Coos Bay Downtown Association

Transcription

1 Coos Bay Downtown Association P O Box 482 Coos Bay, Oregon June 2014 President s Corner An Update from Doug Woolsey, President I d like to thank everyone involved in all the events that happened in the month of May. It was a busy one! What a great event the Tall Ships Week turned out to be. It was great to see all the people downtown for this event. Knowing how much this event has grown and improved over the past few years, I can t wait to see what next year brings. I would also like to thank everyone involved with the Farmer s Market. We have had a great start this year. We had the biggest opening day in the history of the Farmers Market and that momentum has carried on. We usually do not see this many vendors or such high attendance until July. So if you haven t made it downtown on Wednesday I would recommend checking it out next week. We have almost completed the process for hiring a new Main Street Manager and are looking to finish up next week. That being said, Katherine Hayes will only be with us for about a month and a half more. Katherine has done a great job for us and she will be greatly missed. Please wish her the best of luck before she leaves. Take advantage of all the great weather we have been having! Get outside and take a walk in your downtown, Shop, Eat, and Mingle. I hope to see you Downtown. Whats Up on Main Street! Katherine Hayes, Main Street Manager Last month, Board Member Deb Lal and I attended the National Main Street Conference in Detroit, Michigan. The conference brings together Main Street communities, consultants and enthusiasts from all over the country to participate in workshops on relevant topics in downtown revitalization. It also celebrates all of the great work being done in downtowns across America. National Main Street conferences are great because so many excited and passionate people come together at one time; however, it is easy to become overwhelmed by all of the amazing ideas-suddenly there are one hundred new things you would like to try in your own community. In order to make the most of the conference, Deb and I split our time between seminars and mobile workshops with a debrief at the end to go over what we had learned.

2 A Thriving Downtown Detroit Bakery Visited During a Mobile Workshop Here are some of the key takeaways that the CBDA will be adopting to make downtown Coos Bay an even better place to live, work, and play: Perhaps most importantly, by the end of the conference Deb and I came to a full realization of how many things the CBDA is doing right and just how many wonderful things Coos Bay is doing in downtown revitalization. The Coos Bay Downtown Association has been active over the last several years in building our partnerships within the community. We regularly partner with the City of Coos Bay, Chamber of Commerce, Visitor Convention Bureau, Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association, media outlets, and more on projects ranging from flower baskets to wayfinding signs, walking maps, and events. Coos Bay has also demonstrated a commitment to revitalization through the Downtown Wine Walk, preservation of the Egyptian Theatre, construction of the new Historical and Maritime Museum, and participation in the Façade Improvement Grant Program. The CBDA already organizes several successful events but, through the conference, we were able to identify ways to make them even better. For example, the Farmers Market has seen exponential growth in the number of vendors during the current season, but how can we further develop the market to promote healthy lifestyles in the community? One step toward this goal is that, very soon, we will be accepting SNAP food benefits at the market. Other avenues for promoting healthy living include hosting demo tents at the market showing how use, prepare, and preserve produce offered by the vendors; and leading students and families through a tour of the market to showcase what we offer and how they can use it. During the course of the conference, we also identified several steps we need to take to improve the work we do in revitalization. Foremost among these is improving our communication methods both internally (among staff, Board Members, and committee volunteers) and with the community. As a community non-profit, it is important that we continually engage with downtown business owners, property owners, city residents, other organizations, and partners to let them know what we have going on, how they can get involved, what they would like to see happen in downtown, and how we can support each other s missions. At the end of the day, I firmly believe in the importance of downtown revitalization and the National Main Street conference was another reminder of how fun and rewarding revitalization can be. Whether you are 5 years old or 75 years old, everyone can get involved in revitalization and everyone can enjoy the benefits of a great downtown; and it is this philosophy that drives the mission of the Coos Bay Downtown Association every day. Welcome New Egyptian Theater Executive Director, Kara Long! After a nation-wide search using the League of Historic American Theatres, we have hired an exciting and well experienced Executive Director/Theatre Manager for our Egyptian Theatre! Kara Long will be joining us from Delaware, Ohio where she has very successfully managed the operation of another historic theatre, The Strand, for the last 12 years. Kara has arrived in Coos Bay and officially started managing our theatre the day after Memorial Day. Kara has been running a mile-aminute in working with us to plan our July performance schedule and get us ready for a truly Grand Re-Opening on June 20-22!

3 Egyptian Theater Grand Re-Opening Celebration In just a few short weeks, the Egyptian Theatre will once again be opening its doors thanks to the hard work of the Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association and City of Coos Bay. Celebrate this great event by participating some of the Grand Re-Opening Activities: Friday, June 20 5:00-7:00pm, Grand Re-Opening Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting with tours of the Theatre to follow 7:00-7:30pm, Wurlitzer Organ Concert with Paul Quarino 7:30pm, Silent Movie Festival Tall ships week was a great success this year. Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain made their annual visit to Coos Bay between May 1 and May 12. Visitors and locals toured the ships, sailed out to the McCullough Bridge and back and participated in mock battles in the Bay. Festivities started with the Ribbon Cutting by the Chamber Ambassadors followed by the first Friday Wine Walk, and included a Downtown Treasure Hunt, Restaurant Week, the formal Reconciliation Ceremony, Meet the Crew, and wrapped up with the first annual O Ship Pub Crawl. Saturday, June 21 11:00am-4:00pm, Theatre open for tours, popcorn, and live music on stage 11:00-4:00pm, Egyptian Souk market and Street Fair (in the pedway) 7:00-7:30pm, Wurlitzer Organ Concert with Lee Littlefield 7:30pm, Feature Film It s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (25 cent admission) Sunday, June 22 12:30-1:00pm, Wurlitzer Organ Concert with Lee Littlefield 1:00pm, Matinee showing of the musical 1776 Tall Ships Week Was A Great Success! Thank you to all the restaurants who participated in Restaurant Week and the pubs who participated in the Pub Crawl. And a special thanks to Yellow Cab for supporting the Pub Crawl. Congratulations to the Boat Building Center on a successful week. The Coos Bay Downtown Association enjoyed this partnership opportunity and we look forward to making it even bigger and better next year! Farmer s Market Update The Coos Bay Farmers' Market kicked off the 2014 season on Wednesday, May 7th with the largest number of vendors and participants on record! We also had record breaking beautiful weather for the first few weeks of the market.

4 Along with new vendors and offerings, we will be offering SNAP this year. Stay tuned for more information. CONNECT! the Boardwalks COMMUNITY WALK Saturday, June 21, am Meet at California Street Pier at the North Bend Boardwalk Kim S. Griffin, a long time resident of the Coos Bay Area, will lead the long walk, which is approximately 4.8 miles, and should take about 2.5 hours. There will also be a short walk, which will be led by Don Luce. The short walk is approximately 1.3 miles, and should take about 1 hour. They will divulge historic secrets, intriguing details and tall tales, as well as highlight access and connectivity issues. Shuttles will be available at the beginning of the walk to transport walkers from the parking area at California Street Pier at North Bend Boardwalk to the Coos Bay Boardwalk where walkers will gather before heading off on their choice of the long or short walk. A shuttle will return those enjoying the short walk to the California Street Pier at North Bend Boardwalk. Those who wish to self-shuttle or walk the round trip are welcome to do so. Shuttles are available for walkers and service dogs only. Remember to wear weather appropriate walking clothes and shoes. Most of this in town walk will be on pavement. Bring your own water and snacks, and dog walkers, please remember your doggie bags and water for the pups. This Community Walk is presented by CONNECT! the Boardwalks, a community organization supporting the creation and improvement of the Coos Waterfront Park and Walkway, together with South Coast Striders. For additional information please visit our Facebook Page Connect the Boardwalks, our website at or contact us at mzconnect@charter.net or Welcome To the Neighborhood! Please join us in welcoming four new businesses to Downtown Coos Bay! We are very excited to have them join us. Love My Size Boutique located at 184 Market Avenue. Stop by and say hello to Dede Lofthouse and Colleen Wylie while you enjoy the ambiance of their store. The store offers plus-size clothing for women, as well as accessories like scarves and jewelry. Regular business hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Gilly s New York Style Deli located at 135 Anderson offering authentic New York deli sandwiches. Owner Aaron Gilbert brings 33 years of New York experience to this family owned and operated deli. Check out their Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.

5 170 2 nd Ave. Suite 201, previously known as the Umpqua Bank building. Check out their website at Calling All Artisans The 32 nd annual Blackberry Arts Festival will be held the 4 th weekend of August, 23rd 24 th. This is a juried art festival. Get your application package submitted now. Applications and rules are available on the CBDA website: Your Space Design coming soon to 201 Central Avenue. Owner Terry Pittenger is moving her interior design business and showroom to downtown Coos Bay. Downtown Events First Friday Wine Walk Friday, June 6 5pm 7:30pm. Pick up your map and glass at the Visitor Information Center. Coos Bay City Council & Urban Renewal Agency Meetings Tuesday, June 3rd at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall CBDA Board Meeting Monday, June 9 at 11:30 a.m. in the Visitor Information Center conference room Father s Day Sunday, June 15th Coos Bay City Council & Urban Renewal Agency Meetings Tuesday, June 17th at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall Egyptian Theater Grand Re-Opening Celebration - Friday, June 20 through Sunday June 22 Bay Area Events Calendar High Road Wealth Advisors Anyone interested in events happening in the Bay Area can find information on the Visitor and Convention Bureau s website. To view events, visit Information may also be obtained by stopping by the Coos Bay Visitor Information Center or calling HighRoad Wealth Advisors is a privately owned, independent financial services firm serving individuals, families, and institutions. Founding partners Jason Finnagan and Josh Snoddy are both locals. They have opened their offices at

6 Save the Date! Saturday, June 21 st Come Downtown And Be Part of History! CONNECT! The Boardwalks COMMUNITY WALK 09:00 am (see the article in the newsletter for details) Egyptian Theatre Grand Reopening! 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Theatre open for free tours, popcorn and live music on stage 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Egyptian Souk (Market & Street Fair) on the "Egyptian Plaza" pedway - sponsored by the Coos Bay Downtown Association 6:30 PM - Theatre doors reopen 7:00-7:30 PM - Wurlizter Organ Concert - Lee Littlefield 7:30 PM - Feature Film: "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (25 cent admission as in 1925)