— In flipping through the pages featuring Enid Main Street in the January-February issue of “Oklahoma Today” magazine, it’s hard not to stop at Maxine Sanford Austin’s photograph.
There she is on page 70, looking out at the camera. The 99-year-old longtime resident and volunteer represents the heart and soul of Enid, and she has seen a lot of change in her years here.
She is able to tell the story of Enid and also to understand its promising future.
“For a town our size, we have more to offer than any other town I know of,” she is quoted in the article. “We have a college, a university, a wonderful technical school, a good public school system, the oldest symphony in the state, the oldest writers club in the state, a poetry society, Leonardo’s, and are finishing the Cherokee Strip Heritage Center. Have I made my point?”
Yes, Maxine, you made your point very well.
Oklahoma Today’s issue this time focuses on the Main Street communities in the state of Oklahoma. It’s no secret Enid’s Main Street ranks right up at the top of these statewide organizations. Why? Because in the last decade, there has been a committed group of volunteers working diligently to improve the image and offerings of Enid’s central retail center – downtown.
While some people choose to focus on the problems of Enid, these people see the opportunities.
From the youngest professionals and families of our community to a senior stateswoman like Maxine Austin, they see so much potential, and many are putting their own hearts and souls into reaching that potential.
It’s human nature to focus on the day-to-day challenges and problems we face; however, it’s a good thing to occasionally stop, reflect and put everything we know and feel about our community into perspective.
Improvements can’t be made without vision, commitment and, yes, some sacrifice. We as a community have to stop complaining and whining and have to start doing!
As “Oklahoma Today” points out in its pages, there are towns all over Oklahoma just like Enid that want to take advantage of their opportunities. Organizations like Main Street understand downtowns are the soul of a community, and their volunteers are working to make their towns special, just like Enid.
If you pick up the magazine and look at Maxine Austin’s photograph, you will see the kind commitment and vision these dedicated volunteers have. You will see the soul of the community.