Top Stories of 2017: St. John Main Street in top 10

St. John made the top 10 of the America’s Main Streets Contest.

“We are ecstatic,” said Amanda Webb, one of the organizers behind getting St. John into the contest. “So excited!”

Webb, along with fellow organizers Jessiann Loomis and Valerie Brewer, found out about making the top 10 May 30.

“I called Jessiann, and I said, ‘This is the time I start harassing you about your email,’” said Webb.

The contest concluded Sunday, May 28, for the voting in the top 25, and those who made the top 10 would be notified this week. When Webb called Loomis, there was no email yet.

“And then I hear her sister Val in the background, I hear her screaming,” said Webb. “She was screaming, ‘They changed the website! They changed the website!’”

The website had a congratulatory message to the top 10 finalists, and St. John’s profile was among the 10 remaining.

“They were screaming in their office,” said Webb. “I was screaming here.”

“There was a lot of squealing,” said Brewer.

Webb, Loomis and Brewer mounted a social media campaign to solicit votes. With a population of just more than 500, St. John was the smallest community in the top 25. Votes came from St. John and all across the county, and social media was helpful in reaching out to people outside of Washington.

“It’s just been an amazing response,” said Webb. “I’m so proud that we’re in the top 10. I’m so proud of our community and all the fans of St. John.”

Loomis said social media was essential to the this contest.

“Social media, that’s what has really blown it up,” she said.

The next week, St. John discovered it bid for the grand prize in the Independent We Stand America’s Main Street Contest fell short when the winner was announced as DeLand, Fla. If St. John had won, the town would have received $25,000 for its main street, among other prizes.

“It’s tough to hear; it’s super tough to hear,” said Webb.

St. John entered the contest one month after it had already started and competed against 241 other communities in the voting to make it to the top 25. With a population of just more than 545, St. John was one of the smallest communities in the contest, and a month behind the competition, it was uncertain if St. John would make it past the first round.

“That was a bummer that we didn’t make it, but I’m super impressed that we made it as far as we did,” she said. “We did really good. I was really amazed we made it as far as we did.”

Loomis said another good takeaway was the conversations that started as a result of the contest.

“Once we started doing this, people starting asking things like what does our main street need? What are some easy things we can do to spruce it up?” she said.

Webb expressed the same sentiment.

“I think we’re on a great path,” she said. “Ideas are flowing, people are talking. It’s all really positive.”

Webb also said this is not the end of the road for St. John.

“Maybe there’s more contests out there,” she said, adding, “We’ll try again next year, too.”

While St. John did not ultimately win, Loomis expressed gratitude for the support behind the contest.

“Thank you to everybody who did support us and who was consistently voting,” she said.

Webb also expressed her gratitude.

“I’m so proud of us and just so grateful for everyone who got behind us.”