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Dear Downtown Business Owner,
Welcome to the second installment of the "Downtown West
Orange Alliance Business Newsletter". Spring is finally here with Passover and
Easter right around the corner. Now is a
good time to get some spring cleaning done.
Did you know that the Downtown Alliance has façade grants available for
sprucing up your storefront? If you
would like a new outdoor sign, awning or lighting we offer a 50% matching grant
up to $2,000 to accomplish that. Any
building maintenance that fronts on a public area is offered a matching grant
of 25% up to $1,000. Or, if you make any
window display or landscaping improvements we will give you 33% up to
$1,000. Please give us a call at 973-325-4109
for more information on this great program or click here to go to our website and download a Facade Grant Application and Guidelines Package.
Sincerely,
Denise Esposito
Executive Director
Downtown West Orange Alliance
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National Main Street
is Coming to Downtown West Orange! Because
the Downtown West Orange Alliance is an accredited Main Street New Jersey
Community, we have been selected to have the National Main
Street Center
visit us from April 20-April 24 to conduct an in-depth Resource Team
Visit. Over the course of three and a
half days the five members of this Resource Team who have specific expertise in
the fields of Downtown Revitalization will examine information about the local
community and the downtown Special Improvement District, study plans, interview
key stakeholders and leaders within the community and the local Main Street
program, discuss ideas, and finally, suggest a set of strategies to potentially
address needs and build the value of our revitalization efforts .
Please
join us at the Resource Team Public
Reception on Tuesday, April 21st from 5:30pm-6:30pm at Due
Amici. The resource team will be
introduced and have an opportunity to meet people from our community in order
to gather information and opinions about our Downtown. Refreshments will be served.
You
are also invited to a Public
Presentation to Community and Program Leaders on Thursday, April 23rd
from 12pm-1:30pm in Council Chambers, Town Hall.
If
you would like to attend either or both of these events please RSVP by calling
973-325-4109 or e-mailing us at downtown@westorange.org.
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Two New Businesses Are Accepting the WOvip Card!
Dunkin Donuts and A Taste of the Caribbean Click here to see participating businesses
34 businesses now
accept the WOvip card. Don't miss out on
this great advertising opportunity. Dozens
of residents contact us every month asking for the WOvip card. If you are not one of the businesses who accept the discount card and would like to participate, please
contact us at 973-325-4109 or e-mail us at downtown@westorange.org. We will send you a sticker to post in your
store window and add you to the list of participants. Each retailer can offer whatever discount they
desire.
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Spring Street Fair Comes to
Downtown West Orange
The 5th Annual Downtown West Orange Outdoor
Street Fair & Craft Festival will take place on Sunday, May 24th
from 11am-5pm in front of Town Hall. 10,000 people came to our downtown last
year to shop and have fun. If you would like to participate click here to download a vendor application form.
Note that West Orange businesses
receive a discount. If you
would not like to be a vendor but would like some publicity, please provide me
with coupons, flyers or menus and I would be happy to display them on the
Downtown West Orange Alliance table.
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Keeping the Downtown Clean
 
The Downtown Alliance has been working diligently to keep
our downtown clean and litter free. The
Department of Public Works has provided us with the services of 1 of their
employees, Bobby DeMeo, to help us in this endeavor. You can see Bobby patrolling the streets in the Downtown Alliance truck picking up litter, emptying trash
cans and blowing leaves away. Many of
our downtown merchants have commented on what a great job he is doing,
including Roger Schneider, owner of Schneider Hardware located at 276 Main Street. Make a point of saying hi to Bobby if you see
him downtown.
Part of the responsibility of keeping the downtown clean lies
with our merchants. Make it a point to
sweep the sidewalk in front of your shop or pick up trash when you see it.
A clean downtown is a
happy downtown!
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Q: Is now a good time to start
a business?
A: It's ALWAYS a good time to start
a business the RIGHT way!
Here's your path to the RIGHT way!
UCEDC's Entrepreneurial Training
Initiative
(Offered in Spanish!) in Newark
ETI is a six-week workshop that leads you from assessing your business
readiness to completing a comprehensive and professional business plan.
Additional features include: a panel review of your plan by business
professionals (administered by New Jersey Economic Development Authority),
introductions to potential lenders, and 18 months of free mentoring services
from UCEDC.
Place: NJIT Enterprise
Development Center
105 Lock St., Newark
Dates:Wednesday, April 22 through
May 27 from 6-9pm
To learn more
about ETI, visit our free ETI Info Session
on Wednesday, April 8
at NJIT Enterprise Development
Center from 6-9pm.
For more info, or to register, contact UCEDC at
info@ucedc.com or 908-527-1166
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The Downtown West Orange Alliance, Inc. is the non-profit organization that manages the town's
Special Improvement District (SID). The DWOA was formed in August 1998 through
the ordinance that also established the SID. Recognizing the unique
contributions made by the residential, historic and commercial properties that
collectively form our "downtown," the Township of West Orange created the SID to encourage economic
revitalization of the neighborhoods known as
Tory Corner, Eagle Rock, St. Mark's
and the Valley.
Sincerely,
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Denise Esposito, Executive Director
Downtown West Orange Alliance |
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