High energy in Marengo

Friday I had a little shopping to do in Marengo and I dropped by Marengo Main Street, Inc. to say hello to Lucia Matlock. Lucia is the executive director over there.


You can just feel the energy on State Street (Route 23). The businesses are bright and clean and feel inviting to customers. Lucia's office is located in the same office as the Marengo Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development office.


She spoke positively about the good working relationship with the Chamber and the complementary programs they offer. And you should see the attractive quarterly publication of the Main Street Minute!


Remember the effort in Woodstock to build the Woodstock Downtown Business Association and the Illinois Main Street Program?


Just exactly what is the matter here in Woodstock? Why doesn't Woodstock have the charm that other small towns have? We have the Square, the Opera House, the Historic District. And the energy is flat! Or does that really mean "no energy"?


There was intense jealousy between the Woodstock Chamber and the Woodstock Downtown Business Association. There were those at the Chamber who ran down WDBA. Where there should have been cooperation and teamwork, there was a tug-of-war and bad-mouthing.


Woodstock started on the path toward becoming an Illinois Main Street Community and then lost steam and couldn't complete the requirements. It lost a good opportunity, when it didn't hire Lucia as the Executive Director of the Chamber two-three years ago. Woodstock's loss; Marengo's gain.


Sometimes it takes an outsider to see what's wrong. I remember talking with the late Rich Neuffer (owner of Cobblestone's) back in the late 1990s, when he was president of the Chamber. The Chamber was in-between Executive Directors at the time, and we had coffee one morning to chat about the Executive Director's position. It didn't take me long to realize that working as Exec. Dir. of a small town chamber was definitely something I did not want to pursue. I had worked for large chambers with over 1,000 members, and I wasn't interested in playing the game in small-town politics.


But this town needs a leader with vision to step forward and carry the Chamber and the City of Woodstock through the next ten years. That leader can't be a schmoozer; he or she must have substance and true leadership qualities. Woodstock could transform itself into a vibrant business community in 5-10 years; however, at the current pace it might just slide in the opposite direction.