By Rebecca Goldfine,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Norway Downtown Revitalization, an organization focused on rejuvenating Main Street, has been put on hiatus for six months, its parent program, Maine Downtown Center, announced recently.

Lori Allen of the Maine Downtown Center said Tuesday that the group cannot legally be considered a Main Street community if it lacks a manager or fails to meet other criteria set by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Main Street model is a trademarked methodology owned by the Historic Trust, Allen said. It is designed to bring back life to traditional downtowns wilting with the advent of shopping malls, big box stores and local industry shutdowns.

Norway Downtown Revitalization laid off its manager last August due to financial difficulties. In order to regain its status as a Main Street community, the group must raise about $20,000 or $30,000 to afford a new staff member, board President Roy Gedat said Tuesday.

Despite the hiatus, both Gedat and Allen maintained a hopeful outlook that the group will get back on its feet and gain the community support it needs to survive and strengthen.

Allen stressed that despite having to place the downtown group on pause, the Maine Downtown Center is far from abandoning it. Rather, she said she will work closely with the board of directors and volunteers to get the team back on track.

“It just came down to them not having a manager, and legally we’re obligated with our agreement to the Historic Trust,” Allen said. “This is not necessarily a bad thing,” she said, “it’s taking a break and getting them recommitted to the program.”

She mentioned that Waterville’s Main Street program also was temporarily suspended several years ago, and now is one of the stronger programs in the state.

Allen said a key part to the group’s future is rallying support in the community. “It’s getting people to really believe in the community again.” For its survival, the downtown revitalization program requires a strong corps of volunteers and financial backing, she said.

Allen said she did not think the hiatus would affect some forthcoming U.S. Department of Agriculture downtown grants but she would check.

Part of the $30,000 grant is slated to pay for a wireless network that would blanket the downtown with free Internet service. The other money will be used for marketing and other creative economy endeavors, Gedat said.

Gedat said this money cannot be used to pay for a new manager. In the past, townspeople have voted to give $10,000 to the group. The rest of the money will likely come from corporate and individual donors, Gedat said.