Heady Coleman, a community leader and pastor who grew up in Guthrie, discusses the challenges of preserving Guthrie's character, growing up in a predominantly white town, the importance of specialized skills in small towns, a cozy coffee shop in Guthrie called Hoboken, and their fame in a small town and hopes for the future.
Guthrie, Oklahoma is working to balance tourism and growth while maintaining its small-town charm.
Community advocate Heady Coleman is leading efforts to revitalize Guthrie through campaigns and local shopping promotion.
Deep dives
The Charm of Guthrie: Preserving History and Embracing Growth
Guthrie, Oklahoma, a small town with a rich history, is facing the challenge of balancing influx of tourists and new residents with retaining its small-town charm.
The Rise of Small Businesses: From Hoboken Coffee to Missy's Donuts
Local businesses like Hoboken Coffee and Missy's Donuts are thriving in Guthrie, offering unique experiences and products that attract both locals and visitors.
Community Engagement and Revitalization Efforts
Hetty Coleman, a local celebrity and community advocate, shares his efforts to revitalize Guthrie, such as the Choose Guthrie campaign and the promotion of shopping locally.
Challenges of Small Town Living: Retaining City Workers and Encouraging Economic Growth
Guthrie grapples with the challenge of retaining city workers, such as police and firefighters, who are often enticed by better-paying job opportunities in larger cities. To encourage economic growth, Hetty Coleman believes attracting a tech company to the town would bring stability and more job opportunities.
Guthrie, once the capital of Oklahoma, is a town that could easily be the backdrop in a country western. Its downtown area – with its iconic Victorian buildings – is the largest historic preservation district in the nation. But Guthrie has faced its ups and downs over the years – as people moved to Oklahoma City for opportunities. In recent years, there’s been a push to restore the town. In this episode, host Anne Helen Petersen talks to Heady Coleman, a community leader and pastor who grew up in Guthrie and moved back later in life. Heady is a local celebrity in town – he hosts the Guthrie America podcast, which has let the town grow closer and get to know each other, and he’s known to surprise friends and business owners with red balloons. Heady will tell us the role that civic life has played for him and why community-building is vital to small towns.
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