Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012

In Garner, a Main Street champion

E very other Sunday in "Off Duty," the Garner-Cleveland Record asks community leaders about their off-duty interests - what they're reading, what they're listening to, what they're watching. This week, we chat with Kathy Behringer, who serves on the Garner Town Council.

When Kathy Behringer moved to Garner in the early 1990s, she knew the town's small downtown had potential.

"I used to look over there and think, 'Gosh, they could do something with this,'" Behringer recalled.

Over the years, Behringer, who serves on the Garner Town Council, has gotten involved with efforts to jumpstart downtown. She joined Friends of Historic Garner, a citizens' group with downtown in mind. And last year, she was named a Main Street Champion by the Garner Revitalization Association, through the N.C. Main Street program.

Garner joined the state program in 2009. Its goal is to help municipalities revitalize downtown neighborhoods around North Carolina.

Even before she moved to Garner, Behringer said, she realized the importance of downtowns. She was 22 and fresh out of college when she moved to Raleigh, during a time when growth was shifting away from downtown.

"I remember thinking, 'That's really dumb. It's going to kill all those businesses,'" Behringer said.

In Garner, she said, downtown has seen improvements. For starters, she said, it has lost some of the perception of being seedy and unsafe.

"I just don't think any part of town has to be the bad side of town," Behringer said.

Now she would like to see downtown Garner become a cultural hub.

"It's all moved a lot slower than we wished," Behringer said. "But when you look at the grand scale of things, it's a lot better than it used to be."

What music have you been listening to lately? Scotty McCreery - what else?!

What book are you reading? "Life Support" by Robert Whitlow.

What is your favorite television show? "Person of Interest."

If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would they be? Jesus, television personality David Crabtree and my great-grandparents, Maywood and Mollie Long.

Describe a perfect day. Christmas Day with all my children and their families.

What is the most fascinating place you've been? World War II memorial in Normandy, France.

What do you most like about Garner? The community works together for the common good of Garner.

What do you least like about Garner? The empty buildings.

What is something that some may be surprised to know about you? I made my daughter's prom dress.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would take more time to be thoughtful.

What is your most embarrassing moment? I asked an acquaintance if she was expecting an addition to the family - she wasn't.

What is the one food you can't resist? M&M'S.