News and Notes 03/13/2017

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