Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
It's civic duty week in Emporia! Make sure you get out and vote today, and if you want a little more "hands on" work improving your community, we have a downtown cleanup starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office this Saturday!
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The Taste is April 18th at the Civic Auditorium in downtown Emporia. This wonderful event brings together Kansas wineries, breweries, distilleries, local food and local music in a fun event.
The general Taste Ticket ($40) includes entrance to the Taste event on the Civic Auditorium floor, which includes live music, tastes from local food vendors and tastes from Kansas wineries breweries and distilleries. The general Taste begins at 6:30 p.m. and runs to 9:30 p.m.
All Taste ticket holders will receive their choice of one piece of Taste glassware and a tasting ticket. CLICK HERE for Tickets.
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Interested in being a vendor for the Glass Blown Open Block Party/Cinco de Mayo- May 2nd, or the Dirty Kanza- May 30th? CLICK HERE for the entry form!
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Do It Yourself (Mostly) Bike Repair
Warmer weather is just around the corner, which means time to get your bike road ready. This class will cover general bicycle repair: changing flats, cleaning drive train, knowing your bike, understanding tools, do's and don'ts, and basic bike knowledge. Ride your bike to class!!
Cost: $25
Instructor: Shawn Honea
Schedule: Wednesday, April 8, 7-9:00
Beginning Oil Painting
This class is designed to introduce you to oil painting . You will learn the basic elements of art (line, shape, form, space, texture, value, color), color mixing, underpainting, glazing, scumbling & appropriate disposal of materials. If you have painted before, join the class to enhance and hone the skills you already have! Supply list will be provided. For more information please email [email protected].
Cost: $99
Instructor: Alison Boughn
Schedule: Thursdays, April 9-May 14, 7-8:30pm To enroll please visit https://flinthills.augusoft.net/ or call 620-341-1392.
Amy Becker
Director of Sustainability & Community Education
Flint Hills Technical College
620-341-1392
[email protected]
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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
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Property Availability Guide
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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.
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Business Investment Guide
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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
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Who actually owns the road?
Survey responses indicate a need to emphasize sharing
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Emporia Main Street recently conducted a survey on behalf of a local alternative transportation group. I'm sure they will reference the results of the survey as they move forward with their future projects, but a brief overview of some survey responses (the responses were anonymous, so we don't know who said what) revealed some interesting trends. Several factions (drivers, bikers and pedestrians) noted an entitled sense to road ownership. Drivers often pointed out that it was "hard to see" or "we're bigger and others need to understand that". Some bicyclists noted the health benefits and tourism impact of a bicycle culture. Many pedestrians cited their inherent right to feel safe as they walked or ran along their chosen path. So, who is correct?
Everyone is correct! The road belongs to cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and more. All users have rights to the road and responsibilities on the road. Now, we could end the article right there, but this is Main Street and we like to take a historical look on the evolution of how we got to this transportation juncture and what the newest studies tell us about traffic interaction to add context to a discussion.
Most roads in the area predate mechanized vehicles. Older pictures of downtown Emporia show horses, buggies, trolleys and pedestrians together en masse as they moved about their daily lives in a dense urban environment. The Roman Empire's dominance was based, in part, on roads. Horses and pedestrians were part of road traffic almost from the inception of the road concept, and wheeled vehicles soon followed. The first verifiable modern bicycle in the United States was patented in 1818, with what most people would recognize as a "modern" design arriving in the 1880's. The first modern internal combustion engine car was patented in 1879, and the first running gasoline powered car was built in the United States in 1893. Though, the first mass production of cars didn't start until Oldsmobile started imparting the factory process on vehicle production in Lansing, Michigan in 1902.
The advent of self-propelled vehicles introduced into an environment dominated by pedestrians, horses and horse drawn carriages was fairly chaotic. When automobiles were introduced into community cores, significant speed restrictions were often imposed (under ten miles per hour), and cars were expected to navigate an area swarming with people and animals. On the rare occasion that a driver hit a pedestrian and killed them, it generally wasn't labeled an accident, and drivers were subject to manslaughter charges (if an angry mob didn't get to them first.) So, what changed? How did we change from the swell of humanity in a central business district to an ordered and auto-centric style of transportation we see today?
In the roaring 20's, "auto clubs" sprang up throughout the United States to promote the concept of driving. The technology present in cars of the time allowed them to travel much faster than an imposed ten mile an hour speed limit, and clubs lobbied for faster speeds and a change from automatic vehicular responsibility in an accident scenario to pedestrian responsibility. Some auto club members became part of public safety councils. It was during this time that the concept of jaywalking was introduced. Car companies like Packard went so far as to create fake tombstones on sidewalks that highlighted the irresponsible nature of the pedestrian "stepping into the street without looking."
As technology in personal conveyance improved, and industrialists associated with the automotive industry gathered significant resources, internal public transit systems were altered. At one time, communities like Emporia had a system of electrically controlled trolleys. Set trolley systems located in the center of streets often prevented the unfettered flow of vehicular traffic. Across twenty five major metropolitan areas in the United States, the public transit systems were evolved from set trolleys to buses via shell companies. The resulting fallout is sometimes referred to as The Great American Street Car Scandal. Once set rail based transportation systems were removed from community cores, the modern auto based core transit system was born.
The usage of the road has changed dramatically over the past century. As communities pursued policies of separation through processes like zoning, travel times expanded and people lived further away from jobs, entertainment and other amenities that once were the basis of community interaction. The same "separate" philosophy has been extended to modes of transportation. Roads are dominated by cars. Bike trails are for bikes. Running paths are for walkers/runners. But does a separatist system actually work?
When we look at studies cited in newer literature like Tactical Urbanism, Happy City, and Walkable City, we see that separating systems doesn't fix the root of the problem. The root problem is a combination of awareness, speed and respect. Regardless of your mode of transportation, you need to be aware of your surroundings and interact with them defensively. Assume that you will encounter multiple types of conveyance at any given time. Travel at speeds that allow you to comfortably avoid others within a transportation system. Respect the fact that roads are owned by everyone. Everyone has the right, unless otherwise legally specified, to utilize a road as part of their transportation network. It doesn't matter if you are a pedestrian, bike rider or in a traditional vehicle; we all have rights and responsibilities as we move through a community.
Newer traffic studies indicate something that is counter intuitive to separatist transportation thinking: putting multiple types of transportation together in the same environment frequently actually makes all types of travel safer. As bike riding, running and other forms of transportation become more common to drivers that interact with these alternate forms of transportation, they have a better understanding of how to interact. Separating forms of transportation makes interaction less frequent, and individuals don't always respond well to something "new" on the road.
We are entering a very busy period for Emporia. Over the next few months you will see bike travel and pedestrian traffic increase significantly all over town. With the epidemics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in this country, we should be ecstatic that people are taking the initiative to get healthy through exercise. With our need to function as a community with engaged citizens, we should be proud of people that get outside their own four walls to interact with their city. So, lets remember this year to get out and explore your community in different ways. Get healthy. Get some fresh air, and respect everyone regardless of the way they chose to use the road while respecting the rules of the road meant to keep us safe.
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Did you know???
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Last week we attended the National Main Street Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. We also participated in Emporia State University's entrepreneurial challenge judging
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Governor Deal of Georgia addressed the crowd at the National Main Street Conference. Georgia was recently ranked the number one state to do business, and utilizing Main Street's to attract and retain talent is a major part of their economic successful development strategy.
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panel, clarified some information for a business looking for some rental opportunities in downtown Emporia, helped with some paperwork required for alternative funding for a business, clarified some of the processes surrounding tax credits for a specific project, gave a presentation to a national audience of core redevelopment specialists and prepared for many upcoming events. Although we spent most of last week out of the state, people managed to stay in touch, and we came back to a BUNCH of messages and
some good questions from all of you
1. "How was nationals?"- From a few community members. The learning sessions were pretty good. You always have a few hits and misses, but the entire team of attendees (Tracy Holroyd, Amy Becker, Becky Smith and myself) had quite a few "ah ha moments" throughout the conference. The power of Main Street lies within collaborative opportunities and regions pushing for improvements. Next year's conference will be in Milwaukee, and I know all of us were looking forward to a more mid-western vibe. Nothing against the deep south, but I'm not a fan of major metro areas.
2. "What do you think of the student presentations?" From an ESU School of Business official. Some of the presentations were really impressive. Some need a little work, but I'm looking forward to the resource fair to see how students adapt to the feedback given. The process of transitioning from "thinking" to "doing" can be difficult for some, but it looks like the School of Business at Emporia State University is working hard to adapt their program to achieve more tangible results.
3. "How can local businesses utilize Fort Riley soldiers?" From two officers from Ft. Riley. Fort Riley has about 3,500 soldiers that leave the service every year. We have several defined work force needs that translate well to the skills acquired through military service. We also have two educational institutions locally that can increase their enrollment while training soldiers for careers outside the military. The next step in the process is creating a more formalized program that can expose soldiers that will be leaving the service to employment and educational opportunities in Emporia. We are working on how that process would potentially look with area partners, and hopefully we will have an equitable solution soon.
4. "What are you doing during the clean up Saturday?" From a (potential) volunteer. We have some opportunities for painting, weeding, spraying areas, trash pick up and a few more technical jobs. The more people we have that show up this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Emporia Main Street office, the more we can accomplish.
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Happy Hour Specials- 4 to 7 p.m.
Monday- Our Signature Drinks are $1 off
Tuesday- All Draws are $1 off
Wednesday- Dealers Choice (whatever we're in the mood to do!)
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5. "Empty buildings don't really cost us anything, do they?" From a long time downtown business owner. I understand the need for property rights, but rights should be coupled with responsibilities. Chronically vacant properties do have real costs for a community. Those costs were recently quantified in a study commissioned by the Iowa Main Street program that utilized the services of renowned economist Donovan Rypkema. Please see the image below for the actual costs incurred by a Midwestern city for each chronically vacant building. CLICK HERE for the full report.
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President's Circle
Emporia Realty Group
www.emporiarealtygroup.com
608 Commercial
620-412-9850
IM Design Group
www.imdesigngroup.com
17 W. 5th
620-343-3909
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541 Sherman
www.kiss103.1.net
620-343-6144
Brickyard 20 Ale House
402 Merchant
www.brickyard20alehouse.com
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Emporia Main Street Calendar of Events
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April 8
Promotions Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
Design Meeting
Noon in the Emporia Main Street office.
April 11
Downtown Work Day
9:30 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office.
April 15
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office.
April 18
The Taste
April 22
Business Enhancement Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
April 28- May 3
Glass Blown Open
May 2
Cinco de Mayo and Glass Blown Open Block Party
Noon to 10:00 p.m.
May 16
Flatland Cruisers Car Show
May 30
The Dirty Kanza
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!
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General Level Members
AKA Marketing
Amish Woodworks
Applebees
Ash LLC
Atherton & Huth
Bank of America
Bath Expressions
The Beauty Bar
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
DG Wingz
Disciple Shoppe
Dorsey Eye Care
Douglas Chiropractic
Dr. Kerri Thompson, DDS
Dynamic Discs
Eastwood Lake Apartments
Eclectic Bikes
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
Little Red Rooster
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
Paper Moon Antiques
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
Rockin' Accessories
Sauder Custom Fabrication
Schellers Lawn and Landscape
Scott's Lawn and Landscaping
Second Love Gifts
Stanley Jewelry
Studio 11
Studio 50.4
Subway
Sunflower Gymnastics
Sutherlands Lumber Co.
Sweet Granada
Textbook Corner
Thompson Auto Repair
Thrifts and Gifts
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
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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
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Home Based Business Members
Avon- Amanda Hopkins
Gold Canyon Candles- Stephanie Morgan
Green Door Recycling
Interdependent Web, LLC
Mary Kay- Lori Engle
Origami Owl- Angela Dowell
Paula's Creations
Pampered Chef- Chelsea Gerleman
Purse Lady- Nancy Crawford
Tastefully Simple- Vanessa Apodaca
Thirty One Gifts- Linsey Hopkins
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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
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