Letters to the Editor: It?s people, not roads, that make downtown unique

To the Editor:

This was inspired by the March 29 letter concerning the Hot Dog Man, although I know neither the writer of the letter or the Hot Dog Man.

McMinnville?s showcase is the beautiful new roads, lights, and benches scattered downtown. However, it?s time to add some life to those material objects if McMinnville is a place to be remembered by passers-by.

Not that we all shouldn?t be proud of the project, for it is beautiful. But at the same time, many have dealt with the pain of getting there. For months downtown has been torn up to the point that most went there only when necessary. A few tough businesses survived. A few worked on new businesses during construction. Our high-dollar project is constructed and as citizens of McMinnville, we should all be proud of it.

I?ll bet he wasn?t on the project committee, or hired for his expertise in renovation, but the Hot Dog Man has a special gift. He was able to think ?out of the box.? He had a uniqueness that everyone noticed and remembered. I have even heard that hot dog cart was used to give directions to locations downtown. As Mr. Kring mentioned, the company that enjoyed downtown for the antique shops and the uniqueness of the hot dog cart, we have lost one of them. We came very close to losing another.

My admiration goes out to Faye and Johnny Bennett, who have owned and operated Antiques on Main for nearly a decade. Not McMinnville residents, they drove from Antioch to keep this business going. Renting booth spaces to many antique dealers in McMinnville, the store became a place to see friends, escape for awhile, and watch the friends become like family.

Faye and Johnny suffered through the long months of a torn up downtown and the hardships it caused. Shortly after the road crews moved out the door, they received notice that their rent would TRIPLE beginning the first of April. Fortunately, in the past week, they were able to obtain a much smaller building that will allow the business to stay on a small scale.

To end this on a good note, credit should be given to one man on Main Street who did think ?outside the box.? Congratulations to Brad Kaplan of Capalano?s and all who have helped him pull our new coffee shop to its feet. Brad told me the first time I met him that he wanted to create a place for the entire community to enjoy, and I think he has done just that.

In conclusion, no amount of money, planning commission, hotshot renovator, or any other single factor will keep the traffic and people flowing to downtown McMinnville. Only the atmosphere and the people as a whole will do that. As far as the Hot Dog Man, I hope to meet you downtown soon!

Charlotte Oliver
Clark Boulevard
McMinnville