|
 |
| |
Latest News |
<return |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
MidTown in Motion
E-NEWSLETTER
October 2008
|
|
| Quick Links |
Radio Interview with MidTown, Inc. Executive Director
|
|
|
|
Dear MidTown Stakeholder,
|
Since buying Wynnton Hardware in 2002, we have been through a major physical transformation. My wife Donna and I have taken 3,500 square feet of the former Chapman's building, which was adjacent to Wynnton Hardware and turned it into to a loft-style home with a fully equipped kitchen, formal dining room, living room, den, bedrooms and baths. We really enjoy this true in-town living. We have no grass to cut, we walk to the drug store, post office, bank, restaurants, church, and barber shop. It is a great lifestyle. Our commute to work is "zero". Lunch at home is an everyday occurrence. We certainly can see the advantage to living over or next to your retail shop - a practice that was the "Mom and Pop Shop" norm until cities began to encourage suburban sprawl through short-sighted zoning regulations.
In addition to creating our home out of the old Chapman's space, we created a 14,000 square foot retail space with Wynnton Road frontage that is currently for lease or sale, and we doubled the size of Wynnton Hardware to 7000 square feet so that we can provide you with a broader spectrum of choices for your home and garden needs. We have expanded all our departments with a greater emphasis on home repair and maintenance.
At Wynnton Hardware we price shop all "Big Box" hardware stores in this region to assure you fair, market prices for all our items. So, not only do you get low prices at Wynnton Hardware you get that special customer service of us knowing what you need to complete your home repair project before you do! No long drive, no acres of asphalt parking lot, no inexperienced, impersonal sales staff, no long check out lines, just plenty of hometown service and customer appreciation.
This fall you can find colorful mums, pumpkins and other seasonal favorites. We also look forward to the holiday season, when you will be able to buy your Christmas tree at Wynnton Hardware.
Stop by and see us soon. Mention you saw this MidTown e-newsletter and you will receive a special Wynnton Hardware free gift (while supplies last!).
Best regards,
Frank Comer
Owner
Wynnton Hardware*
*Wynnton Hardware is a member of the MidTown Business Association (MBA). To join the MBA CLICK HERE.
|
|
| |
| MidTown, Inc. Reaches $1 Million Milestone - Celebration Set! |
 In one year's time, MidTown, Inc. has raised over $1 million, on its way to its $1.2 million fundraising goal. "It has been a tremendously rewarding campaign to sustain our community renewal efforts," says Teresa Tomlinson, Executive Director of MidTown, Inc.; "Thanks to the hard work of our board, we reached this milestone in record time and now will go to the community for the broad base of donations we need to meet our goal."
MidTown, Inc. seeks the $1.2 million to fund its operations and projects for the next 3 years. Monies raised have been committed to provide $200,000 in matching funds for the Georgia Department of Transportation streetscape project along Wynnton Road in the heart of MidTown. Funds have also been used to commission a flood study for the Lindsey Creek basin at the intersection of I-185 and Macon Road, which should result in opening up acres of land to redevelopment. MidTown, Inc. has grown its grassroots efforts counting 2900 stakeholders as subscribers to its monthly E-newsletter; creating and supporting the MidTown Business Association; and working with neighborhoods to start associations, crime watch groups and block clubs. "What MidTown, Inc. has done in a relatively short period of time is remarkable," says Frank Etheridge, its president and chairman.
To celebrate its milestone, MidTown, Inc. is hosting a large community festival, Sunday October 19, 2008, 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the Wynnton Arts Academy (formerly the Wynnton School) 2303 Wynnton Road. There will be tents, balloons, popcorn, boiled peanuts, ice cream, lemonade, iced tea to be enjoyed all while celebrating to the bluesy, jukin' beat of the Georgia Legacy All-Star Revue featuring: Sammy Blue, (dubbed by Muddy Waters as the Crown Prince of the Blues); Deacon Bluz (a respected scholar of blues history and noted blues performer); Rita Graham (the only Raylette for whom Ray Charles produced an album, and who has toured with Oscar Peterson, the Harry James Orchestra and Mercer Ellington Orchestra); and Lil' Joe Burton (famed trombonist who has worked with Van Morrison, B.B. King, Joe Text, etc. and appeared on The Tonight Show). Admission is free. Stroll, drive or bike to this event. Bring the kids, your neighbors and friends. Look for our EVENT POSTERS around town, and spread the word!
|
| Chamber Inter-City Trip Provides Ideas for MidTown |
|
 A group of eighty-one Columbus stakeholders traveled to Fort Worth, Texas on the 15th annual Inter-City Trip coordinated by the Columbus Georgia Greater Chamber of Commerce. The trip focused on the economic revitalization efforts of Fort Worth's inner-city area. Not only has Fort Worth successfully renewed and improved its downtown urban core, it has taken great strides to improve its in-town communities through the concept of Urban Villages. Urban Villages are identified neighborhood areas in Fort Worth where revitalization is necessary and possible. Their city planning department uses the Urban Village concept to determine its public resource allocation, investment opportunities and infrastructure improvement so that renewal and economic development spreads out beyond its downtown business and entertainment zone. This concept of Urban Villages is similar to the Neighborhood Commercial Nodes that are part of the MidTown redevelopment and renewal efforts. CLICK HERE to view the MidTown Plan's renewal priorities. (Pictured above: Betsy Covington - Community Foundation of Chattahoochee Valley; Teresa Tomlinson - MidTown, Inc.; Mike Gaymon - Chamber of Commerce; Dick Ellis - Columbus Technical College).
Fort Worth also has taken the redevelopment of its river walk (similar to Columbus's RiverWalk) and expanded those renewal efforts to the tributaries ("creeks") feeding into the river - much like our Lindsey Creek and Bull Creek would feed into the Chattahoochee RiverWalk. Rediscovering these tributaries has allowed for public amenities, such as parks and walking and biking trails, throughout the city of Fort Worth and brought community improvements to many areas beyond its downtown business district. One impression taken from the Inter-City Trip is that Columbus's tributaries are underutilized and could be converted to be environmentally friendly public amenities and economic redevelopment opportunities that serve the flood protection needs of many areas of town.
|
| MidTown to Host Candidate Forum Thursday October 23rd |
MidTown, Inc. will be hosting a forum for the MidTown area candidates running for office this year. The forum will be held Thursday October 23, 2008, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at Wynnton United Methodist Church (cafeteria) 2412 Wynnton Road. Our forum will focus on issues important to MidTown residents and businesses. Each candidate will get up to three minutes to make an opening statement. The candidates are invited to specifically address MidTown or issues related to MidTown Columbus in their opening statement. Following these introductory statements, we will pose questions selected from those submitted by our email newsletter subscribers (that's you!), MidTown Business Association members and independent MidTown neighborhood association members. This format will help us control the time and pace of the forum.
We will divide the forum by elected post as follows:
Council Posts: 5:30 - 6:15 p.m.
Participants: At-Large (Skip Henderson and Bert Coker) and District 8 (Red McDaniel, Stephen Miller, and Terry Yarbrough)
School Board Posts: 6:15 - 7:00 p.m.
Participants: District 1 (Pat Hugley Green, Christopher Seldon, Mary G. Walker) and District 3 (James Walker and Duane Melvin)
Sheriff and State Representative Posts: 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Participants: Sheriff Race (Ralph Johnson, John Darr, and Mark LaJoye) and State Representative House District 132 (Calvin Smyre and Zeph Baker).
You will play a critical part in this forum, because the questions asked of the candidates will be selected from those you submit to us. (You can submit your questions anonymously or ask that we withhold your name). You can click on info@midtowncolumbusga.org and submit your question. Please spread the word and forward all proposed questions to us here at MidTown. This is a wonderful opportunity for our elected officials and their challengers to understand the importance of MidTown issues and the MidTown community. Look forward to seeing you there. Invite a neighbor or friend.
|
| Speaker Series Draws Large Crowd |
 As in May of this year, our Speaker's Series drew another large crowd at the Cunningham Center of CSU. Well over 200 people came to hear the message of Otis White - Columbus native, business writer, and president of Civic Strategies, Inc. in Atlanta - regarding How Cities Make Dramatic Change. Mr. White explained that the traditional power structure of cities Columbus's size has shifted dramatically since the late 1970's, moving away from the consolidated leadership structure of the hometown industry executives, bank presidents, and elected officials to a broader cross-section of people and grassroots organizations. In sighting the many civic amenities that have put Columbus on the map (like the RiverWalk and RiverCenter), Mr. White noted that Columbus has held onto a successful traditional power structure model long past the time most cities saw that structure fade away. The persistence of this structure in Columbus is the result of so many large locally owned or controlled businesses with strong philanthropic values. But, as leadership in these organizations is transferred to others who may not be from Columbus, or as local companies are purchased by larger non-Columbus companies, we will see the benefit and effect of this traditional leadership wane.
Many cities across the country have dealt with this problem over the years. In most, a power vacuum and lack of leadership prevailed for years until new leadership was developed. How, then, can Columbus avoid the seemingly inevitable "downtime" caused by potentially less engaged or less devoted private sector leadership? The answer is through embracing a new, broader based leadership. We must tap into existing organizations to encourage their leaders to take a stake in Columbus's leadership. We will have to make up in volume of participants what we will be losing in the strength of the few. It will also be incumbent on our elected leadership and organizations like the Chamber of Commerce to aggressively reach out to new corporate heads to build strong pro-community relationships.
Otis White certainly gave us a great deal to think about. It is no secret that throughout the decades Columbus has benefited from the generosity and leadership of more Columbus natives than we can mention in this article. But, where will we go from here? Who are our leaders of tomorrow? We have no time to waste in finding them or cultivating them. (To read the thought provoking works of Otis White CLICK HERE).
|
| Executive Director Receives 2008 Westville Legacy Award |
 Each year the Board of Trustees of historic Westville choose three individuals to honor for their commitment to preserving history. Westville is a living history museum which depicts an 1850 west Georgia village. This year, the Westville board honored Sue McLendon Moye for her instrumental efforts to establish and sustain Westville; R. Duke Miller for his work with the Civil War Naval Museum, Westville and his life-long commitment to preservation; and Teresa Tomlinson, MidTown, Inc.'s Executive Director, for her work in preservation development efforts in MidTown Columbus and in coordination with Historic Columbus Foundation. A silent auction and dinner were held September 13, 2008, to honor the recipients and to raise funds for the important work of Westville. To learn more about Westville CLICK HERE. (Pictured above: Teresa Tomlinson, Judy Tucker and Dianne Pike (Teresa's Mom)). |
|
KIS Design Team Chooses MidTown Columbus Office
|
|
 Wendy Timmons and Sally Morgan have worked in the graphic design business for a combined 45 years before they decided to merge their talents into a shared graphic design studio. In early 2007, KIS Creative (KIS stands for "Keep it Simple") moved into an historic house on Wildwood Avenue, once home to the gift and housewares shop Sassafras. Wendy explains that "the tranquility of Wildwood lends itself to the creativity necessary for us to produce high quality work". Beautiful palms and a well-manicured lawn greet their drop-in clients, and once inside an inviting conference room and ample workspace allow for optimum productivity in a welcoming atmosphere.
To keep pace with their growing business, Wendy and Sally recently added Rebecca Dickson and Jessica Symonds to the KIS team. Together they enjoy the opportunities to design for such noted publications as Columbus and the Valley and Valley Parent magazines, as well as entities such as Columbus State University, Hughston Hospital, Greystone Properties, CSU Continuing Education, Richard Hyatt Columbus and many others, small and large.
KIS Creative likes to say that "if an image is worth a thousand words, then your company's image is worth a thousand clients". The desire to help clients enhance their image drives KIS's work; and, collaboration with their clients allows KIS to consistently produce successful projects. And, now it's all happening in MidTown, a location convenient to clients whether they are downtown or on the north end. KIS has joined the MidTown Business Association. Wendy, Sally and the whole KIS team feel completely at home in MidTown. Their hours are by appointment, so be sure to call KIS at (706) 660-1629 - they look forward to lending their talents to your next project. To learn more about KIS Creative visit the KIS WEBSITE. |
| Smokin' Hot MidTown Properties |
|
Check out these must see MidTown Columbus properties:
If you would like to post a MidTown property in our next e-newsletter, contact Teresa or Judy at (706) 494-1663.
|
| MidTown, Inc. T-Shirts, Hats, etc. |
Show your MidTown pride! For a minimum $25 donation to MidTown, Inc., you will receive a MidTown T-shirt, baseball cap, or license plate and a MidTown bumper sticker. Simply CLICK HERE to make a donation. Please specifiy in the "Comments" box, which item you wish to receive and note the desired size (S - XL) for a T-shirt request. Or, you can come to MidTown, Inc.'s office at 1236 Wildwood Avenue (just off of Wynnton Road) between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday to pay by cash or check. Look "cool" like Judy (seen here to the left) and support MidTown's renewal efforts. We look forward to seeing you!
(MidTown items modeled by Judy Tucker, MidTown, Inc.'s Director of Community Affairs).
|
|
Invest in MidTown
|
|
Positive change happens through community effort, and those concerted efforts require funding. Contributions made to MidTown, Inc. are tax deductible. MidTown, Inc. is a non-profit tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission states: In support of community, conservation and diversity, MidTown, Inc., through education and advocacy, works to sustain and enhance the neighborhoods and businesses within MidTown Columbus. Please join us in the pursuit of this mission and in the renewal of our in-town community.
You may send your contribution to MidTown, Inc. 1236 Wildwood Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31906. To access our on-line giving page click Invest in MidTown. We appreciate your interest in MidTown.
|
|
| |
| |
|
MidTown, Inc. | 1236 Wildwood Avenue | Columbus | GA | 31906
|
|
|
|
|
|