By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

NORWAY – The town’s downtown revitalization group is seeking more members, including some to serve as officers.

At a meeting Thursday, newly elected President Roy Gedat told the group’s board of directors that some top positions are sitting empty.

“As the chairman, or president, I certainly hope there will be a vice president, because I plan on doing this for one year,” he said.

Program Manager Anne Campbell said there are nine members of the board of directors, and the group hopes to fill an additional six seats. “We have some prospects. We just have to train them, get their names out and then get them going,” she said.

It should be pointed out, board member Ken Morse added, that people also are needed for Norway Downtown Revitalization’s various committees.

Campbell said the design, economic restructuring and organization committees are currently without chairmen.

The board voted to assist Western Maine Development, an affiliate of the Growth Council of Oxford Hills, with efforts to improve signs on historic buildings and at entrances to Norway.

Brett Doney spoke on behalf of the development corporation. After accepting congratulations for working with the town to bring in $750,000 in grants for redevelopment of the C.B. Cummings & Sons mill property, he said a portion of one grant is for signs to direct people downtown.

“We’re really hoping it would spark – tie into what your organization is doing,” Doney said.

In a preliminary budget drawn up with the grant applications, $14,000 is expected to be used for new trees along Main Street, and $20,000 would be for new signs and related improvements, such as landscaping around the signs.

Doney said most of the $750,000 will be used for infrastructure improvements at the mill, including utilities and storm-water drainage. The town also will build a new parking lot on Water Street, he said.

“I’ll be up front,” Doney added. “It looks like a lot of money, but the money’s going to be quite thin when we actually start spending it.”