The Dayton Historical Society met Monday evening, Aug. 27, at Parker Hall. President Lester Ray Wisegerber welcomed 40 people and called the meeting to order. Ena Stoesser led the opening prayer, followed by pledges to the flags led by Alan Conner.
Larry Wadzeck announced that the Dayton ISD Sports Museum & Hall of Fame will be open this coming Friday night prior to the football game and will remain open through half time. He urged everyone to visit the museum and bring any old photos and Bronco sports memorabilia they might have to share. He then gave introduction to the evening’s program, presented by Dayton City Manager Theo Melancon.
Having been on the job for a little over a year now, Melancon had a lot to tell the group about how the City of Dayton is planning for an explosive influx of population due in large part to the opening of Highway 99 and explained the philosophy behind its holistic approach to development.
Striving to keep Dayton’s small town feel as it does grow, he discussed in detail various aspects of redevelopment which include Dayton’s downtown area, its outward growth related to annexation and pockets of large housing development, new industrial growth, and mixed- use concepts.
Melancon began with a video highlighting Dayton’s most recent building improvements that include new schools, a new city complex, industrial sites, housing, and availability of large swaths of land for development growth and investment. Because of these things, Dayton will be highlighted on the next cover of the Foreign Direct Alliance Magazine.
The plan seeks to strengthen the core of our city as it plans for its future. Melancon’s information elicited many questions which he ably answered and gave attendees much to ponder as our city seeks to embrace the opportunities posed by the coming growth. Everyone enjoyed Melancon’s interesting and informative presentation.
The next meeting of Dayton Historical Society will be Monday evening, 6 pm, on September 24 at Parker Hall. The public is invited to attend.