Old eyes have fresh view of downtown St. Johns

Perceptions.

How different the view of Clinton Avenue is for a newcomer, as opposed to someone who has been around for awhile - and, is perhaps more focused on what "used to be" downtown.

An interview with Dave Collins this past week brought those varying perceptions into clear focus. As a 'newbee,' Dave and his family continue to be impressed with the bustle of activity in their chosen hometown.

They enjoy walking along the downtown sidewalks, gazing appreciatively at the architecture that dates in many cases to the 1880s. The 'feel' of a vibrant downtown - with a sense of its past - is exactly what the couple was looking for when they checked out cities in the mid-Michigan area prior to moving from Sterling Heights two years ago.

Talking to Dave about his pilot project on downtown business districts for WKAR-TV 23 made me stop and take a fresh look at a place - where too often I look to the past, rather than the present and the future.

My old eyes don't see the old J.C. Penny store, the D&C, or Matthew's Ice Cream Parlor.

How I'd love to walk into the Dime Store - smell the aroma of chocolate-covered peanuts and other candies behind the glass-fronted counters, just begging for someone to buy them.

Wayne Banner would be there, smiling and asking if you needed help finding something, and Wilma Jastram would question you about your parents - "How are Clem and Marcella?" - as she rung up the sale of the Matchbox car you ended up buying for Brent or Aaron.

That's what I don’t see.

Up in the first block, April and Ron Gill would be putting the finishing touches on a new miniature house in the backroom of Wildwood Plants & Pets - never too busy, though, to stop and visit for a minute while you picked out a new fish (another purchase for Aaron and Brent) or checked out a particularly interesting plant.

Going back a few years, DePeal's Music was a must-stop to check for the latest 45-rpm release by the Beatles - "She Loves You" brought home to be played over and over and over again.

Or even further back in time - Matthew's Ice Cream Parlor, Hunt's Pharmacy, A&P Grocery, and so many, many more.

All gone now - but never forgotten.

The hope is, of course, that because of the eyes of Dave Collins and other like-minded newcomers, we can all see "their" downtown. One that is growing, changing - becoming fresh and new, while it maintains its dignity and sense of history.