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    Oktoberfest Crowd
Make plans to attend Art-Oberfest this Saturday evening in conjunction with ESU Homecoming Activities!


Emporia Main Street 
E-Newsletter
Greetings!

Remember to welcome everyone to ESU Homecoming this weekend!  Alumni will be in town, and we hope everyone will join us in celebrating Emporia State University with the Homecoming Shop Hop, the downtown parade, the football game, Art-Oberfest and all the other wonderful activities scheduled!  Weather this weekend looks beautiful, and this is your chance to get out and show your Hornet Pride!  CLICK HERE for the full Homecoming Schedule.

      

ESU Homecoming Shop Hop
Enjoy our first ever Homecoming Hop version of the Shop Hop!  You can pick up your Shop Hop passport and lanyard at the Emporia State University Sauder Alumni Center or at various Alumni registration tables now through Saturday.  You don't have to be an ESU Alumni to participate, but we do encourage you to go on ESU Campus to pick up materials and experience homecoming.  Drop off your completed passport AND lanyard at the Granada Theatre on October 25th for the chance to win an ESU Prize Pack and $100 in Emporia Main Street Gift Certificates.

Art-Oberfest

For more information, CLICK HERE.  

  Mobile App QR Codes

 Learn more about local amenities, organizations, businesses, events and more with the E-Town Mobile App!  The ETown App is a joint project among Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College, USD 253, The Emporia Gazette, the City of Emporia, the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Emporia Main Street.

 

For IPhone Users, click here: 

 

For Android Users, click here: 

 

For the iPad Version, click here: 

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/e-town-app-emporia-kansas/id712001984?mt=8 

 

For the Web Version, click here:

 

www.etownapp.com 

 

QuickBooks Fundamentals

Instructor: Bryon Rosine

Cost: $89

Schedule: Tuesday & Thursday, October 21st and 23rd from 6-9pm

Location: FHTC Downtown Campus, 215 W. 6th Avenue Rm. 302

Note: Students may bring their own laptops to work along, or simply watch the presentation and take notes.

Get a solid foundation with this well-designed program and eliminate trail and error.   Learn to set up a chart of accounts, reconcile your checking account, create and print invoices, receipts statements and estimates.  Track your payables, inventory and receivables, create journal entries, memorized transactions and generate reports, back-ups.  Accountant, Bryon Rosine, will share practical advice and helpful tips based on hands-on experience with the program. If you have just begun using QuickBooks in your office or need additional employee training, this class is perfect for you! 


 

Vegetarian Cooking Class

Trying to go meatless a little more often?  World Vegetarian Day is Oct. 1st and we thought we'd show you how to prepare an easy fall vegetarian meal to help you get started!  The menu includes a pumpkin soup with fried sage and roasted cauliflower croutons, cornbread biscuits, and mini cranberry cakes for dessert.  In honor of Eat a Cranberry Day on Nov. 23rd there will be a bonus recipe of spiced cranberry 'Martinis' (no booze, these will be mocktails)!  Bring a container to take home some leftover soup!

Cost:  $29

Instructor: Gretchen Russell

Schedule:   Tuesday, Oct 21st, 6:00-8:30pm


 

Bulk Meal Prep - Take Control of Your Life!

Making several healthy, home cooked meals to keep for those hectic days has become increasingly popular as schedules get busier. In this class, learn the tips and tricks behind the planning, shopping, and prepping process of making bulk meals for breakfast and dinner. Bring a few family favorite recipes and a laptop (not required) to begin your own bulk meal plan.

Cost:  $18

Instructor: Michelle Ernst

Schedule:   Saturday, Nov 1st, 10:00am-12:00p

 
 

To enroll in any of these classes please visit http://flinthills.augusoft.net  or call Amy at 620-341-1392.

    Halloween Activity   

Halloween- Trick or Treat and Haunted Tours
Trick or Treat will take place downtown on Saturday, October 25th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.  So far, businesses that have signed up to participate are:
Town Crier, Studio 504, Sweet Granada, Rockin Accessories, the Little Red Rooster, High Gear, AKA The Sports Fan, Studio 11, Complete Works, Java Cat, Junque Drawer Emporium, Bath Expressions, Jimmy Johns, Dynamic Discs, L & L Pets, Browns Shoe Fit,  Lyon County State Bank, Triad Leasing, Studio 504, Granada Coffee Company, High Gear Cyclery, Plum Bazaar, Flint Hills Music and Mulreadys.  If you want to participate, we need to know by October 21st.

       

The Wave Halloween Ad package giveaway!

    Auction Group Shot   

Public Improvement Auction
Proceeds from the Public Improvement Auction this year will go towards banner replacement and some other very needed aesthetic upgrades downtown.  The Public Improvement Auction is Thursday, October 30th at the Granada Theatre.  Silent auction begins at 5:30 p.m. and the live auction begins at 7:00 p.m.  Auction donations and participation are appreciated!

   

Emporia Arts Center Pottery Classes
For more information about the Emporia Arts Center, upcoming classes and events, please CLICK HERE.

    Freedom Fest Group   

Freedom Fest
Freedom Fest, a fundraiser for the local All Veteran's Memorial, is Sunday, November 9th at the All Veteran's Memorial and Soden's Grove.  A new addition to this year's activities is the "tanker tough" obstacle course challenge which will raise funds for the families of reserve duty military personnel.  For registration information, please CLICK HERE.

Property Availability Guide
For property owners with property available for rent or sale, this is a free service to collect information and post it on the Emporia Main Street Web Site.  With other market information available, we hope this site makes it easier for potential businesses and property developers to find spaces they need.
CLICK HERE to enter information about your available property and view previously submitted information.
Business Investment Guide
Business Investment Guide 
 

Do you know a business that should locate in Emporia?  Maybe you know an entrepreneur looking for resources or a business owner looking to expand?  The Business Investment Guide is community information designed to help you point your contacts in the right direction!

 

CLICK HERE for the INVESTMENT GUIDE

Holiday Continuity
   
You (and the community) asked for some direction to improve consistency, and here it is...

 

Emporia Main Street has the ability to communicate "best practices" or "generally agreed upon traditions" with the local area without saying "you MUST do this."  We don't have the power to compel independent businesses to do things they don't want to do, but we find that many businesses understand that everyone can improve through a little cooperation and consistency.

After last year's holiday season, a few businesses asked Emporia Main Street to put together a guide for holiday hours, days of operation, decorations and activities.  Our Promotions Team and Design Team, whose members are local merchants, advertisers and other concerned citizens, discussed the question and have offered these suggestions:

1.  When should businesses start "late hours"?  The general consensus among volunteers was that extended hours should start immediately after Thanksgiving.

2.  What days/hours should my business be open once late hours start?  Team volunteers stated that businesses should be open seven days a week, with store fronts open until at least 7:00 p.m. every day but Sunday (Sunday hours were a suggested 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

3.  What should I do for decorations?-  The Design Team suggested that every storefront (and upper story, when applicable) window be lined with lights and storefront lights be left on even past hours of operation to encourage window browsing and the "billboard" effect.

In response to other questions about the holiday shopping season, the two teams offer the following ideas:

1.  What should my window theme be for this year's window decoration contest?-  Emporia Main Street usually judges windows during the evening of the Chamber Christmas Parade and hands out Holiday Window WOW prizes to the top three windows.  We also submit pictures of participating windows so the public can chose their top three window designs.  In the past, we have suggested a theme that corresponded with the parade theme that window designs needed to adhere to.  After some thoughtful input from the Promotions Team, we have decided to drop the "theme" requirement from the window design contest.  Be creative in ways that help customers identify with your business type and draw people into your location.

2.  For earlier holidays, like the downtown Trick or Treat on October 25th, should I have candy outside of my front door, or inside my store?- The Trick or Treat is a great way to introduce the public to your products and services IF they actually see your products and services.  We suggest having a candy table inside your storefront towards the back of your store.  Yes, it gets a little more chaotic, but if you are giving away free candy you should get some free advertising.  We also strongly suggest that you have coupons or event flyers for adults that come into your storefront with children.  A little extra attention to adults could provide some great business opportunities during a prime shopping season.

3.  Should I have an open house?  We encourage businesses to have independent events, and Emporia Main Street would love to help you market your events through our newsletter and social media.  Send us your flyer, and we will do our best to include it in weekly updates!

4.  How can we help promote shopping specials around Thanksgiving?- Emporia Main Street will promote our electronic Holiday Shopping Guide again this year with your "Black Friday", Small Business Saturday and "Cyber Monday" specials.  Look for our request for information, and fill out your store specials.  We will send your specials out through a special electronic newsletter and social media to encourage shopping.

5.  With the extended holiday hours, are we still doing a late night?  The Promotions Team Holiday Red Ribbon Merchants suggested late night activities correspond with Horse Drawn Carriage Rides downtown.  Team members said that the Thursday nights in between Thanksgiving and Christmas provided good late night activities, with stores being exposed to carriage riders until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday nights.  Midnight Madness is on December 11th (a Thursday), so planning on staying open late on Thursdays is a good practice to get into.

6.  Can we carry Emporia Main Street ornaments and other merchandise for the holidays?  Yes.  Main Street members can carry certain merchandise, including Emporia-Opoly, Historic Playing Cards and Christmas Ornaments.  You simply need to notify us that you want to be an outlet, and we will take care of the rest.

7.  Can we decorate the lamp posts on our block?  This is something we've been asked the last couple of years...  A combination of L & L Pets, Emporia City Public Works and Main Street work together to light corner lamp posts and trees.  Interior lamp posts can be tastefully decorated with lights if businesses want to brighten up their block.  Although lamp posts are tough, they can be damaged, so be careful with planning.   

 

Again, these are voluntary activities, but at your request we collected suggestions for you.  Look through the ten items above and decide what works best for your business.  Working cooperatively with your neighbors can create a more attractive atmosphere for the consuming public and result in a more profitable fourth quarter.  Extending hours, creating new activities and establishing programming above and beyond the "norm" can be daunting, but the fourth quarter is the defining profitable quarter for many retailers restaurants and service businesses.  Take some time to determine what you can do to enhance your market position this holiday season.

 

Im a Main Streeter 

 Did you know???

Last week, we helped a businesses with some individual consulting, met with the city concerning some incentives to enhance development, spoke at the Rotary
ESU Power E
Make sure you attend ESU Homecoming Activities this week and weekend!
Club, hosted a Promotions Meeting, held a Design meeting, met with Network Kansas officials, started the planning process for the Start Your Own Business Class, attended an RDA meeting, participated in a joint "acronym group" meeting with Dr. Shonrock at ESU and highlighted some potential financing options for a couple of local businesses and property owners.  Starting this weekend, major events will take place in Emporia just about every week through 2015 (yikes).  But, all those extra activities mean some 
good questions from all of you
!
 
1.  "Does the last round of Adopt A Garden judging end this year's Adopt A Garden project?"- From an organization that adopts a garden downtown.  For most years, the answer would be "yes", but Emporia Main Street Special Projects Coordinator, Lauren Woolard, is working with local adopt a garden participants to voluntarily create Christmas Decorations within gardens this November/December.  You will hear more about this extension of the Adopt-A-Garden project in following weeks.

2. "When is the ESU Homecoming Parade?" From an individual that stopped by the office. 11:30AM, beginning at 4th Avenue and Commercial street, heading north to 12th Avenue.  For a complete list of ESU Homecoming Activities, please CLICK HERE.

Community Patrons:

Please take a few minutes to respond to a short online survey from the Emporia Public Schools. This community survey is now open for all community members who are not district employees, students in our schools, or parents of students in our schools. Those groups will be asked to take another version of the survey.

 

Your opinions are important to us. Thank you in advance. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EmporiaSchoolDistrict2014CommunitySurvey


3. "Where can we pick up Shop Hop passports?"  From a local volunteer.   You can pick up passports at lanyards at the ESU Alumni Association and various Alumni registration events.  

4.  "How will the Veteran's Banner map work, exactly?" From a few calls to the office.  There will be two components of the map.  First, a lead section will identify the banners that exist in a given block.  We won't say which banner is on a specific pole, but we will be able to tell you all the banners hung in the 300 block, for example.  The second part of the banner project map is the biography section.  This portion of the map will be arranged alphabetically in ascending order utilizing the last name of the veteran or active duty individual.  Maps are arranged in this way because banner placement may change from year to year, and we may need to insert updates to biographies or new biographies as additional banners are added in the future.  When placement is set, we will upload the banner project map to the www.emporiamainstreet.com .website, on our Emporia Main Street social media pages and we will send the map link out to local media.  This is the first year of the project, and staff felt that this was the most efficient way we could design placement and biography notification, but we welcome your input as we make improvements in future years.

 

5.  "Can only downtown businesses participate in Shop Hops or the Midnight Madness?"  From a new business in Emporia.  No.  For Midnight Madness, any Main Street member business is welcome to participate.  Some of our "outlying" members have reported huge days during Midnight Madness, but you do need to let us know that you plan on joining in.  The Shop Hop is a little more problematic.  For extended time periods (like this Saturday's 9-5 shop hop) it is pretty easy to include a wide geographical area for the Shop Hop.  For more compressed time frames that cater to out-of-town visitors, the shop hop is a little more difficult to include businesses all over town.  It simply depends on the event. 


 


 

In This Issue #266 10/14/14
ESU Homecoming Hop
Art-Oberfest
ETown Mobile Application
Flint Hills Technical College Classes
Halloween Trick or Treat
The Wave Halloween Contest
Public Improvement Auction
Emporia Arts Center
Freedom Fest
Properties Available
Business Investment Guide
Taking advantage of festival traffic
Did You Know?
Calendar of Events

President's Circle

 

ERG

Emporia Realty Group

www.emporiarealtygroup.com

608 Commercial

620-412-9850

 

IM Design Group  
 
IM Design Group

www.imdesigngroup.com

17 W. 5th

620-343-3909

KISS logo

541 Sherman

www.kiss103.1.net

620-343-6144

Benefactors 

 

Bobby D's

 

Cable One

 

ESB Financial 

 

KISS 103.1 and The Dawg

 

KVOE AM 1400KVOE FM 101.7MIX 104.9

 

Longbine Auto Plaza

 

Moon Title & Escrow

 

Price Family Enterprises 

 

Roberts Blue Barnett Funeral Home

 

Town Royal

Emporia Main Street Calendar of Events

 

October 15

Board of Directors Meeting

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

 

October 18

Art-Toberfest

4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Granada Theatre.

 

October 22

Business Enhancement Meeting

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

 

October 25

Eek Town Trick or Treat and Haunted Tours

 

October 30

Public Improvement Auction

 

November 9

Freedom Fest

 

November 29

Small Business Saturday

 

For more community event listings, please visit:

www.etownapp.com 

 

 

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! 

 

 

General Level Members

 

AKA Marketing

 

Amish Woodworks

 

Applebees

  

Ash LLC

 

Atherton & Huth

 

Bank of America

 

Bath Expressions

 

Ben Moore Studio

 

Bennett Dental Group

 

BG Consultants

 

BLI Rentals

 

Bluestem Farm and Ranch

 

Brown's Shoe Fit

 

Bruff's Bar and Grill

 

C & J Woodworks


Candlewood Suites

 

Capitol Federal

 

Cassell Insurance

 

Chester Press

  

Clark Carpet and Tile, Inc.

  

Coffelt Sign Co.

  

Complete Works

  

Country Mart/Price Chopper

 

Dan's Hands Massage

 

Davis Paints

 

Disciple Shoppe

 

Dorsey Eye Care

 

Douglas Chiropractic

 

Dr. Kerri Thompson, DDS

 

Dynamic Discs

 

Eastwood Lake Apartments

 

Ek Real Estate

 

Emporia Construction and Remodeling

 

Emporia Radio Stations: KVOE, 104.9 & 101.7

 

Emporia State Federal Credit Union

 

E-Town Solutions

 

ESU Memorial Union

 

Evergreen Design-Build

 

Flint Hills Eye Care

 

Flint Hills Mall

Association

 

Flint Hills Music

 

Floyd's Automotive

 

Forget Me Not Productions

 

Four Seasons Apartments

 

George Groh and Sons

 

Gerald Schumann Electric

 

Granada Coffee Company

 

Graves Drug Store

 

Haag Management

 

Hair Krafters

 

Heart Center Studio

 

Helbert & Allemang

 

High Gear

   

Java Cat Coffeehouse

 

Jimmy Johns

 

Junque Drawer Emporium

 

Kansas Radio 96.1 The Wave

 

King Liquor

 

L & L Pets

 

Lyon County State Bank

 

Lyon County Title 

 

Mark II Lumber

 

McDonalds

 

McKinzie Pest Control

 

Midas Touch Tans

 

Mike Alpers Agency

 

Mr. Sisters Sweets

 

Modern Air Conditioning, Inc.

  

Mulready's Pub

 

Navrats Office Supply

 

Papa John's Pizza

 

Pizza Hut

 

Pizza Ranch

 

Plum Bazaar

 

Poehler Mercantile

 

Pool and Associates

 

Prairie Sage Apartments

 

Pro-Cuts

 

Rand Simmons Law Office

 

Redline Trucking

 

Reflxns Salon

 

Rhinestone Cowgirl Salon

 

Sauder Custom Fabrication

 

Schellers Lawn and Landscape

 

Scott's Lawn and Landscaping

 

Second Love Gifts

 

Stanley Jewelry

  

Studio 11

 

Subway

 

Sunflower Gymnastics

 

Sutherlands Lumber Co.

 

Sweet Granada

 

Textbook Corner

 

Thompson Auto Repair

 

Toso Appraisal

 

Total Technology

 

Town Crier Bookstore

 

Triad Leasing

 

Uncommon Threads

 

Value-Net LLC 

 

Waters True Value Hardware

 

Westar Energy

 

Williams Automotive

 

Wright CPA Group PA

 

Wright's Furniture

 

Xan-A-Do Salon

  

Non Profit Level Members 

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters

 

Cradle to Career Cneter

 

Emporia Eastside Community Group

 

EHS- FBLA

 

Emporia Arts Council

 

Emporia Chamber of Commerce

 

Emporia Farmers Market

 

Emporia Friends of the Zoo

 

Emporia Presbyterian Church

 

Emporia Friends of the Library

 

ESU- Alumni Association

 

ESU- Small Business Development Center

 

ESU- Memorial Union

 

ESU- Theatre Dept.

 

Flint Hills Community Health Center

 

Granada Theatre Alliance

 

National Teachers Hall of Fame

 

Saint Francis Community Services

 

Salvation Army

 

SOS

 

TFI Family Services


Home Based Business Members

 

Avon- Amanda Hopkins

  

Gold Canyon Candles- Stephanie Morgan

 

Green Door Recycling

 

Interdependent Web, LLC

 

Longaberger Independent Consultant -Judy Dieker

 

Mary Kay- Lori Engle

 

Nicole Bradshaw Designs

 

Origami Owl- Angela Dowell

 

Paula's Creations

 

Pampered Chef- Chelsea Gerleman

 

Purse Lady- Nancy Crawford

 

Scentsy/ Grace Adele- Kelly Long

 

Tastefully Simple- Vanessa Apodaca

 

Thirty One Gifts- Linsey Hopkins

 

Individual Supporters

 

Amy and Rick Becker 

 

Amy Evans

 

Brad Harzman

 

Dale & Carolyn Davis

 

Don Hill

 

Erin and Casey Woods

 

Joyce Zhou

 

Julie Johnson

 

Kayle Oney

 

Kelly Wade

 

Lynn Knechtel

 

Mark and Amy McAnarney

 

Michael and Karen Shonrock

 

Valerie and Matt Zimmerman

 

Roger Heineken

 

Smitty Smith

 

Sue Blechl

 

Tim & Mary Helmer

 

Tyler & Melanie Curtis

 

Yvonne Pool

  

                                                                                       Main Street Logo                             
                                   Casey Woods                                       
Emporia Main Street
12 E. 5th Avenue
Emporia, KS 66801
(P) 620-340-6430
(F) 620-340-6434
If you only want to go where you've already been, always do what you've already done.  If you want to achieve something different, you must do things differently.