REEDSPORT — The community has a new Main Street Coordinator who brings a wealth of parks experience to the role.
Erik Hesseling has several key jobs he’ll be looking at in the coming weeks and months.
One consists of getting a kayak launching dock underway by the Les Schwab parking lot next to Scholfield Bridge. The work includes: grants; designing; building the dock and related efforts. This is part of the Levee Loop Trail.
Hesseling also wants to strengthen the Main Street Committee in several ways.
“Increase community involvement,” he said, adding that he’ll be doing more of the administrative work and coordinating more with outside agencies. Projects include the kayak dock. He’ll collaborate with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of State Lands, among other entities.
Main Street focuses on Old Town Reedsport in numerous ways: new awnings for businesses; landscaping; beautifying around shops and other work to get some oomph to the downtown area. Main Street takes in a core area.
In the case of Reedsport, the focus is not strictly on Old Town, depending on the project.
The awning project is open to businesses throughout the city. On the other hand, the design committee is working to move the steam donkey to another part of Old Town, Hesseling said.
He emphasized the necessity for residents to help because Main Street is “only successful if the community buys in.”
“People are free to come to every committee meeting,” Hesseling said. “They’re not closed at all. In fact, the more people the better.”
The promotion committee meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Waterfront Restaurant at 5 p.m. Then the economic development committee typically meets the second Wednesday each month at 5 p.m. at city hall. Design committee members meet on different times each month.
He started Sept. 26.
He grew up in Wisconsin and spent much of his life there. Then he graduated from Boise State University in 2008 with a bachelor of arts degree in history and a minor in political science. Hesseling lived in Boise eight years. From there, he moved to Eugene in 2009 and spent five years there. Hesseling is working on his master’s in public administration through Upper Iowa University, located in Fayette, via online courses.
From 2005 to 2013, Hesseling worked as a firefighter in Idaho and then in Oregon. He fought fires in 2008 for the Bureau of Land Management and also helped from 2009 to 2013 in the North Umpqua Ranger District.
“I’ve always had an interest in community development,” he emphasized. He’d worked as a firefighter and this paid his way through college but then the Great Recession hit. Hesseling wasn’t sure then what he wanted to do and landed on public administration as a career. “It’s a pretty versatile degree.” Just as one example, someone graduating with a degree in public administration can go on to work in a non-profit group.
“I loved being outside,” he said. “It was great. The camaraderie and the teamwork. And then that carried on to 2014, 2015 and 2016 to when I was a law enforcement ranger.” Hesseling worked for the National Park Service with others. The law enforcement personnel cover anything from search and rescue to serving on fire brigades to ambulance service.
“So pretty much everything,” he said. “So it could be most anything from domestic violence to poaching.”
He later heard of the Reedsport Main Street opening and working up in western Douglas County appealed to him.
“I read about it at some point and it was just in the back of my mind,” he said, referring to July 2016.
The University of Oregon works with AmeriCorp through what’s known as the university’s RARE program to help with Main Street.
Although he’s still new to Reedsport, Hesseling’s impressed with what he’s seen thus far.
“I really like it. There seems like there’s so much you can do here,” he said, listing hiking, kayaking and walking through the dunes. Hesseling’s not a stranger to long trips. “I did a 100-mile canoe trip through the Everglades (last winter).”
“Reedsport — I see nothing but potential,” said the new Main Street coordinator. “They need just one little catalyst to be revitalized.”
A few bigger sparks of hope exist with the Fred Wahl Marine Inc. and Defeat River Brewery, he added.
“I think it’s important to make a distinction here that it’s a combination of the two,” Hesseling said in terms of larger companies and smaller ones moving to Reedsport. “Small changes build up into meaningful results.”
If you’d like to join one of the Main Street committees or have questions or comments, contact Hesseling at mainstreet@cityofreedsport.org. He also has a newsletter. To get on that publication, one can email Hesseling or visit the Main Street Facebook page, which is: www.facebook.com/reedsportmainstreet.
Originally Published in The Umpqua Post
2741 Frontage Road
Reedsport, Oregon 97467
Phone: 541-271-7474