s history, accomplishments and upcoming projects. This allowed participants to connect with business owners and learn about the program, while increasing foot traffic into downtown.

Main Street Director Rosa Solano said, “We found ourselves trying to find ways to reconnect with our community and rebuild our volunteer programs”. Solano said, “We knew we needed to be innovative in our approach and what better way than to bring it to the heart of our organization – our community businesses”.

The award video from Oregon Main Street is linked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1utJVcpOn80