Vicksburg Main Street’s Board of Directors got an up close and personal look Thursday at a section of the downtown district they represent.

Instead of meeting in the boardroom at the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Depot on Levee Street, executive director Kim Hopkins took the board on a walking tour of several areas in the downtown area.

“I felt it would be a good idea to take the board on a walking tour of the downtown area around Crawford Street to see what’s there and to give them an opportunity to give input on what they would like to see,” Hopkins said. “This is something I do every day. You can see a lot more when you walk through an area than if you’re driving a car.

“When you drive through an area, you just see the buildings. You don’t get a look at the sidewalks or other areas. Walking the area allows you to see problems that need to be corrected, and you get a better appreciation for what’s around you.”

“When Kim told me we were going to have walking meeting, ‘I though, “yea!”’ board member Linda Fodren said. “It was very beneficial because we got exercise, it was creative thinking. We were able to sit there actually look at and be face-to-face with the issues we need to tackle. I thoroughly enjoyed that. I thought we got a lot done and we were very creative together. We had ideas.”

Meeting at Gordon’s Alley just west of Washington Street, the board’s tour took it to the vacant city parking garage across from the Portofino Hotel on Mulberry, where Hopkins explained plans for improving lighting and security at the city’s three parking garages to meet and growing need for more parking area. One member suggested having local artists paint murals on the parking deck walls.

“With the increase in the number of restaurants downtown, parking is becoming a problem,” Hopkins said. “These decks are going to become important as more people come downtown.”

Board members also examined the torn awning that leads from the deck to the nearby hotel, and checked problems with the pavement as Hopkins outlined proposed changes being discussed with Mayor George Flaggs Jr.

On Crawford Street, Hopkins quizzed the board on solutions to a problem that has plagued the downtown area at the corner of Crawford and Washington Street.

“We’ve got two light poles down,” she said. “These big trucks, when they park here, backup and knock the poles down.” The board recommended restriping the parking spots on Crawford, a one-way street from Washington to Walnut, diagonally instead of perpendicular to the curb on the north side of the street to reduce future problems.

At the parking lot and city stage on Washington Street just north of Crawford Street, the members discussed repairing a section of rotting wood trim on restroom building and considered better uses for the stage. Board members also discussed some new signs for downtown.

“It was really exciting,” said board member Norma Massey, adding the tour gave her a different view of the downtown area.

“We don’t often get to see that. We usually just stay on our own block and see our four walls; we don’t always get to see the rest of downtown,” Massey, who owns Frederick’s downtown, said. “It was exciting to see the other buildings and to find out where we have problems and learn what’s going to be fixed and hear what’s coming. Kim does this all the time.”

Board member Kristin Meehan said the tour was a good way to see the downtown area.

“It’s so hard to know what’s going on downtown when you’re sitting in a boardroom,” she said. “It was more of a hands-on experience. There were several things that were pointed out were going to be fixed, so I’m glad to see the improvements.”

Hopkins said she will hold more walking meetings with the board, possibly every other month, to get them more familiar with the area and its problems.

“I hope it impressed the others,” said Daryl Hollingsworth, who owns the Wine House and Ware House Apartments on Washington St. “It was unexpected, but it was good to get out for some of the new members to see where we’re at and what we’re doing.”