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Downtown
St. Johns is in the spotlight By Rhonda Westfall Viewers who tune into WKAR-TV 23 during the evening of April 16 are in for a pleasant 'local' surprise.
"Downtown
Michigan: St. Johns," a video produced by St. Johns resident
Dave Collins, will be shown twice at 8:50 and 11:50 p.m., immediately
following the 8:30 and 11:30 broadcasts of "A May to Remember,"
which details the 1927 Bath
School bombing. Although the
size and scope of the downtown
project narrowed considerably from what Collins had initially
proposed back in April 2001, the video still provides a wonderful
'snapshot' of the city's downtown business district from its earliest
beginnings to the present time. "This has turned out to be a real community project," Collins said. "I received so much help from so many individuals who have a genuine interest in downtowns in general and St. Johns in particular that the video really became a partnership. "It’s
a community project geared toward educating residents about the
history, challenges and changes of not just downtown St. Johns,
but any small town in America." Collins spoke with dozens of individuals and collected over 300 images during his research for the video which is divided into three basic parts: a brief history of the development of the town, a condensed story of one family-owned business, and insight into a few of the challenges that merchants have faced on main street.
Edward
MacKinnon with Fraser at E. MacKinnon and Sons in the 1950s
"Getting to know these people and others like them helped bring the project into focus for me," Collins said. "Talking with them during several interviews that preceded the actual taping helped me to understand the kind of stories and issues they felt were important." The historical
images of Parr's Pharmacy and its owners, and recollections of Ray,
encapsulate those stories. "Like Catherine said in the video, Ray has integrity within the community as a business owner and leader," Collins said. "It was a natural fit for him to serve as a 'spokesperson' for the family business portion of the video." Other individuals made substantial contributions to the project, although their 'faces' don’t' appear on camera. Photographs, slides and written materials were provided by Kurt Becker, Linda and Chuck Biewer, Bill Butler, Ken Coin, Marie Geller of Briggs Public Library, Jan and Carol Hale, Mark Harvey, the State Archives of Michigan, Karl Heckman, Anne and Stanley Ordiway, MacKinnon, Jean Martin of The Independent, Parr, Walter and Barbara Pierce, Rumbaugh, Merritt Scharnweber, Myrna Van Epps of the Clinton County Archives, and Rhonda Westfall.
Because the
scope and actual length of the video project in its final form is
much shorter than what Collins had initially conceived, a huge amount
of data - including numerous historical photographs and background
information on leaders who helped shape St. Johns in its early years
- is not included in the televised segment. Collins plans to use
those photos and other information in a printed booklet which he
hopes to compile and distribute. "The booklet
will offer some perspective on a general view of our nation's downtown
areas, provide a more detailed look at the development of downtown
St. Johns, and include some select images from the past," Collins
said, adding that he welcomes additional contributions of photographs
and written essays from area residents. To provide information, or talk about the downtown project, email Collins at: davec@wkar.msu.edu or call him at WKAR, (517) 432-3120, ext. 249. |
The
trio of individuals who provide much of the commentary for each
segment in the video certainly know their roles well. Catherine
Rumbaugh, director of the Clinton County Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum
in St. Johns where the video interview session was held, has all
the facts and figures about the town's history; Ray Parr is part
of four-generation family that owned and operated a pharmacy on
Clinton Avenue for nearly 90 years; and Fraser MacKinnon is a respected
former business owner who understands and aptly articulates the
changing face of downtown St. Johns.