Springfield preps for Olympic Trials
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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Eugene may be track town, but Springfield is also getting spruced up for the 2008 Olympic Trials.
Just how do they plan to lure people across the river?
"What we've tried to do is make sure our name is associated with this event," said Dan Egan of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
And financially? Egan said "The city pledged $100,000 right away."
And aesthetically?
City spokesman Niel Laudat said, "If you drive down main street you see the Eugene '08 banners. They made special banners for the city of Springfield so they look different than the ones in Eugene."
The spirit of Springfield is in full bloom.
The city wanted to make sure that every nook and cranny was in tip top shape for the Olympic Trials. So Willamalane and the Springfield Rotary chipped in to renovate all of Springfield's section of Pre's Trail.
Businesses are also getting gussied up. With a new menu and new hours, one local restaurant hopes to be the hot spot come trial time.
"We're never open at night. So we're doing a totally new menu and just trying to encourage people to come downtown at night," said Trudy Logan of The Pump Cafe.
The biggest business may come actually from the press.
"The majority of the media are staying in the gateway area of Springfield. And so we have an excellent opportunity for them to see the city," said Laudat.
The biggest benefits of having the international spotlight on Eugene and Springfield ? Egan said you might have to come back in 2012 to find out.
"We're just on the move, expanding, inviting a lot of businesses to come in and I think it's exciting to be here," said Egan.
There's a whole slew of community events planned during the trials, so it should be a great few weeks for both sides of the river
Just how do they plan to lure people across the river?
"What we've tried to do is make sure our name is associated with this event," said Dan Egan of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
And financially? Egan said "The city pledged $100,000 right away."
And aesthetically?
City spokesman Niel Laudat said, "If you drive down main street you see the Eugene '08 banners. They made special banners for the city of Springfield so they look different than the ones in Eugene."
The spirit of Springfield is in full bloom.
The city wanted to make sure that every nook and cranny was in tip top shape for the Olympic Trials. So Willamalane and the Springfield Rotary chipped in to renovate all of Springfield's section of Pre's Trail.
Businesses are also getting gussied up. With a new menu and new hours, one local restaurant hopes to be the hot spot come trial time.
"We're never open at night. So we're doing a totally new menu and just trying to encourage people to come downtown at night," said Trudy Logan of The Pump Cafe.
The biggest business may come actually from the press.
"The majority of the media are staying in the gateway area of Springfield. And so we have an excellent opportunity for them to see the city," said Laudat.
The biggest benefits of having the international spotlight on Eugene and Springfield ? Egan said you might have to come back in 2012 to find out.
"We're just on the move, expanding, inviting a lot of businesses to come in and I think it's exciting to be here," said Egan.
There's a whole slew of community events planned during the trials, so it should be a great few weeks for both sides of the river
