Main Street revamped
Dash Wasserman
Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Features
When Executive Director of Waterville Main Street Shannon Haines sat down in the conference room of her downtown office a vitality and excitement permeated through the air. Posters often seen plastered on the walls of halls in the Hill decorated the room, advertising recent events in the Waterville community.
Born and raised in Waterville, Haines was excited to come back and reinvigorate the community after her time spent away attending college.
Haines spent two years in Rhode Island before she realized that she "didn't belong there." Her family was what first drew her back to Waterville, allowing an old spark to be rekindled as she rediscovered the home she left years before. "Waterville always had a lot of potential," Haines said, noting key cultural anchors such as the Railroad Square Cinema, the Waterville Opera House and others locations are Waterville's "huge assets." Haines felt the "need to find a way to tie them all together and market Waterville."
As a "hands-on, action-oriented sort of person," Haines has literally taken her work to the streets: Downtown Waterville has become one of the most successful and nationally recognized Main Streets in the country according to Haines.
Before getting involved with Main Street, Haines actually started working with the annual ten-day Maine International Film Festival, of which she would later become a Director. While working there part-time, she heard about a position in working to revamp Waterville's downtown.
Haines had wanted to be involved in the community and had always wanted to implement "cool" programs. "We live in a thriving cultural and social center," Haines said, "and Main Street wants to create a place where people can live, work and play." Recognizing Waterville as an educational and healthcare hub, Haines noted that the town is in the perfect situation to foster cultural and economic development. "There are some great people living here [who] create a friendly, down-to-earth community," Haines said. The city's accessibility and central location provides even more opportunities.
Born and raised in Waterville, Haines was excited to come back and reinvigorate the community after her time spent away attending college.
Haines spent two years in Rhode Island before she realized that she "didn't belong there." Her family was what first drew her back to Waterville, allowing an old spark to be rekindled as she rediscovered the home she left years before. "Waterville always had a lot of potential," Haines said, noting key cultural anchors such as the Railroad Square Cinema, the Waterville Opera House and others locations are Waterville's "huge assets." Haines felt the "need to find a way to tie them all together and market Waterville."
As a "hands-on, action-oriented sort of person," Haines has literally taken her work to the streets: Downtown Waterville has become one of the most successful and nationally recognized Main Streets in the country according to Haines.
Before getting involved with Main Street, Haines actually started working with the annual ten-day Maine International Film Festival, of which she would later become a Director. While working there part-time, she heard about a position in working to revamp Waterville's downtown.
Haines had wanted to be involved in the community and had always wanted to implement "cool" programs. "We live in a thriving cultural and social center," Haines said, "and Main Street wants to create a place where people can live, work and play." Recognizing Waterville as an educational and healthcare hub, Haines noted that the town is in the perfect situation to foster cultural and economic development. "There are some great people living here [who] create a friendly, down-to-earth community," Haines said. The city's accessibility and central location provides even more opportunities.
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