TOBIN STUDIOS

Our Featured Downtown Recognition Recipient

The Ambridge Downtown Development Council is pleased to feature Tobin Studios as this quarter's Downtown Recognition Recipient. Tobin Studios was founded in early 2002 by James & Debbie Tobin to share their love of art and music and to allow people to explore their creativity through art and music regardless of skill level.

James Tobin is a singer and songwriter from Western Pennsylvania who records his own compositions and teaches guitar at Tobin Studios, located at 1234 Merchant Street, Ambridge, PA. He currently performs throughout the area at festivals, private parties, clubs, and coffeehouses.  He comes from a long line of musicians including his grandfather who performed in a band playing banjo and saxophone in the 1920's.

Tobin Studios offers both art and guitar lessons. Call 724-266-2638 or 412-443-8076 to schedule lessons and/or for booking information or visit http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/jamestobin/tobinstudios/.

DOWNTOWN AMBRIDGE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

48th Annual Nationality Days

Merchant Street

May 17-19

Friday & Saturday: 10 AM to 10 PM, Sunday: 11 AM to 6 PM

Old Economy Village Garden Mart

May 18-19

10 AM to 5 PM

Saturday 2 to 9 PM
Sunday 2 to 7 PM

Children's and Young Adult Mart

Merchant Street

May 18

12 to 4 PM

Nationality Days Car Cruise

Merchant Street

May 19

10 AM to 3 PM

Soap Box Derby Car Cruise

14th Street

June 7

6 to 10 PM

Lee Threatens Pittsburgh

Old Economy Village

June 8-9

10 AM to 5PM

Don J. Larrick Sr. Memorial Car Cruise

St. Mary's Church Parking Lot

June 29

12 to 4 PM

3rd Annual Beaver County Boom!

Confluence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers

June 29

9:45 PM

Pre-War Antique Car Show

Old Economy Village

July 6

10 AM to 4 PM

CELEBRATE YOUR INDEPENDENTS!

Independents Week is a nationwide campaign focused on bringing together local independent businesses and community members in a celebration of the spirit of entrepreneurism and individuality represented by our independent businesses.

The week-long celebration is a chance to join with hundreds of other communities across the nation to celebrate the freedoms and opportunities independent businesses afford everyone.

Particularly during the first week of July, try to think of your downtown businesses first, and support them for the character, commitment and services that they provide to your community.

Check out Downtown Ambridge First to access information relevant to your town's local downtown first program. For more information on Independents Week and to access a free library of activities and templates for your use, please visit http://www.amiba.net/buy-local-campaigns/seasonal-shop-local/independents-week .  

Be a Part of the "the Little-e Economy"  

Jenn Gooch's new studio, WERK, in downtown Lawrenceville is a compelling example of traditional tailoring services, and community courses (on sewing, of course)...all in one storefront. Read more about this creative means for bringing new life to a Lawrenceville storefront here.

Werk represents a community-based perspective for helping to restore our downtowns, the "little e-economy:"  

"I left her shop feeling hopeful about the future of the people's economy. Not the big-E economy of the World Bank, Wall Street and headlines, but the little-e economy people make themselves by inventing jobs, bartering, playing by rules that they make and recruiting the support of others for mutual benefit.

It may be that the big-E economy is compelling this undercurrent, especially among the young, many of whom cannot find work in the fields they studied. It would be rewarding to see it swell regardless of whether the headlines become more positive. The economy of the little guy might be one way for the system to work for the many."

You are reading the Ambridge FOCUS: your quarterly downtown e-newsletter. By using e-newsletters instead of print newsletters, we can send the information about our downtown revitalization efforts to a greater number of people and save paper--a win for the community and the environment!     

To receive your copy of the e-newsletter via email, simply send an email to tca@towncenter.info and indicate your email address, as well as the name of the town or towns for which you'd like to receive the e-newsletters. You can also call Town Center Associates to sign up at 724-728-9400.      

Please also take a moment to forward this email along to your friends, colleagues, family and neighbors, and encourage them to sign up today! This will help to inform (and involve) more citizens about the revitalization efforts taking place in our downtown.