SUBMITTED by Jerry M. Ashley, Lyons Main Street Program (17-Feb-2010)
2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Lyons Main Street Program--we have many events planned to bring folks into our village to spend their money. Each and every event is planned to bring maximum exposure to all of Lyons. Our intent is to make our streets vibrant and inviting. The past year was spent raising the bar, now it is up to all of us to keep the momentum going. We have the opportunity to cash in on our 2009 successes and here is how you can help: Volunteer to sit on one of the event committees! We never ask for more of your time than you can possibly give. Our volunteers have found that we make it fun--even if we are staging a clean-up on one of our business district streets.
We need volunteers for the following events:
These are fun events that are fun to stage--we could use your imagination! Email the LMSP at lyonsmainstreetprogram [at] gmail [dot] com and tell me which committee you can volunteer to assist. Leave me your name and contact info and the event you would like to help with!
2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Lyons Main Street Program--we have many events planned to bring folks into our village to spend their money. Each and every event is planned to bring maximum exposure to all of Lyons. Our intent is to make our streets vibrant and inviting. The past year was spent raising the bar, now it is up to all of us to keep the momentum going. We have the opportunity to cash in on our 2009 successes and here is how you can help: Volunteer to sit on one of the event committees! We never ask for more of your time than you can possibly give. Our volunteers have found that we make it fun--even if we are staging a clean-up on one of our business district streets.
We need volunteers for the following events:
- "Wailin' on the Water...Jazz on the Erie"
- our newest festival that celebrates the Canal and the arts, 8 May 2010
- "20th Anniversary Peppermint Days Grand Parade"
- the LMSP will host and produce the 20th Anniversary parade, 10 July 2010
- "Historic Lyons Fall Harvest Festival/Costume Parade/Street Dance"
- our "2nd Annual Pearl Street Pumpkin Roll", 23 October 2010
- "Peppermint Winter Wonderland" and "Light Up the Park"
- help light up our village square, 27 November 2010
- "Peppermint Winter Wonderland" and "Light Up Lyons Holiday Lights Parade"
- our 2nd Annual lights parade, 4 December 2010
These are fun events that are fun to stage--we could use your imagination! Email the LMSP at lyonsmainstreetprogram [at] gmail [dot] com and tell me which committee you can volunteer to assist. Leave me your name and contact info and the event you would like to help with!
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Anonymous Said,
All these little events are fine but what about revitalizing downtown. Wasn't that the whole pupose of the Mainstreet Program. I think more efforts should be put into filling some of the many empty stores on main street and not having these one day typical events that every other town has too.
Posted on Tue Feb 23, 11:13:00 PM EST
Jerry Ashley, Lyons Main Street Program Manager Said,
The Lyons Main Street Program would be happy to hear any suggestions you might have on how best to fill up our empty storefronts. One of the four Committees that are manned strictly by volunteers is the Economic Restructing Committee. the other three committees are Organization, Design and Promotional. The Economic Restructuring Committee is chaired by Eileen Lutz, Executive Director of CASH, and committee members include: CJ Britt, VP of Lyons NAtional Bank, Sean Dobbins (owner of Dobbins Drugs and Old Lyons Hardware) Andy Richardson (member of school board), Jim Brady (Lyons IDC), Peg Churchill (Executive Director of wayne County IDA), Sharon Lilla (Wayne County Planning), and David Alena (retired, Lyons CSD). The ER Committee meets at least once a month to review strategies and discuss plans to attract new business and tourism. There are a lot of competing communities that are doing what they can to attract the business dollar. For Lyons to win out over the competition we have to make Lyons an attractive alternative. We have to have a marketing strategy to draw folks into our village. It isn't possible to open new businesses in a town that is not attracting folks to it. We are facing tough economic times, to be sure, but no one is going to open a business in a district that doesn't draw folks into it. Lyons has had many negative peceptions that have built up over 25-30 years. None of us woke up one morning to find our business district run down, a bit tatty, and less than desireable - it happened over time. Turning around Lyons has not and will not be easy. Festivals and events are one of many ways to dispell the negative perception which others in our region, including our own residents and officals,have painted Lyons. The special event activites, coupled with volunteer efforts to clean up what makes us look bad while working with code enforcement to address code violations dress up the area in question. The LMSP Economic Restructuring Committee is working with local law makers (town, village and county), financial institutions, small business and minority agencies, the Wayne County Industrial Agency and Lyons Industrial Development Corporation to put together new business incintives and guidebooks while referring potential businessmen and women to the appropriate organizations. Offering reduced rents and tax packages are what will bring new businesses. However,working out the details takes times and volunteer effort. Maybe you could find the time to assist with our program to help bring in new businesses. The National Main Street model is working in 45 of the 50 states and in over 1,600 communities. Each of them struggled just as we are but they have made a huge difference and have succeeded in giving their community a stronger business core. I strongly urge you to go to www.preservationnation.org and explore what other communities are doing. There is a lot going on behind the scenes here in Lyons that doesn't get the publicity it deserves. Many folks are spending a lot of time and effort to make their community stronger. We need your help - why not put in some effort yourself? Why not put forth the effort to help all of Lyons?
Posted on Wed Feb 24, 11:45:00 AM EST