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It's time to review fire planning, everybody.
The *first* line of defense against fire is day-to-day prevention and safety awareness in every structure in our community. The *last* line of defense, of course, is our Lindsborg Fire Department. LFD is a 20-member volunteer corps that fields about 75 calls each year in the city limits and in the county, too. Our firefighters maintain certification at level I or II and train twice a month at the Safety Center in the 300 block of East Lincoln. They rotate being on call 24/7. In the gap is insurance. We pay for insurance just in case the worst happens. Across America, insurance rates are set in part through rankings called fire protection classes. These rankings are based in part on firefighting equipment and training, water supply, and alarm/communication systems. Class 1 is best and Class 10 is least. Lindsborg's fire protection class is 5. The Lindsborg Fire Department is trying to improve our local protection class. First order of business: a process called fire pre-planning in which the department maintains up-to-date building sketches (access, floor plans, alarms, sprinklers, utility shutoff locations) as well as charts of nearest hydrants and owner/occupant contact info. In mid April, Lindsborg Fire Department volunteers will begin visiting each building in the downtown area to collect key fire pre-planning information. We ask you to thank our local fire department crew members when they come to call -- and help them help us. Thanks!
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• Please join with us in cheering on Smoky Valley High School students and their families during Promenade starting at 5:30 p.m. this Saturday, April 1, outside the J.O. Sundstrom Conference Center. Students will pull up in front of Prom 2017 in the transportation of their choice -- from shiny and sleek to, ahem, alternative. Main Street will be blocked for an hour as students walk a red carpet into the Sundstrom, complete with announcements and music. Even if you don't know a student personally, it's a delight to see them dressed to the nines and watch them have fun. C'mon out, please.
• Just think. Within the space of 48 hours between April 7 and 9, Lindsborg will be host professional musical talent of the highest caliber. On Friday night, April 7, we'll be able to sample various instrumental and vocal jazz styles during the Lindsborg Landmark Concert Series laid-back jazz walk. In four downtown locations, musicians of national note will be performing to come-and-go, strolling audiences. It's free. To finish the evening, everyone is invited to join in a New Orleans-style procession to the final venue at 104 N. Second, where all the musicians will gather for a final jam around 8:30 p.m. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 9, we'll be able to enjoy one of the world's premiere acapella groups when Take Six commands the Presser Hall stage as part of Bethany College's Messiah Festival. Take Six live and breathe the close harmonies of gospel, old-time, classic and jazz. You'll be fascinated. You'll want to say you were there to see this Grammy-winning group. So: Please "like" the Facebook page for Lindsborg Landmark Concert Series and share details of its jazz walk. Please consider buying Take Six tickets for yourself, your staff or clients. They are available at www.messiahfestival.org or by calling the festival office at 785-227-3380, ext. 8235. • We also invite you to "like" and share monthly Facebook details of upcoming second Friday Makers Street demonstrations, classes and exhibits. • Please also share word of the Lindsborg Collects show of 40 locally collected art and craft and their back stories. That's 104 N. Second, open most weekend afternoons through Sunday, April 17. Beautifully laid out with fascinating background of what the people of 67456 value about the visual arts. April 1: Promenade for SVHS Prom 2017 Apr 1-2: Swedish Genealogy Workshop at McPherson County Old Mill Museum Apr 2: Kansas Dialogue meets in Lindsborg at the J.O. Sundstrom Center Apr 6-8: large antique auto club meeting in Lindsborg with overnights Apr 6-16: Bethany College’s Messiah Festival of Arts and Music www.messiahfestival.org Apr 7: Landmark Concert Series Jazz Walk/M Dreier Apr 9: Performance by Take Six/Palm Sunday Apr 14: Performance of Bach’s “Passion” April 14: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk Apr 15: State Travel and Tourism "Instameet" on photography at J.O. Sundstrom Apr 16: Performance of Handel’s “Messiah”/Easter Apr 29: Lindsborg In Bloom, a celebration of the '60s Apr 29: Raymer Society/Red Barn Studio consignment auction@Trinity Church May 6-7: Millfest at McPherson County Old Mill May 6-7: Kansas Sampler Festival/Lindsborg goes to Winfield May 6: City-Wide Garage Sale May 12: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk May 13: SVHS graduation ceremony at Presser Hall May 14: Mothers Day May 21: Bethany College baccalaureate and commencement May 29: Memorial Day  Three women are creating sweet business succession for two Lindsborg businesses.
The women — Molly Johnson (right), Liz Lahodny (center) and Carol Gusenius — together have fabricated paths for two Lindsborg businesses to smoothly continue: one a lively Main Street retailer called The Good Merchant and the other Lindsborg Realty with its accumulated 28 years of experience and contacts. Business development experts say that the handing forward of business experience and energy through succession is a healthy sign for any community, large or small. Chad Jackson, Ph.D, of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Kansas State University, said, “Any time there is a successful business exit in a community it brings tremendous excitement and helps to build the momentum that is needed for a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. “Pairing that business succession with added mentoring and support helps to ensure the continued success of the business." Lindsborg has benefitted from several solid business successions in recent years, including interesting stories involving Blacksmith Coffee Shop and Roastery, The Old Grind, The White Peacock Coffee and Tea Company, and The Hemslojd, among others. For the three women in this story, the dominoes of succession began to coalesce a couple of years ago when Lahodny, who has worked as a part-time agent for Lindsborg Realty for several years, started talking with Gusenius about a full-time future in real estate. “I wasn’t ready to make a change and neither was she,” said Lahodny. “But just talking about the future with Carol helped me see a possible path.” Gusenius and Lahodny agreed that with Lindsborg’s position in the residential housing marketplace remaining strong, Lindsborg Realty could be a platform they could both use — and build new reach. Gusenius said, “Liz and I have a similar background and work ethic. It was easy to be confident in her abilities and envision a future time to sell the agency and still keep my hand in. “It’s exciting that people continue seek out Lindsborg,” Gusenius added. “They notice a thriving small business district and good news at Bethany College, among other things.” Meanwhile, the energetic Molly Johnson, alumni relations director for Bethany College, had been a loyal customer of Lahodny’s The Good Merchant. “From the beginning of the store five years ago, I always loved the vibe that Liz created in her place,” said Johnson, spouse and mother of two young children who also is active in the arts. “It was an eclectic selection ranging from vintage and upcycled decor to gifts, clothing and everyday comforts. Something new and different all the time.” Within the last year, Johnson went on a vintage market buying trip for Lahodny’s store. The planning and selling was fun for both Johnson and Lahodny. “In a spur of the moment thing, I asked Molly one day if she’d like to buy The Good Merchant at some point,” said Lahodny. Johnson expressed interest yet it made her think hard about how it would feel for her to alter connections to her beloved alma mater Bethany College. “I concluded that I also could be helpful to Bethany from Lindsborg’s Main Street,” she added. Within the last few weeks, the dominoes of succession aligned. Now they are starting to fall. Johnson logged her first day as owner of The Good Merchant on March 20, working side by side with Lahodny on the day-to-day transitions. Lahodny will continue to work at The Good Merchant for several weeks and be on call for Johnson over the longer term. By later this spring, Lahodny will have licensure as a real estate broker, and by summer the completion of Lindsborg Realty’s sale to Lahodny will be complete. Gusenius will continue in a mentorship and sales role. Gusenius said the successions didn’t happen with a snap of the fingers, but with “a little old-fashioned networking, a lot of good things can happen.” • Lindsborg Våffeldagen returns this Saturday, March 25, with hot waffles to eat and spring greetings from roaming Waffle People. Guides to dining options can be found at downtown merchants.
• Also March 25: the grand opening of Rendezvous Adventure Outfitters at 113 N. Main Street. Owners Rick and Julie Bodenhamer are offering samples, drawings and more, so if you have not been in to say hi and welcome them to Lindsborg, it's an excellent day to do that. • That day, also please cruise by for complimentary coffee at Blacksmith Coffee Shop sponsored by our friends at Nex-Tech Wireless, a Kansas-based firm and local supporter of good stuff. Say hi to Lindsborg's own Chandra Ackerman. • Have you heard that Lindsborg will welcome its 34th wild Dala horse at the new Auburn Pharmacies location across from Scott's Hometown Foods? The unveiling is planned for Saturday, May 6, during a grand opening party at the new Auburn location. Auburn is inviting all of us to propose names for its wild Dala. Enter up to three names by March 31 for a chance to win bluetooth speakers.Official entries at the current Auburn location. C'mon, Phrasemakers of Lindsborg! We know you're able to name this Dala. • Were you proud of Lindsborg while leafing through the spring issue of "Explore Lindsborg," a special advertising section about our community published last weekend by The Salina Journal? It is the most successful special section of its kind produced by The Journal. On salina.com, the section logs 16,000 page views, more than double that of other special sections. Extra paper copies of the section will be distributed at the this year's Kansas Sampler Festival, as well as in local businesses as long as they last. Warm thanks to advertisers who help carry our community message; also to Erica Green and her talented cohorts at The Journal. Big thanks to Tricia Clark at the Lindsborg CVB, who writes the lion's share of the stories, organizes photography, and helps CVB director Holly Lofton set the agenda for the section. (Did you read in the special section that Lindsborg's median age is an enviable 37?) • We invite you to "like" the Lindsborg Landmark Concert Series Facebook page. The series, founded by trumpeter and Fuqua Insurance's Mike Dreier and sponsored by local and area organizations, is in its second year. The first Landmark Concert of 2017 will be a Jazz Walk in downtown Lindsborg on Friday, Apr. 7, starting at 7 p.m. Major sponsorship is by the Lindsborg Arts Council. We'll offer details in a future News and Notes; however, we encourage you to make plans now. It will be a night to relish and remember with friends and family. And free of charge? Yes. (Local retailers, you're gonna want to plan for later hours, BTW.) • Need skillz in FB for Business? Free on-screen learning session 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, March 16, in City Council chambers on the second floor of City Hall.
• A group called Kansas Dialogue regularly convenes for issues discussions. Kansas Dialogue is well-known and attracts opinion makers from across the spectrum. Good news: Kansas Dialogue will convene in Lindsborg on Sunday, Apr. 2, for its spring meet up. We strongly encourage retailers, museums and food establishments to be open that Sunday afternoon if at all possible. Let's showcase our community and college as worthy of a reputation as an energetic and creative rural place. KD plans a 4 p.m. reception at the Sundstrom Center, 5 p.m. early dinner, with conversation following until about 8 p.m. See KD registration and how it is promoting Lindsborg here: http://www.kansasdialogue.com/Lindsborg.html • Also in April: A large antique auto club will be overnighting in Lindsborg the 6th through 8th. We feel certain that this group will *love* the exciting Landmark Concert Series jazz walk on Friday evening, Apr 7, as well as other cultural opportunities associated with the Messiah Festival or Art and Music. Please stay alert to welcome and help (and *do* wave at those antique cars.) • Another April landmark: Kansas Travel and Tourism is busy promoting its statewide "Instameet" in Lindsborg on Saturday, Apr 15. At noon, about 150 will gather at the J.O. Sundstrom Center to hear Lindsborg photographer Jim Richardson show how to create better pictures with iPhones. The audience and their friends/families will be encouraged to stay on and train their cameras on the Smoky Valley -- from Coronado Heights to special music and dance performances to classic local scenes. We hope that the Lindsborg Instameet will generate social media coverage for Kansas and Lindsborg via the use of hashtags such as #noplacelikeKS and #lbk or #lindsborg -- as well as create a few more devotees of The Borg. What can you do to help showcase Lindsborg that day? Would you or your organization be willing to set up a colorful, ready-made-for-pictures situation for this group? If you have an idea, please shoot it, ahem, to Holly Lofton at the Lindsborg CVB at cvb@lindsborgcity.org • Now is the time to chat up the scheduled performance in Presser Hall by Grammy-winning vocalists of "Take Six" on Palm Sunday, April 9. Here's the background... Take 6 (Alvin Chea, Khristian Dentley, Joel Kibble, Mark Kibble, Claude McKnight, and Dave Thomas), heralded by Quincy Jones as the “baddest vocal cats on the planet,” is the quintessential a cappella group and model for vocal genius. Six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. With praise from such luminaries as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston, Take 6 is recognized as the pre-eminent a cappella group in the world. Tix in three categories, $35, $40 and $45. Call 785-227-3380 ext. 8235. More info: www.messiahfestival.org Mar 19: opening reception 3-6 p.m. for Lindsborg Collects, an exhibit of more than 40 pieces of art collected in 67456 Mar 20-24: Spring break both SV Schools & Bethany College Mar 25: Lindsborg Våffeldagen celebrating the mighty waffle Apr 1-2: Swedish Genealogy Workshop at McPherson County Old Mill Museum Apr 2: Kansas Dialogue meets in Lindsborg at the J.O. Sundstrom Center Apr 6-8: large antique auto club meeting in Lindsborg with overnights Apr 6-16: Bethany College’s Messiah Festival of Arts and Music www.messiahfestival.org Apr 7: Landmark Concert Series Jazz Walk/M Dreier Apr 9: Performance by Take Six/Palm Sunday Apr 14: Performance of Bach’s “Passion” April 14: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk Apr 16: Performance of Handel’s “Messiah”/Easter Apr 22: Earth Day Apr 23: National Picnic Day Apr 29: Lindsborg In Bloom, a celebration of the '60s Apr 29: Raymer Society/Red Barn Studio consignment auction@Trinity Church May 6-7: Millfest at McPherson County Old Mill May 6-7: Kansas Sampler Festival/Lindsborg goes to Winfield May 6: City-Wide Garage Sale May 12: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk May 13: SVHS graduation ceremony at Presser Hall May 14: Mothers Day May 21: Bethany College baccalaureate and commencement May 29: Memorial Day There is a renewed effort to assure that seating and flower pots placed on downtown area sidewalks are in harmony with city ordinances. This effort is part of what we want to be an ongoing effort to increase communication on city ordinances and property/business owner expectations.
Most pots and seating now seen in the downtown area meet the ordinance expectations for placement, durability and appearance. However, few of these placements are represented by an actual city license. Lindsborg’s ordinance requires that a yearly license application be filed. The main focus of this effort: safety, first of all, and assuring the existence of insurance that would cover accident claims. There also is focus on keeping enhancements well maintained as years go by. The balancing act, of course, is in promoting safety, maintenance, and insurance coverage while at the same time encouraging business owners to add at their own cost seating and plantings to the downtown look. We *want more* of these enhancements, especially in the 100 block of South Main. These amenities are part of the public good; they are signs of an inviting place to live and visit. To that end, the Lindsborg City Council approved an application that: 1.) is a single page, and 2.) has either no fee or a fee of just $25 per year, depending on the complexity of the application. We do appreciate the work that City of Lindsborg staff has done to make this process easier and cheaper. So, how to proceed? How to organize around this? • If you already have obtained a license that covers flower pots and seating, do nothing now and remember to renew your license each year. Cheers to you for being ahead of the curve. • If you do not have a license and want flower pots and seating on the sidewalk in front of your building — either in the tree line or next to the building — fill out the one-page application (below) and sign the “hold harmless agreement.” Also please attach proof that you hold liability insurance in the amount of $1 million per occurrence. If you are unsure what that proof looks like, consult your insurance agent. It's easy. • If you do not have a license and would like to place flower pots or seating in places other than in the tree line or next to the building, first prepare an informal sketch or plan for these streetscape enhancements and consult with community development director Gary Shogren at City Hall. Gary can walk you through the process from there. All applications, simple to complex, are reviewed by the City’s Design Review Board, and its members are appointed by the Lindsborg City Council. Not every downtown property/business owner receives our News and Notes. So please pass the word if you are so moved and opportunity presents. The pace is spinning up! Stay tuned for more details later this week. In the meantime...
• Historic redeveloper Jim Prugh and family needed to reschedule their Lindsborg trip. Thus, no after-hours tonight at Farley's Bar and Grill, as was earlier announced. • Because you asked for it... Practical coaching on how to use Facebook for business at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 16, on the big screen in City Council Chambers at City Hall. About 30-40 minutes, then adjourn for refreshments. • Downtown area's street tree lights are coming down for the season. As temps warm later this week, you'll see Guru of the Lights Merle Larson at work unwinding the white. Please get out there and help if you can. (And please do warmly thank Merle and everyone at the City of Lindsborg for their help in making winter brighter.) • The Lindsborg Ad Hoc Roundtable is exploring whether to seek some type of 501 (c) status. More details will be known and shared in the coming weeks. First Bank Kansas' David Hay is gathering early information and taking the lead in sketching out possibilities with the help of legal and financial advice in our community. Please give a big thanks to David if you see him. Nobody wants to put a damper on the Ad Hoc dynamic of consensus building and individual action that has been successful so far and become known statewide. We do believe there is a way forward that preserves this enviable dynamic -- and builds needed financial structure. We'll prompt you for thoughts and questions in the coming weeks. • At this morning's gathering we heard results for just the first couple of weeks of our very first "Let's Get Social" Facebook advertising. Megan Gallucci of American Family Insurance is managing the campaigns for Ad Hoc in close coordination with Holly Lofton of the Lindsborg CVB. Our first FB campaign went up March 2, and the bottom line results so far: In just one ad about Lindsborg generally, we've reached 21,000 people in surrounding states -- a large number of them in the 25-44 age range and many looking at our ads from mobile devices. Let's say that another way: We're reaching a somewhat younger audience that makes decisions about where to travel and live based on what they see on their phones. We have only expended $50 for this 21,000 exposures so far. Other FB campaigns have been launched since March 2, and our objective is to launch and maintain multiple campaigns each month -- and to expand to Instagram ads shortly. These are exciting times -- for both learning new skills and effectively building our outreach. Thanks to everyone who is helping; we appreciate your confidence and willingness to jump in. • • • • Mar 14: Sloppy joe lunch from 11-1 pm at Bethany Home; your free will donations of any amount are matched by the Greater Salina Community Foundation Mar 19: opening reception 3-6 p.m. for Lindsborg Collects, an exhibit of more than 40 pieces of art collected in 67456 Mar 20-24: Spring break both SV Schools & Bethany College Mar 25: Lindsborg Våffeldagen celebrating the mighty waffle Apr 1-2: Swedish Genealogy Workshop at McPherson County Old Mill Museum Apr 2: Kansas Dialogue meets in Lindsborg at the J.O. Sundstrom Center Apr 6-8: large antique auto club meeting in Lindsborg with overnights at the Swedish Country Inn Apr 6-16: Bethany College’s Messiah Festival of Arts and Music www.messiahfestival.org Apr 7: Landmark Concert Series Jazz Walk/M Dreier Apr 9: Performance by Take Six/Palm Sunday Apr 14: Performance of Bach’s “Passion” April 14: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk Apr 16: Performance of Handel’s “Messiah”/Easter Apr 22: Earth Day Apr 23: National Picnic Day Apr 29: Lindsborg In Bloom, a celebration of the '60s Apr 29: Raymer Society/Red Barn Studio consignment auction@Trinity Church May 6-7: Millfest at McPherson County Old Mill May 6-7: Kansas Sampler Festival/Lindsborg goes to Winfield May 6: City-Wide Garage Sale May 12: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk May 13: SVHS graduation ceremony at Presser Hall May 14: Mothers Day May 21: Bethany College baccalaureate and commencement May 29: Memorial Day Weekend notes:
• Still a few tickets remaining for Bethany Home's annual fundraising dinner and silent auction at the J.O. Sundstrom Center on Friday, Mar 10, $35 single tix, $60 for two tix. 6 p.m. beverages, 7 p.m. dinner. It's a chance to support full-circle living and an historic place of care in our valley. • Also on Friday, Mar 10, it's Makers Street 2nd Friday art walk with demos, activities and snacks. Get the full list downtown, then mill around town from 5 to 8 p.m. and be inspired by makers from near and far. • On Saturday, Mar 11, the Lindsborg Hospital Auxiliary has us covered for biscuits and gravy breakfast by donation. That's 8-11 at the Senior Center. Call for carryout. Also score fine baked goods and chances to win a juicy pork bundle. • • • Lindsborg is fortunate to be associated with Grandmaster Timur Gareyev, whose star is rising in international chess circles for his ability to play simultaneous games of chess -- blindfolded. In fact, he's landed on the cover of an influential chess magazine lately. GM Gareyev teaches and demonstrates at the Karpov Chess School in Lindsborg, a great education tool and attraction. We cheer you, GM Gareyev! Yikes! Almost forgot this important weekend reminder: Please expect many families to descend on our community for wrestling tournament this weekend, Friday through Sunday, Mar 10-12. • Look for the influx to start Friday night for weigh-in at SVHS from 6-8. Please expect some families to look for local dining options that night. • All day Saturday, it will be sub-district wrestling involving 400 wrestlers and their families. The first match starts at 9 a.m. and final match at 4 p.m. • Then all day Sunday, it will be 400 wrestlers and their families for Kansas Middle School State Championships. Events are sponsored by the Smoky Valley Wrestling Club, which couldn't do it without valley-wide support. Thanks to *everyone* who is making Lindsborg an attractive hub for wrestling and families! Opportunities to come:
• Early pansies are coming to Lindsborg Greenhouse by week's end, we are told. Won't it be a relief to plant those little pops of freshness and color around town? • Lindsborg historic redeveloper Jim Prugh, spouse Diane Fatheree, and college-age son Ben Prugh will be in Lindsborg Mar 12-14. Please plan to swing by an informal, come-and-go social hour in honor of Jim, Diane and Ben at Farley's Bar and Grill from 5:45-6:45 p.m. Monday, Mar 13. Let's cheer a family that's been a big part of Lindsborg's upswing over a decade. • Many have been asking for a detailed learning session on social media, especially Facebook for businesses. It is scheduled! Megan Gallucci of American Family Insurance will walk us through the basics and a bit more at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 16, in city council chambers at City Hall. Then we will adjourn to a Main Street location for a "Let's Get Social" beverage and/or snack. • We're hearing more safety concerns about more bicycles ridden fast and hard on downtown sidewalks. Let's kindly remind riders that both they and sidewalk pedestrians are at risk. • • • Mar 10: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk Mar 11: Hog Wild Biscuits and Gravy Fundraiser by the Lindsborg Hospital Auxiliary at the Senior Center 8-11 a.m. Mar 20-24: Spring Break both SV Schools & Bethany College Mar 25: Lindsborg Våffeldagen celebrating the mighty waffle Apr 1-2: Swedish Genealogy Workshop at McPherson County Old Mill Museum Apr 6-16: Bethany College’s Messiah Festival of Arts and Music www.messiahfestival.org Apr 7: Landmark Concert Series Jazz Walk/M Dreier Apr 9: Performance by Take Six/Palm Sunday Apr 14: Performance of Bach’s “Passion” April 14: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk Apr 16: Performance of Handel’s “Messiah”/Easter Apr 22: Earth Day Apr 23: National Picnic Day Apr 29: Lindsborg In Bloom celebration of the '60s Apr 29: Raymer Society/Red Barn Studio consignment auction@Trinity Church May 5&6: Millfest May 6-7: Kansas Sampler Festival/Lindsborg goes to Winfield May 6: City-Wide Garage Sale/Roundtable May 12: Makers Street 2nd Friday Art Walk May 13: SVHS graduation ceremony at Presser Hall May 14: Mothers Day May 21: Bethany College baccalaureate and commencement May 29: Memorial Day Since its inception four years ago, an ongoing Roundtable goal is Lindsborg's visual vibe. So much has been accomplished community-wide-- and we thank you, each and every one, for keeping alive our reputation for curb appeal. From basic maintenance like daily sweeping to large-scale improvements, each effort counts big.
The issue of ongoing visual appeal is why Ad Hoc spent this morning's gathering talking about next steps. What can we do together to make properties vital and inviting? To start us off, several Ad Hockers did a walking tour of the downtown footprint last week, and they found overall strengths in these areas: • seating for outdoor eating. Farley's, The White Peacock and Blacksmith Coffee seating add a lot. • public art. Few communities our size (or larger) can match what we have, including Dala horses, weather vanes, and mounted 2-D pieces. • varied treatments of sidewalk planters and seating, especially in the 100 block of N. Main. • sandwich boards. These spice up the walking experience. • building and awning colors and signage. Generally, a wide variety can be found with a minimum of neon or "commercial" signage. Ad Hockers found several areas of opportunity for adding life to our street views, including: • more seating and planters in the 100 block of South Main St. Particular opportunity is seen in the block's working office/meeting space and public library fronts. • cigarette butt disposal, dog watering stations and pet relief areas in the general downtown area. • the re-envisioning of Lucia Park just south of City Hall on the 100 block of S. Main to make it more useful and obvious to newcomers as a public amenity. Building walls facing Lucia Park are adorned with beautiful murals -- and yet are seldom enjoyed. In looking at other visual obstacles downtown, the inventory also cited: • storefront windows always covered by closed blinds or opaque film. • buildings that give the overall impression of being abandoned or seldom used. If you have questions about this walking survey and what you can do to help as we quickly approach spring 2017, please contact David Hay of First Bank Kansas, Jim Richardson at Small World Gallery or Becky Anderson at the Swedish Country Inn. |
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