WHEELhouse team attends revitalization conference

In early October, a team from WHEELhouse (Wahkiakum Heritage: Engagement, Education and Legacy) Cathlamet attended the PLACES 2025 Conference in Gig Harbor. The conference was hosted by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. WHEELhouse representatives who were in attendance at the conference included Paige Lake, Suzanne Holmes, and David Whitney. The team's primary focus was to learn how Cathlamet can advance and benefit by moving from an affiliate of Washington Main Street to a community district.

Washington Main Street helps communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown districts using the successful "Main Street Approach," a comprehensive revitalization strategy built around a community's unique heritage and attributes. The program is part of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, which is managed, under contract, by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.

The three-day conference gave the WHEELhouse team the chance to learn, connect, and reflect on ways to strengthen our local Main Street effort. "We need to measure what we work on and continually involve the community in projects by asking them what they want to accomplish," said Lake.

Referring to the Main Street board members, Holmes said, "You don't tell the community what they need. The community tells you what they need." Adding, Whitney said, "Your board is to train leaders for the community, so you really want a turnover on your board as you develop those leaders."

Each takeaway reflected a core part of what makes Main Street programs successful: strong community engagement and leadership development. From the team's perspective, the conference reinforced the importance of clear communication, organization, and respect for the people who give their time. It also highlighted the dual responsibility of every Main Street organization: comprehensive district revitalization and effective leadership development. The entire report is available at cathlametwheelhouse.wordpress.com.

The conference was an incredible interactive learning experience that will benefit multiple aspects of WHEELhouse's work and community involvement. The group is excited to share what it has learned and hopes more people have the opportunity to take part in such a well-structured and engaging event.

While the Washington Main Street Program focuses on revitalizing a small downtown area, WHEELhouse Cathlamet intends to apply these ideas to all interested areas of the county.

WHEELhouse Cathlamet is a recently formed nonprofit that has applied for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. The group's bylaws state, "The WHEELhouse is a group of like-minded citizens and organizations of Wahkiakum County. WHEELhouse is both a name and a metaphor. Like the wheelhouse of a ship, it helps steer our community in a shared direction. Each partner organization has its own strengths, its own 'wheelhouse,' and we support each other's work. Together we form the spokes of a wheel, meeting at the center to share ideas, set goals, and move forward as one."

Those who would like to get involved are invited to contact a WHEELhouse member or email cathlametwheelhouse@gmail.com.