Whitfield pointed to other cities ’ interest in Wetumpka ’ s success as further evidence of the huge win “ Home Town Takeover ” was . “ We are watching the small towns around us revitalize and paint murals , and we are cheering them on ! I do a lot of public speaking across the United States regarding small-town revitalization , and my advice is that towns need to know who they are as a community ,” she said . “ Focusing on the things that make them unique and set them apart from other communities is the best way to encourage tourism . If every town looks the same , there is no reason for anyone to travel .”
“ Wetumpka ’ s experience with the HGTV ’ s ‘ Home Town Takeover ’ provided positive exposure for Millbrook as well . Producers did a show follow-up and wanted to include a segment on how neighboring
Image by Grace O ’ Connor .
“ When the show airs in a different zone or runs again on another channel , it starts all over again . We hope it never ends .”
- Lynn Weldon , City of Wetumpka ’ s Economic Development and Tourism Director
towns had been inspired and impacted ,” said Ann Harper , the City of Millbrook ’ s Economic Development Director . ” They did a profile piece on a Millbrook donut shop , Kingdom Dough , where the owners transformed their storefront to give it more appeal .”
The City also got in on the action , adding landscaping and hanging baskets at the city ’ s main park , and commissioning its first public mural painted by Montgomery ’ s Kevin King . This project led to the establishment of Millbrook ’ s Mural Grant Program , which encourages local businesses to tell a story with art and at the same time enhance the exterior of their buildings . “ I ’ m happy to report that two murals have been completed with two
Continued on page 24
Image by Grace O ’ Connor .
TO THE POINT :
Donna Grier opened “ The Merc ” in March 2022 after being a stay-athome mom for 17 years , realizing her long-held dream of owning and operating a general store . The international spotlight that ’ s still beaming on Wetumpka thanks to “ Home Town Takeover ” has spurred several new businesses to open since it aired . For anyone considering joining this club , Grier offered some advice . “ Be involved and have a love of Wetumpka .
I tell people all the time that some days I feel like a tour guide . I ’ ve been here my entire life , so when I share stories of riding my bike on Company
Street as a kid , to a tourist , that ’ s the kind of thing that brings them to
Wetumpka ,” she said . “ Sure , they want to see a vibrant downtown area .
But they also want to talk to the shop owners and really LEARN about our city and the history of it .”
22 CentrAL Inc !