Quite a year!
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
- 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-
- 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
- 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-
- 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
- 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-
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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-
- 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
- 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
- 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!
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! |