Oregon Public Broadcasting

Four Oregon cities will see their historic downtown areas spruced up.  The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Oregon’s governor endorsed Albany, Baker City, Roseburg, and Oregon City as top-tier cities in the "Main Street" program.

Another forty cities and communities received lower levels of recognition.

"Main Street" recognition opens up assistance related to downtown revitalization and historic preservation goals.

Joined by First Lady Mary Oberst, Gov. Ted Kulongoski told Main Street advocates Friday that a local focus will help Oregon weather the current financial storm.

Ted Kulongoski: “No matter what the federal government decides about Wall Street, it’s more important than ever that we as a state continue to invest in our communities and in programs that support our Main Street businesses.”

Kulongoski says he’s also optimistic that the White House and Congress may re-authorize the county payments program, which could bring millions of federal dollars to Oregon.