Downtown Anniston first felt the presence of the Spirit in 1993 when visionary community leaders raised several hundred thousand dollars to launch the organization and hired Scott Barksdale as its first director.  Under his able leadership the rebirth of downtown began; it wasn’t easy but Scott always believed it was worth the effort to save the heart of the city.

 Scott sought out and supported the small businesses that stayed downtown and bucked the trend to move further out. Some of them are still thriving today and their owners will quickly tell you that Scott was an integral part of their success. He did everything from introducing them to local bankers to locating the perfect door for the front of their shop.

 As an ardent student of Anniston history, Scott could tell you who occupied almost any building and when.  He was instrumental in the “Streetscape,” tenaciously campaigning for the project that reshaped traffic patterns on Noble Street and accelerated the revitalization and new look of the City center.

 Two years ago Scott suffered a serious stroke and is still working to recover.  The Spirit organization did not languish in his absence however, mainly due to the capable help of John Norton, a local attorney and former two-term city councilman. 
 As an interim director, John kept things going, locating notable developers and matching them to vacant properties that will soon be viable again. The Spirit program will long be in debt to the dedication, expertise and tenacity of these two gentlemen.

 Earlier this year the Spirit Board began a national search for a new permanent director.  With applicants from as far away as California, it was apparent from the start that there was interest in this community and we would have a tough job selecting just the right person…one who had a background in the field of revitalization but who would fit in a mid-size southern city with an interesting past.

 Enter Betsy Bean. It soon became obvious to the search committee through telephone interviews and then personal interviews that standing head and shoulders above the rest was a lady of small stature but big ideas and proven success. You may have already met Betsy but if you haven’t please take the time to do so; she welcomes your input and ideas.

 From the outset, Betsy began educating the Board about the value of the National Main Street program and its four guiding principles. It is a model for success that has worked in over 2,000 communities across the nation. (See the front page)

What You Can Do to Help?

 The Spirit of Anniston Main Street Program is not a club and in spite of what one phone caller thought, it is not a restaurant! In following the tenets of the Main Street model, we will be “enlarging the tent” so to speak. In other words, to be successful, we have to involve more and more people in the work of the Spirit and keep fresh ideas flowing steadily into the organization. Soon we will be organizing volunteer committees to tackle all sorts of re-development issues such as landscaping and other appearance issues, event development and assistance, downtown master planning, a minority business association, creation of a retail incubator, and much more. Skeptics abound and while some will always see the glass as half empty, no one else can save downtown but us, you and me, and our friends and neighbors. I invite and value your help, and if you’ve never done anything like this before, don’t worry, we are all learning together. But we have the advantage of having a director who has been there, done that, and isn’t afraid of the challenges.

 And, she’s putting together a great staff. Melanie Hill has just joined the team as our new events and marketing coordinator. In fact, she’s already convened a committee to plan Christmas events. 
 Finally, nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without hard work; the Spirit staff and Board have rolled up their sleeves. As you think about your ideas for this City and how we can make them happen, also think about where your work can fit in. If we all pull together, great things can happen in Our Town!