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Main Street Sets 2010 Agenda
by Jennifer Clendenion
2/4/10
Members of the Decaturville Main Street Association set their goals for the coming year during a meeting on Thursday.
“Our main goal is to beautify the community,” said Association President Teresa Taylor. “We want to develop the town into something we can all be proud of.”
The major focus of the meeting was the Association’s fundraising efforts. The annual Main Street Festival, held in October, was a success last year despite cold temperatures.
“It’s a miracle we made a profit, as cold as it was,” commented Mike Ferguson.
During the 2009 festival, 75 arts & crafts and food vendors signed up for a space, though several dropped out at the last minute due to the cold weather. Ferguson said many vendors come from other counties, and some have continued to set up booths for a number of years. One vendor has already reserved two spaces for this years event.
Also included in the event was a beauty pageant, 5K Walk/Run, dog show, auction, barbeque contest, performances by local school bands and cheerleaders and entertainment. New in 2009 was a tractor and car show.
The Main Street Festival is held on the third Saturday in October each year. This year, the event is set for Oct. 16.
2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the event, and Taylor said she would like to see something special done to celebrate the accomplishment. It was suggested that several of the other fundraisers conducted by the Association be tied into the 10th anniversary as well.
Another successful fundraiser was a barbeque chicken sale held in the spring. The Association will hold another chicken sale this year, with a date for the sale tentatively set for April 19.
The annual block party, a free community-appreciation event which includes food and entertainment, was tentatively set for May 13.
Ferguson said the Association has a website where residents can view the schedule for the Main Street Festival, as well as download and print beauty pageant and vendor applications. The site has not yet been updated for 2010 but Ferguson said he is working with a web site developer to revise the site.
Liz Whitsitt noted that the Chamber of Commerce is developing a community-wide calendar that will include all of the upcoming events across the county. Such a calendar will help organizations avoid scheduling events on the same day. A link will also be provided from the Chamber website to the Main Street Association website.
The Association sells historical prints of old town buildings and the board discussed putting these up for sale on the website and adding an option for buyers to use PayPal to make purchases.
A proposal was also made to use old pictures of locations throughout the town to create some sort of historical walking tour, with information on each location at each stop along the tour.
Also discussed at the meeting was the town’s beautification, one of the main focuses of the Association’s efforts. Beautification committee chair Jean Gage said flowers are planted each spring at the four way stop and around the court square. In the fall, the Association plants pansies and mums. Whitsitt and Gail Story said they would also like to see a water fountain at the corner of Main Street and S. West Street.
Ferguson said the city was eligible for a $16,000 matching grant that could be used for beautification. The grant has detailed specifics for how the money may be used. Ferguson said the grant is being researched because it is not clear who applied for it.
The board voted in several new and existing board members to serve 2 year terms. Board members include Jeanine England, Linda Smith, Liz Whitsitt, Diane Vernon, Diane Smith, Todd Keeton, Amy Bawcum, Jean Gage, Teresa Taylor, Janis Boyd, Don Moore, Lori Brasher, Steve Glass, Karen Broadway, Mike Ferguson, Gail Story, Betty Blankenship Maness and Dot Peck.
The Main Street Association will meet on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting was scheduled for February 11 at 6 pm at the Decatur County Library.
The Main Street Association is a volunteer organization which receives funding through donations, membership dues and fundraisers. Membership dues are $10 per year. To join the Association or make a donation, send a check to Main Street Decaturville, PO Box 237, Decaturville, TN 38329.
For more information on the Decaturville Main Street Association, visit www.Decaturvillemainstreet.com.
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