Excitement on Main Street

by Michele Boy | March 5, 2020

I love watching people shine at what they do well. A teacher who challenges every student in their class, a coach that motivates their team, a business that sees the potential and pushes for more.

I have noticed lately a movement in our town.  There are so many neat things happening, I wouldn’t dare to mention them all for fear of leaving someone out. But look around, our little town has a lot of bests.

Our library shines with the award of Best Small Town Library in Kansas and the First National Bank received the 2019 Extraordinary Bank of the Year award. The Black Bison Pub was voted one of the top ten in Kansas but look closely, they were the only pub to win in Southwest Kansas.

We have a car wash, historic movie theatre, golf course, bowling alley and a pizzeria that is thriving with new events and a chef creating new specials.

It’s great when a business does well. But when it comes at the expense of another,   it’s hard to celebrate.

So to see so many businesses succeed at once gives me great hope for our town.

Our beautifully renovated hotel has a no vacancy sign night after night. I can’t help but get excited.

American Implement has purchased land east of town and has broken ground on a new full service dealership including sales, parts, precision ag and hiring more employees. Two of those are returning home - Ethan Rash this May and Payson Hawkins next May as Ag technicians.

The energy  is contagious and trying to capture all of it leaves me tired but happy! It pushes me to want to give more, do more, and try more.

And it isn’t a guarantee that everything will grow. Times change. Our community has changed. So some of the things that once were great may need revamped or replaced to keep them relevant.

While someone looks mournfully at an empty storefront,  I get excited to see what’s coming next.

I have received numerous compliments on moving the newspaper to North Main Street. It is more user friendly  and adds something to downtown.  When the once beautiful new awning added character, it eventually became old, worn, and  unsafe. It needed removed.

And what a find, to newbies like me, to uncover the architecture and let it shine on it’s own.

Maybe your business or home needs refreshing or updating, maybe there have been concerns about why bother, but where you see a possible loss, I see growth and potential.

We are on a roll Syracuse, let’s keep it going!