To the editor:

Commendations to folks endeavoring to launch a Langley “Main Street Program,” which would be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization centered around a holistic approach to strengthen and invigorate Langley’s business, residential and visitor-serving community. On Wednesday night, Jan. 26, about 35 people attended an organizational meeting.

Before attending the meeting, I read every word of the national MSP website at http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/about-main-street, and concluded that unlike perhaps the 2,000 communities currently utilizing the revitalization program, Langley has long been practicing good “Main Street vitality habits” on its own. Our community has enjoyed pride, consensus-building, cooperation, design guidelines, comprehensive planning and robust engagement by an interested public. For Langley, therefore, a Main Street Program would not be like trying to make a homely girl pretty; rather it would be like taking a pretty girl and making her sensational.

Foundational to our seaside village endeavors are picture-postcard, beautiful natural resources, abundant village character, appealing pedestrian scale, fun and friendly residents, hardworking and capable merchants, some degree of economic stability, modest annual growth, a marina, and newsworthy attention for ongoing events and activities centered around the performing and visual arts, music, culture, education, communications and the environment.

The group assembled at the Main Street Program meeting heard me say that the Langley I experience enjoys long-term, successful lynch-pin businesses such as the Star Store, Café Langley, Prima Bistro, Village Pizzeria, Moonraker Books, In the Country, Good Cheer, Flat Rock Productions, The Inn at Langley and Joe’s Island Music, to name just a few. Furthermore, in the past two years, 14 new businesses have opened in Langley, and more than half of them are driven by ambitious “young people” — people who are younger than 49 years old. Walk around downtown and you will observe the expansion of existing businesses. Think of the Commons, Useless Bay Coffee Company, Good Cheer, Joe’s Island Music and WICA. Especially good news is hearing that the city’s tax receipts — an economic indicator to be sure — have stopped their recession-driven downward arc, and have started to climb upward again.

Upon this strong platform of village pride and achievement, a Main Street Program might be embraced for leveraging our strengths and making them even more sustainable. I wish the program very well.

Sharen Heath

Langley