<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Dear Main Street Supporters,<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> I would like to let you know about a national effort to advocate for federal funding for our State Main Street programs. I am part of a national task force through the National Main Street Center working towards that goal. They have identified this as a time of opportunity to raise awareness of all the great work that is being done to revitalize our Main Streets and to help secure the future of our programs during these uncertain times. The federal funding could come in one of two different forms. The more immediate effort will be to get $100,000,000 into one of the upcoming stimulus packages, possibly under “Infrastructure". The second effort will be to advocate for federal funding through a general appropriations process. Our Main Streets will stand to suffer greatly as a result of the pandemic. We hear every day how some of our very important, smaller businesses that make up the fabric of our downtowns, just are not getting the help they need. Long term help from our state programs will be essential to the future of our Main Streets. This effort is not only to prevent the backward momentum that comes with an economic downturn, but to make an effort to actually come out stronger.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">I have met many of you over the years and miss seeing you at the OMS meetings. Please reach out to me at <a href="mailto:kendallbell945@gmail.com" style="color: blue;" class="">kendallbell945@gmail.com</a> if you have any questions about this effort. I will keep you updated as we proceed.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">In Main Street Spirit,<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Kendall Bell<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Klamath Falls Downtown Association</div>
</body></html>