We get phone calls frequently from people thinking about moving to our valley and they want reasons for deciding to live and work here. Community spirit and pride, friendliness and good neighbors, those are terms we use in describing our community. What’s really great is that we have so many examples to back up our claims of community spirit.  The most recent example is the outpouring of support for our humane shelter, from the many people who logged onto the website that got our shelter into the top 20 in the country to the many folks who came out and stood along the road, cheering the arrival of the Zootoo team.     

 

Last week the Chamber staff and the MACC Ambassadors joined hundreds of cheering children and adults, barking dogs, elected officials and the Humane Society staff and board as the Zootoo Shelter Makeover team was welcomed to the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley. Our Shelter is in the running for a million dollar makeover from Zootoo.  

 

 

 

Community support already got our shelter a $5,000 award from Zootoo as one of the top twenty shelters. Community support was again demonstrated by the welcome posters made by school children, by the large crowd that gathered and by a most generous donation of $5,000 from Cheryl and Jim Cobb of C & C Dodge Toyota.  

 

 

 

Community spirit is what brought out people from young children to senior citizens to help our town recover from the floods of 2004-05. That same spirit and pride pulls together the volunteers who plan the Riverfront Roar in July and the Sternwheel Festival in September. Last year a small group put together the Marietta Merchants Garden Party to kick off the summer season. On Friday, May 9, the second Garden Party will take place in downtown Marietta.  Plan to come out, join your neighbors, make new friends, welcome tourists to our fair city, and enjoy strolling in our downtown. You’ll have a good time and want to return on the second Friday in June, July and August for the Merchants and Artists Walks.

 

 

 

In 2006, a group of local citizens began exploring ways to revitalize our downtown historic Marietta and Harmar Village.  After much work and research, the group became ReStore Marietta.  Much of what the group has been doing is behind the scenes – creating a non-profit corporation, investigating other programs to learn what ideas can best develop our downtown in to a more vibrant place to live and to do business. Using the principles well-proven through the Main Street program, ReStore Marietta is working toward a united revitalization program, encompassing downtown historic Marietta, Harmar Village, major employers, retailers, city council, the CVB, merchants groups, and the Chamber.

 

 

 

This summer ReStore Marietta is creating a new event for Marietta – the Catfish Derby Days.  ReStore Marietta is working with the League of Ohio Sportsmen, celebrating their centennial this year, to enhance the fishing tournament with community activities for young and old.  Some of the activities include a Catfish Fry in Muskingum Park, a lighted boat parade, plus outdoor exhibits of sporting and recreational interests. Best of all, Marietta will be able to boost of the catfish artwork.  New York had its bulls; Cincinnati had flying pigs.  In honor of our river heritage, Marietta will have the downtown decorated with catfish.  

 

 

 

Community support is critical to the future of our town.  It will take all of us working together to create a strong downtown, which, in turn, makes this a more attractive area to live and work.  I know that the people of this river valley can pull together – it happened last week at our Humane Shelter.  If you want to get involved in ReStore Marietta, as a volunteer or as a catfish sponsor, just let me know – I’ve got the connections and the information.