Your E-Update from
Souderton & Telford
Main Streets

logo-2007

August 25, 2009
In This Issue
Veggie Races at the IVFM
Social Media Marketing
Cash for Clunkers?
The Caboose Grille
Beds for Racers
Melodia Grille's Thursday Night Special
More Volunteers Needed
One Life One Chance Souderton/Telford
Don't Forget You Can Participate!
Ten Years At Action Karate.
Budget Update and More
LinkedIn?
Souderton Holiday Parade, Already?
Tree Tender Training
Dear Reader,
We sent out the last e-update and within half an hour, we were receiving emails from readers asking us to include their information in the next email.

You, our faithful readers, take action on the news that you read in our update.  We may not have thousands on our list but we definitely have quality.

So much good stuff came in last week that we have to hit you again with another e-update.  With September looming and the mad rush to get everyone working at full tilt again, we have loads of news about events and opportunities.  Read on and follow up on all that interests you.
 
Pam Coleman
Main Streets Manager

Veggie Races on Saturday
What to do with all those leftover zucchini squash?  How about decking them out and racing them? On Saturday, August 29, the Indian Valley Farmers' Market volunteers will be holding the first, and we hope to make it annual, Veggie Races.

Modeled after the races at the Easton Farmers' Market , we will start out with simple registration, decorate the vegetable and then race it on a pinewood derby track.

All the fun begins at 10 am. No age, weight or decoration restrictions, just a $1 entry fee. Good, healthy fun for the family. 

If we find that participants enjoy the races and are getting competitive, we can get more elaborate with age groups, etc. next year. This year is for the fun of the race.

Historic District Update
Yes, we are still working on the national historic district for Souderton. The amount of  paperwork for this process is amazing.

An initial draft was submitted to PHMC ( Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission) last spring. A site visit was conducted by officials from PHMC and they returned a list of questions. Shelby Splain from Keystone Preservation has conducted more research and will be submitting the final draft of the application in September. 

A final review of the paperwork and a final site visit will be conducted later this fall. A public meeting will be held to explain the impact of the national historic district to property owners in the national historic district and to answer their questions.

It has taken nearly a year, but we should be finishing up this nomination process by the holidays.

If anyone is interested in using federal tax credits for the renovation of a major building, please contact the Main Streets office. We have information explaining the process.

Yes, we are talking major projects. If you are looking to spend more than $100,000 on your building in the historic district, it is worth stopping by to learn more before you start.

Social Media Marketing
Ken Byler is holding one of his timely and useful seminars on Social Media Marketing. He will be focusing on the four most popular types of media:   LinkedIn®, Blogs, Twitter®, & Facebook®.
 
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 15 at 7:30 am at Franconia Heritage Banquet and Conference Center.  We have the registration form and more details available on our website.

Learn more about Ken and his company through all this media:
Web: www.HigherGroundCG.com
LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/kenbyler
Follow me on Twitter at: www.Twitter.com/kenbyler
Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ken.byler
Read his blog:http://HigherGroundCG.blogspot.com

Cash For Clunkers?
"Cash for Clunkers" may be over at the auto dealerships tonight at 8 pm but Ruth and Company has their own special spin on "Cash for Clunkers."  On Friday, September 11 from 1-8 pm, they are hosting a special Make up and Skin Care Event.  Pre-book a session with a professional Make Up artist that day, call 215.799.0234 for details.
 
"Cash for Clunkers" on that day means you can bring in your old makeup, Aveda or non-Aveda, and receive $1.00 off each item (up to 20 items.) 

Changing with the Seasons
The Caboose Grill is changing their hours. According to owner Jennifer Joseph, "The Caboose Grille invites you to lunch on weekdays and brunch or lunch on the weekends. Dinner is no longer served, unless of course you're planning a special occasion! We look forward to seeing you and your family and friends around the brunch and lunch tables." 

Their new hours are Tuesday-Friday 11:00 am-2:00 pm, Saturday, Breakfast 8:30 am-12:00, Lunch  12:00-2:00 pm, Sunday, Breakfast  8:30 am-1:00 pm and closed Mondays.

Don't forget that the Souderton Train Station and the Caboose Grill is available for catering special events!

Beds for Racers
 No, we are not holding bed races down through the Hollow. We do have a need for additional host families to open their homes for competitors for the Univest Grand Prix.  If you are interested in details, contact the staff at the Marketing Department at Univest for details.

According to Race Coordinator, John Eustice, the opportunity to stay with host families for the weekend is one of the highlights for the racers.  It is something unique to this race and it is a treasured experience for everyone involved.

Open your home and share a very special experience with your family as you watch "your rider" compete in the Univest Grand Prix.

Melodia Grille's Thursday Night Special
Mention that you saw this in our e-update on Thursday nights, now through September 3, 2009, to receive this wonderful offer.

Buy one entrée, get a second entrée of equal or less value 50% off from the main menu, excludes dinner special menu.  Cannot combine with other offers.

Melodia Grill is located at 664 East Broad Street, Souderton.   Call them at 215-721-4000 for reservation and other information.

More Volunteers Needed
Remember the old saying "Many hands make a light load?" The number of volunteers who turn out every year to help with the Univest Grand Prix truly lighten the load.  Sign up with your friends and family for a short block of time to help with the various duties of the day.

The registration form with everything you need is on the Souderton Telford Main Streets' website for your convenience. Join the many people who have made this an annual tradition!

One Life One Chance Souderton/Telford
This group is working hard to produce an amazing event on Saturday, September 19 to raise awareness about the abuse of prescription drugs. If you have access to Facebook, they have created a page with loads of information about a variety of topics.  They also have all the information about the Walk and several other events posted there.  Search for One Life One Chance Souderton/Telford to find their page.

Their latest update is about the walk and forum: "Please wear a red shirt. You can have your shirt say anything you want i.e. something to remember your loved one, something for abuse awareness or One Life One Chance, it is up to you. We will have a banner and you are more than welcome to make signs or posters to carry while walking. If someone you know or love has passed away, please bring a picture to add to the memorial table. Thank you and see you there."

Don't Forget You Can Participate!
One of the highlights of a day filled with highlights is the Cyclosportif.  This event offers recreational cyclists and fitness riders the chance to live the pro racing experience for a day.

The Cyclosportif ride will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 on the famed road course. It is open to the public and cyclists can register online at www.bikereg.com until Aug. 29 and on race day beginning at 6 a.m. near the Finish line on Main Street in Souderton.

The ride begins at 8 a.m. Proceeds benefit the Penn Foundation, a Sellersville-based non-profit organization that provides comprehensive behavioral healthcare to persons in need of hope, healing, and compassion.

Ten Years At Action Karate
action karateCome celebrate on Thursday, August, 27 when Action Karate hold a 15th birthday party. Action Karate has been a member of the Souderton community for ten years!

The celebration will be held Philadelphia Sports Club at High point, 1 Highpoint Drive, Chalfont. Just follow County Line Road to Route 202.

2009 US Open XMA Champion, Daniel Graham, will be the special guest. They have a full schedule of activities from 6 pm through 8 pm with classes and pizza and cake. Call 215-723-4402 for details.

Budget Update and More
Nine weeks after the deadline of July 1, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania still does not have a budget. 

The Pennsylvania Downtown Center has a cover article in the quarterly newsletter that updates us all quite well. We posted it on our website for everyone to download and read. It has articles on a number of topics that anyone interested in the health of the downtown revitalization efforts throughout the state may find informative.

LinkedIn?
Are you on LinkedIn? Do you follow groups on FaceBook? Do you watch YouTube videos?

Your Main Streets Manager, Pam Coleman, is on LinkedIn and is considering other social media. What do you think of these different media?  Are they working for your business?

Ken Byler's workshop above has us talking in house about these media and we are looking for feedback.

Souderton Holiday Parade, Already?
Yes, it is that time of the year. Starting September 1, you can register online for the Souderton Holiday Parade. 

The Promotions Committee is starting to work on the Holiday Parade. Last year, 99 of the 100 units registered online. They meet this evening at 7:30 pm in the STMS office to start the work on the 2009 parade.

Actually, several very organized community groups have already called to see if they could register. They were working several months in advance and they needed the date and details.

So far, we have one opening for a major sponsor for the parade. This sponsor will provide the funds for the media blitz to support the parade. The sponsor's logo will appear on the website, the postcards and all advertising. Call the office for details at 215-723-6627.

Tree Tender Training
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will hold hands-on workshops on tree biology and planting from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 8, 15 and 22 at Benner Hall, 1260 Cherry St., Richlandtown.

The free, nine-hour training includes tree identification; proper planting and maintenance techniques; and a lesson in community-organizing. Registration is required.

Since 1993, PHS' Tree Tenders program has trained more than 3,000 community volunteers from nearly 250 neighborhoods in southeastern Pennsylvania. Among other activities, Tree Tenders help to support the TreeVitalize program designed by Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to increase tree cover and promote the benefits trees provide.

Individuals are welcome to take part in the training program. Groups of three or more who complete the training together can become an active Tree Tenders group and receive tools and special opportunities/resources for planting trees in public spaces.

To register, call Dawn Waters at 215-988-8845 or register online.


row houses

I hope you found this email useful and informative.
This has taken so long, that I did not get to add any photos.