News and Notes 05/15/2017

​Bethany College's graduation ceremonies are slated this coming weekend, so please anticipate many families and friends of graduates to gather. At the same time, Bethany is preparing to welcome a much larger freshman class later this summer. This is primarily because of The Good Life Scholarships offering free tuition for qualifying graduates from McPherson and Saline county high schools. It's been a long-time goal for more of our own Smoky Valley High School students to be able to choose Bethany College for their undergraduate degrees -- and now it's happening. Good stuff.
Results of our initial "Let's Get Social!" social media campaigns are in the books, and we'd like to report what we're seeing. The campaigns are being executed by Megan Gallucci of American Family Insurance in consultation with Holly Lofton of the Lindsborg CVB, David Hay of First Bank Kansas, and Kathy Richardson of Small World Gallery with funding from $30-a-month donations by businesses and organizations that feel moved to help.
Promotion subjects selected thus far for 30-day runs: Young Women in Lindsborg Businesses, Uniquely Lindsborg, Lindsborg in Bloom, and Lindsborg Vaffeldagen. Each promotion features a headline and three photographs.
Target audiences are in bordering states as well as states that historically have produced more overnight stays in Lindsborg. (Recently, New York state and Sweden were added as target audiences -- with very good response.)
These four Facebook promotions generated a combined total of 230,000 views or click throughs. The most successful promotion to date has been Uniquely Lindsborg, which featured photographs of Vaffeldagen's waffle people crossing in a crosswalk Beatles-style, night scenes from Landmark Concert Series' successful jazz walk, and people scenes from Lindsborg in Bloom. In that promotion, 158,702 views or click-throughs were recorded. An incredible 68,000 of that number were from Texas.
We are emboldened. Much to learn here, and we are gaining ground, thanks to all who are supporting this effort. Promos are being planned for Old-Fashioned Fourth of July and community fireworks, Lindsborg and the arts, Prairie Trails Scenic Byway, overnight stays, staycations, family activities (swimming pool, Old Mill, playground, picnic on Coronado Heights), and outdoor opportunities in our area (such as Kanopolis hiking, Rock City, Wildlife Refuge). And that's just in the next few months. Holiday promotions are, ahem, in the offing. We believe that having a free-standing "landing page" with the most updated information about options will help people act on what they see, and the Smoky Valley Development Corporation is working on this aspect. We also have come to believe that having more than one FB promo at a time running can be good, especially if it is coincides with promos planned and paid for by others in the community such as the Lindsborg CVB, Lindsborg Community Hospital, Bethany College, USD 400, Bethany Home or any local business/organization.
As always, if you have ideas for social media campaigns, please share them. We need your help.
Memorial Day is Monday, May 29, and the CVB has been fielding phone calls for a couple of weeks about what will be open in Lindsborg that day.
Here's a compilation of details so far:
• Scott’s Hometown Foods open 7-6 Monday, customary hours for the rest of the holiday weekend
• Connected Lindsborg open 10-6 Monday, customary hours for the rest of the holiday weekend
• Trollslanda Toy Store open 10-4 Monday, customary hours for the rest of the holiday weekend
• The Good Merchant open 10-5 Monday; customary hours for the rest of the holiday weekend
• Farley’s Bar and Grill open Monday 10-5:30 p.m.; customary hours for the rest of the holiday weekend; outdoor dining all weekend
• Raymer Society Red Barn Studio closed Monday, open 1-5 Saturday and Sunday; Tayla Mace is artist in residence with mixed medium bird sculptures.
• Blacksmith Coffee Shop and Roastery open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, open 6 to 8 Saturday and closed Sunday; housemade cobblers and brownies with outdoor dining.
• Chestnut Studios closed Monday, open Saturday 10-5 and closed Sunday.
• Smoky Hill Vineyards & Winery closed Monday
• Jalisco Mexican Restaurant open 11-9 Monday, customary hours rest of the holiday weekend
• Sandzen Gallery closed Monday; open customary hours Saturday and Sunday
• Designs closed Monday, open customary hours Saturday and closed Sunday
• Hemslojd open 9-4 Monday (The store's summer hours begin on the next day, which is 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon-Sat, noon-5 Sun; summer hours run through Labor Day.)
• The Old Mill Museum closed Monday, openSaturday 9 to 5 and closed Sunday)
• The Ivory Thimble closed Monday, open customary hours Saturday and closed Sunday
• Rendezvous Adventure Outfitters open 9-4 Monday, open customary hours Saturday, closed Sunday
• Small World Gallery open 9-4 Monday, open customary hours rest of the holiday weekend
Bethany College's graduation ceremonies are slated this coming weekend, so please anticipate many families and friends of graduates. At the same time, Bethany is preparing to welcome a much larger freshman class later this summer, primarily because preparing to welcome an new influx of freshmen later this summer