Hello my name is Crystal. I moved to downtown Marion in 2017 and since then I  have made it my effort
to get to know my community and the people in it. I feel lead to invest in my neighborhood by spreading
their business ideas to the public. I enjoy walking along our freshly painted main street district, strolling
from shop to shop for whatever my needs may be. The reason I joined as a HMRA member is because of
my local favorites! I will begin with the sweet staff at the Paw Spaw, they take such excellent care of our
family pet. Pepper is always well-groomed and charmed. Then there is Bridger’s Drug Store - a life long
friend of many! This small town drug store is more then just your prescription pick up, it has the cutest
selection for any birthday, party or house warming. Another personal favorite is the iced macchiato with
double espresso from downtown’s Groundout Coffee Bar. The drive through, pick up option makes it
easy to get that coffee fix on the run. I find it rewarding to discover hidden treasures at The Emporium
and the latest fashion at Liza Lyn Clothing Company. My favorite downtown lunch spot is Rasberry and
Thyme, it never disappoints. Their quiches and salads are always a wonderful healthy alternative. And
for a sweet tooth, I enjoy the Fudge Shoppe’s cherry amaretto ice cream. I am Main Street, Marion
Proud! I hope that the local businesses and events promoted by HMRA, such as the Chili Cook Off and
the Farmers Market held in the commons area, continue to add charm to the district and brings in more
participation from our neighbors. I look forward to remaining apart of this fine community and watch
Marion’s Main Street grow and revitalize.

I moved to Marion in Dec 2018 after years of looking at many small towns in the Coastal NC and SC areas.  It felt like it was the perfect place for retirement!  As a former Interior Designer,  salvaging old homes and buildings has been my passion.  I have enjoyed watching the remodeling and renovating happening in our downtown.  And am so pleased to hear that much of this is due to the grants applied for and received by HMRA.  As I am retiring soon, I hope to learn more about HMRA and maybe become a volunteer in the near future.  It benefits us all to support Marion and make it the best it can be!

1. Tell me how you first got involved with HMRA?​ I really liked the mission of restoring downtown using great ideas and bought in on what HMRA was doing.

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2.  What was your first HMRA event?​I would say it was probably one of the chili cook offs years ago.

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3. What do you find most rewarding and challenging about advocating for downtown Marion? ​I find it very rewarding to talk with people about the large amount of positive changes downtown Marion has seen over a few short years. It can be very challenging to break people's mentality  of " its been this way for years and its not going to change" to get them to buy into the accomplishments and positive vision of HMRA.

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4. What do you wish other people knew about HMRA? ​I wish the public realized how much effort was being put forth by volunteers to further the vision of HMRA with new compensation other than the gratification of revitalizing the City in which they call home.

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5. Why are you supporting HMRA? I believe in the idea of small town America being the backbone of this country and am encouraged by the mission of HMRA to make our "Small Town" vibrant again.

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6. What would you say are some of your strongest beliefs about advocating for downtown Marion? I believe that everyone has something to offer in a small town like ours, HMRA is a great outlet to give back to the community which surrounds you.

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7. The interest in HMRA and their mission to enhance and advance downtown Marion seems to be growing popularity. Why do you think that is? Citizens are now seeing the fruits of the HMRA's years of hard work. As more and more projects are taken on and completed more people will buy into the mission of HMRA.

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8. What would you tell someone who is thinking about donating, volunteering, etc.. to HMRA? ​I would tell them not to hesitate and to just do it. By donating or volunteering you are helping to further the mission of a great organization that is revitalizing the City in which you live.

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9. What do you think will change about downtown Marion and HMRA over the next five years? ​I think that as the local economy continues to strengthen and HMRA continues to revitalize downtown we will see more and more people willing to move to our small town to enjoy the community that we all love.

I first became involved with HMRA over 10 years ago when we purchased the law firm from Cyrus “Rus” T. Sloan, III at 111 Witcover Street behind Bridgers Drug Store.The first HMRA event I attended was a concert. The most rewarding thing about advocating for downtown is seeing the citizens show up at an event and truly enjoying themselves. The most challenging about advocating for downtown is when you are excited about all the good changes happening and someone says it's never going to be like it usd to. It can if you believe and if you put time and energy back into it. Stop Fearing Change …Want More…Do More! A way to advocate for downtown is constant social media, advertisements and word of mouth is the best for all events. If you're excited about your town then your friends/family and their friends/family will want more events or a certain type of business is downtown and they will come and word will get out that they need to watch, help and attend all that HMRA is doing. I wish more people new that HMRA is a local group that wants small valuable changes for great growth for the good of our community. We want this town to bring all citizens together and have fun and forever memories. We want citizens to have business downtown that they can depend on to make their lives better.  I am supporting HMRA because I picked Marion to establish our law firm for our forever home. We love this community and want it to be alive and prosperous for all citizens and businesses. We want to make it a beautiful and fun place to work and live for many, many years to come.  

Some of the strongest beliefs about advocating for downtown Marion is how this town use to be a hot spot and yes the ball was dropped but it doesn’t mean we can’t all pitch in and do our part and make it an even bigger and better place than anyone could have ever imagined.  HMRA’s mission to enhance and advance downtown Marion has grown popularity because people want their downtown back to spend time with their family and friends. They want to have those special memories as the years pass here in their town. I would tell someone that is thinking about donating, volunteering to HMRA that a lot of love, time and money will make this town an amazing place to have a lifetime of fantastic memories. Help Us Make Marion a Memorable Place to Live and Work.  HMRA will bring life, fun and great memories for all ages back into downtown Marion in the next five (5) years. I see many restaurants, live music, shopping and a lot of people walking main street again and embracing and loving where they live and work.

Marion's famous diner, Richard's Restaurant, opened their doors over 35 years ago and has been serving up some of this town's favorite foods ever since. Converted from what historically was a gas station, owner Richard Godbold has really made a name for himself on the corner of Fairlee and Main Street. You can go as early at 5:30 am for a breakfast that will start your day off right and you'll be among some of their regulars that you can find there each and every morning. Richard's is open though lunch time, where you'll want to grab a burger and fries or some of their famed fried chicken that isn't to be outdone by anyone in the entire state! The best part about Richard's, besides the food, is the feel of taking a step back in time when you walk through the doors. The walls are covered in license plates from around the USA and you can still sit on stools at the bar and watch them work the grill as they make your burger. The thing they love most about being opened on Main Street in Marion is serving the people of the town and visitors alike. Stop by and grab a bite to eat with a friend for an experience you won't forget! Richard's is located at 501 N. Main Street. Call 843.423.5561 with any questions.