COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — Jared Sidman says it didn’t take long for him to fall for the charms of Cottage Grove.
“So we’re full of beautiful murals; we’ve got covered bridges around town that we’re known for,” said Sidman.
The native of Philadelphia is the new full-time coordinator for Cottage Grove’s Main Street program.
Only a few months ago, Sidman was wrapping up a two year assignment in Micronesia, for the Peace Corps.
“So I was actually on a one square mile island with just a few hundred people, doing some teaching in the schools,” said Sidman.
And doing projects to boost tourism. Now, Sidman wants to see what he can do in Cottage Grove.
“So I’m trying to translate that to here,” said Sidman. “We don’t want to overflow our streets but we want people to come and enjoy this place.”
Sidman acts as a Liason Officer between city hall and downtown business owners.
Business owners, such as Candace Solesbee, is getting ready for a downtown infrastructure face-lift called, the Main St. Revitalization project.
“It’s a pretty big deal down here,,” said Solesbee. “It’s going to help us even out our roads because we’ve got a real “barrel” in our roads–so it will be great for the citizens here.”
Yet-to-be-finalized projects may include new sidewalks, more downtown lighting and other elements if funds from a $10 million state grant are approved. Sidman also dreams of funds to erect some billboards and attract more people downtown. in short, he’s bullish on the town’s future.
Originally published on NBC 16