2011 Carriage Rides
Bob Jones of Bob Jones Productions ( www.bobjonesphotos.com ) took this great shot of a horse drawn carriage ride through downtown Emporia!
 
In This Issue #131 12/20/11
Calendar of Events
Granada Bridal & Prom Expo
Sustainablility Conference
Kansas Main Street Quarterly Training
Start Your Own Business Class
2011 was Quite a Year!
Did you know? Answers to YOUR questions.

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Granada Theatre 


Emporia Market Place button

 Emporia Main Street Calendar of Events 

 

 

December 28

Business Enhancement Meeting

8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office

 

Home Based Meeting

12:30 p.m. in the Emporia Main Street office.

  

January 4th

Board Meeting

8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office.

 

January 7th

Granada Bridal and Prom Expo

noon in the Granada Theatre.

 

January 11th

Promotions Meeting

 

8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office

 

Design Meeting

noon in the Emporia Main Street office

 

January 18th

Board Meeting

 

8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office

 

 January 12-13

Kansas Main Street Quarterly Training- El Dorado

  

April 1-4

National Main Street Conference- Baltimore, MD

 

April 13-15

Glass Blown Open Disc Golf Tournament by Dynamic Discs

  

April 19-20

Kansas Main Street Quarterly Training, Dodge City

  

April 21

The Taste

Civic Auditorium

  

May 19

Downtown Car Show by the Flatland Cruisers

   

June 2

The Dirty Kanza

  

June 9th

Symphony in the Flint Hills

  
Do you have an upcoming event for your business or organization?  Let Emporia Main Street  know and we may include it on our upcoming calendars! 

 

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Benefactors 


The City of Emporia

 

Lyon County

 

Bobby D's BBQ

 

Caribbean Sun Tanning

 

CoreFirst Bank & Trust

 

The Emporia Gazette

 

ESB Financial

 

Emporia's Radio

StationsKVOE, 104.9, Country 101.7

 

Longbine Auto Plaza

 

Roberts Blue Barnett Funeral Home

 

T2 Verizon Wireless

General Level Members 

AKA Marketing/The Sports Fan

 

Amanda's Bakery

 

Applebee's

 

Ash, LLC.

 

Atherton & Huth Attorney at Law

 

Barden & Thompson

 

Bath Expressions

 

Bennett Dental Group

 

Best Western Hospitality House

 

Black Heart Cherry

 

Brown's Shoe Fit Co.

 

C & J Woodworks

 

Cable One

 

Cable One Advertising

 

Capitol Federal

 

Cassell Insurance

 

Chester Press, Inc.

 

Clark Carpet & Tile

 

Coffelt Sign Co. 

 

Commercial Street Diner

 

Complete Works

 

Country Mart/Price Chopper

 

Dan's Hands

 

Dorsey & Wise Family Eye Care

 

Douglas Chiropractic Center

 

Dynamic Disks

 

Emporia Chamber of Commerce

 

Emporia State Federal Credit Union

 

ESU Memorial Union

 

E-Town Solutions

 

First Community Bank

 

Flint Hills Eye Care Associates

 

Flint Hills Lanes

 

Flint Hills Music

 

Flint Hills Tech College

 

Flint Hills Mall

 

Forget Me Not Productions

 

Four Seasons Apartments

 

Furniture Loft

 

Genesis Health Club

 

George Groh & Sons

 

Gerald Schumann Electric

 

Glendo

 

Granada Coffee Company

 

Granada Plaza & Lofts

 

Graves Drug Store

 

Hair Krafters

 

Helbert & Allemang Attorney's at Law

 

High Gear Cyclery

 

Hornet Residential

 

IM Design Group

 

Inno-Vest Corporation

 

Java Cat 5

 

Jimmy John's

 

Kansas Radio 96.1 The Wave

 

Kari's Diamonds by Design

 

KISS 103.1

 

Krueger & Williams Law Office

 

L & L Pets

 

Little Acorns

 

Little Caesers Pizza

 

Lyon County State Bank

 

Lyon County Title

 

Marion National Bank

 

Mark II Lumber

 

Mathis Physical Therapy

 

McDonald's on 6th Ave.

 

McKinzie Pest Control

 

Menu Foods Midwest Corp.

 

Midas Touch Golden Tans

 

Modern Air Conditioning

 

Muckenthaler, Inc.

 

Nature's Paradise

 

Navrat's Office Products

 

Pizza Ranch

 

Plum Bazaar

 

Poehler Mercantile

 

Pool & Wright

 

Prairie Sage Apartments

 

Prairie Land Partners

 

Pro Cuts

 

Pyramid Pizza

 

Redi Upholstry

 

Redline Trucking

 

Ru Yi

 

Sauder Custom Fabrication

 

Scheller's Lawn & Landscape

 

Simmons Pet Food

 

SS Graham Insurance Agency

 

Stanley Jewelry

 

Studio 11

 

Subway

 

Sunflower Gymnastics

 

Symmonds & Symmonds Attorney at Law

 

The Help Desk

 

The Henrikson Team

 

The Medicine Shoppe

 

The Sweet Granada

 

The Villiger

 

The White Rose Inn

 

Thompson Auto Repair

 

Toso Appraisal Service

 

Total Technology, LLC

 

Town Crier Bookstore

 

Town Royal

 

Water's True Value

 

Westar Energy

 

Wheat State Pizza

 

Williams Automotive

  

Non-Profit Level Members 

 Big Brothers Big Sisters

 

Community Theatre of Emporia

 

Corner House

 

Emporia Arts Council

 

Emporia Farmer's Market

 

Emporia Granada Theatre Alliance

 

Emporia High School Future Business Leaders of America

 

Emporia Public Library

 

ESU Foundation

 

Small Business Development Center

 

First Presbyterian Church

 

Flint Hills Optimists Club

 

Jayhawk Area Council (Scouts)

 

Lyon County Historical Society

 

National Teachers Hall of Fame

 

Plumb Place

 

The United Way 

Home Based Level Members 

Boyzen Bunny Fiber Arts- Tracey Graham

 

Energy Innovators

 

Family Jewels-

Leticia Rust

 

Gold Canyon Candle- Stephanie Morgan

 

Green Door Recycling- Amy Becker

 

Independant Longaberger Consultant- Judith Dieker

 

Interdependent Web- Ben Stallings

 

Joe the Furniture Doctor- Joe Kurzen

 

Kynda Kreative- Amanda Mendoza

 

Mary Kay- Brenda Braynard

 

Pampered Chef- Chelsea Gerleman

 

Patti Cakes- Patti Lipson

 

Paula's Creations

Paula Roper

 

Premier Designs Jewelry- Nikki Simmons

 

RossTography

Mike Ross

 

Scentsy- Deann Rose

 

Stampin-Up

Darcy Johnson

 

Tastefully Simple- Vanessa Apodaca 

 

 

Individual Supporters 

Anne Strobel

 

Brad Harzman

 

Dale and Carolyn Davis

 

Erin Woods

 

Julie Johnson

 

Kayla Oney

 

Mark & Amy McAnarney

 

Mary & Tim Helmer

 

Matt & Val Zimmerman

 

Pam & Fred Stephenson

 

Peggy Mast

 

Rob Gilligan

 

Sue Blechl

 

Victoria Partridge 

Emporia Main Street E- Newsletter

Greetings!
 
We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and we are hoping for an even happier New Year for all of you!
Special Notification:
 
The Kress Center- 702 Commercial, has their 3000 sq. ft. lower level available for a health/fitness related business.  Rent is just $500 per month, plus utilities with a lease.  For more information, please contact Sophie Mallon at: 620-344-2250, 620-344-2249 or 620-342-6622.

 2012 Granada Bridal and Prom Expo 

To sign up for tickets: CLICK HERE!

 

 

 

 2012 Historic Preservation Conference 

For more information on the Conference: CLICK HERE!

2012 Quarterly Training in El Dorado 

  

Want more information?  Click HERE!

Start Your Own Business Logo

The Start Your Own Business Class is a joint effort between Flint Hills Technical College, the Small Business Development Center at Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street.  Classes run from February 14th through March 15th. For more information on the class CLICK HERE! 

Quite a year! 

20th Anniversary Logo 

 A brief look back at a busy Main Street year!

 

We are always amazed during those brief moments when we look back and realize how much all of you have accomplished over the past year.  We will look at actual numbers and economic impacts in the next e-news, but below is a brief monthly summary of what you accomplished in 2011 (excluding new businesses, development efforts, committee assignments and a few other items we will cover next week...)  

 

January-

- The Granada Bridal and Prom Expo KVOE Granada Bridal & Prom Expo

- Preservation Conference

- Emporia Celebrates the Flint Hills Committee Formed

- Kansas Grape Growers and Wine Makers Conference

- Sunflower Gymnastics Regional Tournament

- Traffic Parking and Meter Reconfiguration Plan

- Quarterly Kansas Main Street Training

 

February-

Preservation as an Economic Activity - Historic District City Study Session

- Emporia Arts Council Grand Opening

- Broadband Internet Group Formation

- ESU & Student Government Community Meetings and Forum

- Start Your Own Business Class begins

- Developer Tours of the Lowther Buildings Commence

- Public Transportation Task Force Begins

 

March-

- Historic District Community Group Meetings Start Your Own Business Class Graduates

- Dining Guides Produced

- City wide Historic District Public Meeting

- Start Your Own Business Graduation

- St. Patrick's Day parade and festivities

- Quarter Mania

- City Commission votes in favor of a historic district letter of support

- City Commission candidate forum

- Emporia Main Street state review information submitted

 

April-

The Taste Crowd Shot - Glass Blown Open Disc Golf Tournament

- The Taste

- Kansas Hunting and Fishing Expo

- ESU Memorial Union Renovation Tour

- Bike Rack Placement Map

- Building Survey for the Historic District begins

- ESU and Community Housing Forum

- Kansas Main Street Quarterly Training

- Artist Walk

- Presentation of the J. Warren Brinkman Preservation award to Ed Rathke

- Mass Downtown Clean Ups Start

- Adopt a Garden Project Starts

 

May-

- Cruise Nights Start Bike Rack Installation

- Historic District Public meeting at the Granada

- Preservation Month Presentations and City Proclamation

- Bike Racks installed downtown

- National Main Street Conference

- Reviewed by Kansas Main Street State Director

-  ESU Marketing Committee forms

 

June-

Dirty Kanza Starting Line - The Dirty Kanza

- Live in the Lot

- Brown Bag

- Symphony in the Flint Hills

- 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting

- Bike Across Kansas travels through Emporia

- Water Main Project honored as top public improvement project

- Emporia Main Street receives its first Kansas Preservation Alliance Award

- The City of Emporia proclaims the first ever "Bike Week"

- Emporia Middle School Preservation presentation

- Formal Budget presentations to the City

 

July-

- Live in the Lot 2011 Live in the Lot

- Brown Bag

- Midnight Madness (first ever replacement of the "Sidewalk Sale")

- Rand McNally Presentation of the Top 5 Patriotic Cities

- Board Retreat/Work Plan Adoption

- Public Service Announcement Creation

- Membership Drive

- Youth Business Plan Judging

- Disaster Fundraising

 

August-

Welcome Back Block Party - Welcome Back Block Party

- Kansas Main Street Quarterly Training

- Resurfacing Project Planning

- New Developments and New Businesses!

- Public Transportation Planning

- Coupon Guides Revamped

- Back to School Activities- How to ESU

- Retail Committee Formation

 

September-

- Great American Market Great American Market 2010

- Adopt a Garden Awards

- Mass Downtown Clean Ups

- Passenger Rail Public Meeting

- Quarter Mania

- Associated Student Government at ESU Presentation

- New Main Street Intern

- Historic District Straw Poll mailing

- Resurfacing Street Construction

 

October-

Emporia Group Photo - Kansas Main Street State Symposium (7 Awards won!)

- The first "Oktoberfest"

- ESU Homecoming

- Haunted Tours

- Downtown Trick or Treating

- Public Improvement Auction

- Entrepreneurial & Business Recruitment Guides Started

- Adopt a Garden Mingle at Town Royal

- Leadership Emporia Panel Discussion

- USD 253 Entrepreneurial Curriculum

 

November-

- Freedom Fest This Person Shops Local

- Veteran's Week Activities

- Black Friday Promotion

- Small Business Saturday awareness campaign

- New Restaurant Guides

- Targeted Marketing Webinar

- Community Visioning Meetings

- Historic Collectable Main Street ornaments received

- Social Media Class at FHTC

 

December-

Midnight Madness Logo - Midnight Madness

- Quarter Mania

- Carriage Rides

- Breakfast with Santa

- Kris Kringles Kids Shoppe

- Historic Building Photos/Gifts

- Pay it Forward Updates

- Development Meetings

- ESU Student Downtown Tours

 - "Sam Cam" videos of Red Ribbon Merchants

- "Etown App" conceptual letters released

 

That is just a small portion of the wonderful things that your Main Street was involved with this past year!  We helped several businesses start, expand or transition.  We helped new developments get started.  We helped businesses with incentives, training and research.  We worked with community volunteers to help make Emporia a better place to live, work and play!  Next week, we will highlight some of the economic benefits of your work through Emporia Main Street! 

  

  Kansas Main Street Logo

 

As you make your New Years Resolution this week, we hope one of them will be to get more involved in your Emporia Main Street program.  We sincerely appreciate the support you offer now, and with more community backing we can accomplish even loftier goals.  Thank you for helping improve Emporia during 2011, and we promise even more exciting developments in 2012!

Did you know?  Answers to YOUR questions... 

 

Last week we met with a branding expert that wanted to learn more about the Main Street concept, we had two development

2011 Christmas Ornament Anderson Library
Not many Main Street 2011 ornaments left...   Get them before they're gone!

meetings on a downtown property, we participated in a lot of promotional activities for the upcoming Granada Bridal and Prom Expo, we met with a local entrepreneur about his opening plans for a new business downtown this spring, we did some promotional work on the upcoming Start Your Own Business Class, we held a board meeting, we met with the fashion show participants for the upcoming Expo, we met with investors in a new large potential investment project in downtown, we attended a Visioning Meeting, we held the last Carriage Ride of the season and we delivered some Historic Building Photos to current building occupants courtesy of the Emporia Main Street Design Committee!  It was a busy week, but we got some great questions!  And, as an addition to this e-news can you guess what and where the historic buildings are in the pictures below?

 

1.  "When is the National Main Street Conference?"  From a few members.  April 1-4, the National Main Street Center will host the National Main Street Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.  This conference brings together a series of national experts that host intense class sessions on new techniques to develop pre-existing commercial areas in communities, create sustainable development and enhance work on the Main Street four point approach.  Emporia delegates usually come home bursting with ideas (and many of those ideas have become reality in our community).  For more information on the national conference, CLICK HERE! 

 

Mitway Hotel

 

2.  "Do you think the Bridal and Prom Expo will be bigger this year?"  From several peopleI think it has the potential to grow a lot this year.  Remember, this is the first Bridal and Prom Expo in the state, Saturday Expos tend to be larger, and the Grand Prize is now worth about $2,000 (Plus over 30 prizes worth at least $50 and a variety of other goodies!)  This is your first chance to see all of the latest bridal and prom fashions, and the size of the show is really up to you!  Do you know someone going to prom this year?  Do you know someone that recently got engaged or is planning a wedding?  Invite them!  Not only can you get people to one of the best Expos in the area, but you can support your town at the same time!  Click HERE for more Granada Bridal and Prom Expo information!

 

The Strand Theatre

 

3.  "How was the Christmas Season for everyone?" From some media and others... Office staff tried to interact with a variety of businesses to obtain informal feedback this Christmas season, and the vast majority of businesses were VERY upbeat about this season.  Good job Emporia for supporting your local merchants!      

 

Hotel Whitley 

 

4.  "Are you taking some time off this week?" From volunteers/staff. I might leave work a little early for my anniversary on the 29th.  I have an exceptionally understanding wife who has accepted the fact that she married a guy that works a lot...  But, it's nice on occasion to thank her for putting up with long nights, early mornings and such with a night out in E-Town once in a while...

 

Whitley Opera House
Hint: This is NOT the Granada Theatre...

  

5. "What do you think 2012 will be like?" From a board member. I think we have a lot of exciting things on the horizon for this next year.  Looking at the calendar, I'm not sure when any of us are going to sleep, but this could be a turning point year for Emporia.  We are excited about the possibilities!  And, we're always looking for more help to make things happen!

 

Old Lyon County Court House

 

 

The volunteers, members and staff of Emporia Main Street are working extremely hard to improve our business climate and build a successful community.  In short, we are working hard FOR YOU!  We appreciate your support, and we will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to benefit our membership in the future.  Because, as we all know: small steps lead to BIG impacts!

 

Have a question?  Submit it to the Emporia Main Street office and we'll do our best to help you!
1st Kansas FinancialCasey Woods
Emporia Main Street
12 E. 5th Avenue
Emporia, KS  66801
(P) 620-340-6430 
(F) 620-340-6434
Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.- Joel A.Barker