Spring should be here soon -- and here are a variety of interesting websites to visit on a rainy (or sunny) Spring day…

Start out by taking a look at the “Our Town” movie trailer. Regardless of your perspective on the impact of Wal-Mart on small towns across America, this film discusses a question that many Ohio communities face, but which too many ignore or don't bother to ask -- "What kind of town do we want to live in?" (Click on "Trailer" in the right-hand menu.)

Speaking of the power of hometowns… a visit to the Clue Group (Community Land Use and Economics) website is a look at the power of independent business and preservation-based downtown revitalization. Not too surprising, as one of the principals of the organization is Kennedy Lawson Smith, former Director of the National Main Street Center. Click on “Clues” in the main menu for some very interesting information.

PreservationDirectory.com has just completed a major makeover, and the results are beautiful, impressive and well worth a visit. The site serves as an index to historical societies, preservation organizations, downtown programs and more across the country.

Lastly, the website of the Civil War Preservation Trust includes a press release profiling the recent announcement of American’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields. Speaking of the Civil War, the Ohio Historical Society is seeking support for planning funds for the 150th Anniversary Commemoration of the Civil War, which will take place between 2011 and 2015. More information is available on the Society’s Legislative Action Center, which can be accessed by clicking here.