Portland lost a true friend

To the editor:

Portland buried one of its greatest fans Friday.

He loved the history and the old photos of downtown Portland and hated to see so many of its buildings in various degrees of decay. The old photos show just how much the downtown has declined, but Mark saw the possibilities and sought ways to help preserve and save what buildings still remain.

I recently introduced Mark to a friend who has a passion to help preserve local landmarks in small towns. He believes every small town has a local history and buildings worth saving. We were looking forward to working with Mark to save what remains in downtown Portland.

Mark was a councilman who asked the questions on matters affecting the downtown area instead of just going with the most popular movement of the day.

The heart of any community is its downtown. An attractive and vibrant downtown draws people in and they stay.

Mark loved his community and wanted people to stay.

Rest in peace Mark Hedges.

Gregory Bubp

Indianapolis