University of Cincinnati: Despite low attendance for this past visit from the U of C, their presentation and charrette were very successful. Judge Voegle and Mayor Lammlein have asked that Professor Mike Romanos return in late July to present again to city council members and magistrates as well as to any other community member who may have missed this information. Date will be settled soon and relayed to the public at large and to all parties concerned as soon as established.

Friday Night Live! Each business is responsible for finding entertainers for the second Friday evening each month. Keith Smith at La Grange Fire & Rescue also committed to bringing their new Pierce Velocity Pumper with 105′ aerial ladder to this event to park on Main between 1st and 2nd. Also joining him is Buddy from The Game Room in Crestwood with their “Gambulance.” NOTE: Both may not attend if business keeps them from participating. All activities for this evening are noted on the calendar and on our Facebook Events page.

Quads Rod and Custom Car Club was a bang-up success on May 28th, with over 140 cars and just as many drivers and their families attending the “cruise.” Barney Barnette and I talked with Kevin Collette about further space for more cars. The decision was made by business owners to close down Main Street and allow the Quads to park in front of retail shops for this event. Maps for public parking are almost finished and will be available to shop owners on Monday (before this meeting). This event is based upon cooperation from weather.

Ghost Tours Next tour is slated for 7 pm, Saturday 25 June.

KY Speedway: A reminder that NASCAR will occur the first week in July. Kim Buckler with Oldham County Tourism has created commemorative coins to pass out to La Grange hotel guests and to sell as a fundraiser for DDL. Only 1,000 coins were “minted.” 500 will go to hotels, 500 to Karen’s Book Barn for sale at $8 per coin. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds to pay for various DDL projects (possible total = $4,000). Coins will be available at the end of June. Unsold coins will go for sale on the Website and possibly on eBay, but with no reduction in price to conserve the coins’ values.

208 and 210 E. Main: These two buildings house the city’s business incubators, and they are in bad need of repair. But, thanks to La Grange Baptist Church Missions, Rick Davidson, and the youth who attended the June missions week, these two houses now look great. Porter Paints offered the paint at discount and were readily available to help with colors and with the linseed addition to the oil-based primer. They also took back two gallons of primer. Some touch ups are needed, and the city is paying for two more gallons of paint to finish porches, etc. The kids did a great job. Also – the trees in back of these buildings will come down sometime at the end of June, as they are causing damage to the buildings. The city also will take care of that matter.

La Grange Cultural District: Jim Miller and I met this past Friday morning to go over the letter of intent and application for a new cultural district under the umbrella of KY Arts Council. I also called Chris Cathers, KY Arts Council Program Branch Manager for tips on filling out the application. The letter of intent, which only includes contact information, is due July 1. This letter will be sent out to all concerned next week to show the simplicity of this matter. Cathers suggested, since we have a strong Main Street program, that DDL conduct the initiation of this project. That said, it was imperative that the city and the Arts Association become involved. Both the city and the Arts Association are on board, as well as Oldham County Historical Society and the Historic District Commission.

A meeting is planned for Thursday evening, 30 June at the La Grange Welcome Center to go over vital information in the application (due sometime in September, and Cather will inform us about the deadline). The meeting notice, which will outline what needs to be accomplished during this initial meeting, will go out to all boards, the city and to other interested parties (such as County Tourism) by mid-week. From the interested parties, a steering committee will be assembled to accomplish all the work required in the application and for future yearly report processes. Most of the work already has been accomplished by both DDL’s economic revitalization committee as well as the U of Cincinnati, and simply needs to be gathered and made coherent for the application. Many thanks to Jim Miller for his participation and for his volunteer work in gathering all the letters of support required for the application process.

Oldham County Health Department Initiative: The OCHD has created a steering committee and several committees to push forward for grants for public health. They have a healthy roster of interest, including community leaders. If anyone wants to help on this committee or other committees (which include assessments), please contact the OCHD at (502) 222-3516.

Businesses Leaving: None this month.

New Businesses and Relocations:

• Big R’s supposedly will close their doors on June 30th to relocate to the east side of 53 at the corner of Adams. The new location may open on July 1.
• John Stewart, a local resident and engineer, is closing his Louisville office to open a new office in La Grange. He has leased the old public library on Jefferson across the street from La Grange Hardware and has revamped the entire inside of the building. Will update soon.
• La Grange Coffee Roasters, a Farmers’ Market member, is opening their store at the old Big R’s building (John Black) on the corner of Walnut and Jefferson at the end of this month. We’re in contact for a ribbon cutting, date dependent upon when they finalize their renovations.
• Howell & Emery, PLLC: Stephen Emery (city attorney) and his law partner, Andrew Howell, are moving from their “other blue house” on Walnut to the space above Grandeur Station. They also will use Rejeana’s “UK room” in the back of her shop as a meeting space. Entrance is on 53 (1st), and Oldham County Planning and Development created a new address for them: 105 North First Street. They will hold a public ribbon cutting and private (by invitation) reception on 14 July at 4pm. Beside Soy Creations, Howell and Emery are our newest DDL members.
• Q&A Sweet Treats has closed on a house on 53 north of Adams, next to the new Big R’s building. They are renovating, and hope to open in November.

EVENTS – please see FB events or the DDL calendar at http://discoverlagrange.org/calendar/ for updates and more information

Previous Event Successes: The Friends of the Library hosted James Daniel Ross at their meeting this past month, and it was one author event that was well attended. Thanks for their support and marketing! Also, Jim Zimmerman and CUB Bank held a very well-attended reception for the artists of Oldham County Arts Association, catered by Serendipity. These events and more are followed up on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/DiscoverLaGrange).

Saturday, 25 June
Farmers’ Market and Artisans: 8am to noon every Saturday morning except 16 July (Oldham County Day).
Cruisin’ with the Quads: 5-9pm
Spirits of La Grange Ghost Tour: 7pm
Knitters and Crocheters “Click”: 5-9pm

Friday, 8 July
Friday Night Live! 5-8pm

Saturday, 9 July
Canning Locally Grown Food: County Extension at La Grange Community Center, 10-11:30 am.

Thursday, 14 July
Ribbon Cutting at Howell & Emery’s new location: 4pm

Saturday, 16 July
Oldham County Day: DDL has a table in front of Laser Technology. Volunteers needed to sit for two hour stretches in the afternoon until 5pm.
History Rocks and The Living Treasures Program: Great fund raiser for the Oldham County Historical Society: After parade until 5pm.

Friday Night Live! Each business is responsible for finding entertainers for the second Friday evening each month. Keith Smith at La Grange Fire & Rescue also committed to bringing their new Pierce Velocity Pumper with 105′ aerial ladder to this event to park on Main between 1st and 2nd. Also joining him is Buddy from The Game Room in Crestwood with their “Gambulance.” Chief Kevin Collette is aware of this arrangement, and – hopefully – they will join the event every month to attract some families to town.

Quads Rod and Custom Car Club was canceled because of lousy weather last month. They are slated to try again May 28th. I am pulling together a group who knits and/or crochets to man the La Grange Welcome Center that evening so the doors can be open. That will eliminate the need for volunteers for that event. DDL board has agreed to hire Richard Bolin “Free Heart” to play on the courthouse steps that evening.

Ghost Tours have their microphones!

University of Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati DAAP students and professors return to La Grange to present their work and findings from the previous Charrette on Saturday, 21 May 2011. Residents, business owners and other vested parties are invited to participate in this event. Park in back of the Fiscal Courthouse, and follow the signs to the meeting rooms.

9-9:10 – Welcomes and explanation of the day
9:10-10:00 – Presentation of the winter work on Physical Design and Economic Development
10:00-10:30 – Comments and questions from the community participants.
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 – Presentation of the instructions for the afternoon session and the presentations of the five groups/tables that will comprise the afternoon sessions.
12:00-12:45 – Lunch
12:45 -2:45 – Working sessions with community participants
2:45- 3:45 – Presentations of the five working sessions
3:45-4:15 – Comments and questions from the community participants
4:15-4:30 – Closing comments

Michael Romanos, Carla Chifos and Juliana Silveira are arriving Friday, 20 May. Jim Urban and I will help them set up the courthouse for the meeting and workshops. They are staying at Bluegrass Country Estates B&B, and the city is paying for their accommodations. I will learn shortly the number of students involved, and plan to use Red Pepper for their lunches. DDL is responsible for the lunch tab.

KY Speedway: A reminder that NASCAR will occur the first week in July.

Co-Working Collaborative: Jim Miller, Don Helton, Lee Ann Lyle (OCTANE) and I visited Awesome, Inc., the first and only co-working collaborative in Kentucky on Wednesday, 4 May. We learned a lot about how that business operates, and now know what it might take to open the same type of operation here in La Grange.

New Businesses: Mayor Lammlein will “cut the ribbon” on five businesses on Saturday, 11 May at 11am, starting at 210 East Main (Soy Creations), 208 East Main (Whimsey), Main Street Boutique, Main Street Gallery and across the street at La Grange Arts & Crafts. The Chamber is supplying the large scissors…we need to obtain ribbon.

EVENTS
Saturday, 21 May
Farmers’ Market and Artisans: 8am to noon every Saturday morning.
University of Cincinnati at Fiscal Courthouse: 9am to 4:30pm
Saturday, 28 May
Ribbon Cuttings: 11am
Quads: 5-9pm (along with band)
Saturday and Sunday 4-5 June
Arts on the Green – volunteers needed.

March Serenity: This event is slated for March 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th this month, with a variety of themes that appeal to an alternative audience. The upcoming themes include “Back to Nature,” a focus on healthy living and environment; and “Paint the Town,” a focus on the arts.

Friday Night Live! This event, slated for the second Friday each month, is offered by the business owners and managers in downtown La Grange. April’s event has not been decided by the business owners.

Quads Rod and Custom Car Club is partnering with DDL to present “Cruisin’ with the Quads” every fourth Saturday of the month from April through October, 5pm to 9pm. The Quads are working with the La Grange police as well as the fire department to make sure all safety issues are met. DDL is providing access to restrooms at the Welcome Center as well as publicity.

Ghost Tour Auditions are slated for Saturday, March 26th at the Rob Morris Chapel. The ghost tours will begin April 23rd as a form of training for new tour guides, and will be conducted on the same evening as Cruisin’ with the Quads – one tour per month until the season begins on the second weekend in September, when the tours will resume three tours per night on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of October.

University of Cincinnati: Michael Romanos has invited Mayor Bill Lammlein and Linda Goin to Cincinnati on March 31st, 2011. This trip is slated and will report after the trip.

KY Speedway: Met with Jesse Harris from KY Speedway regarding the NASCAR sprint race to be held on the first full week in July. There are major concerns regarding traffic, especially along the I-71 corridor. DDL and Oldham County Tourism will help to publicize the event to let people know to avoid that traffic grid unless they are planning to attend the sprints and races that week. More to come next month regarding this event.

KY Young Writers’ Connection: Have partnered with Allison Bruning to bring this statewide organization to La Grange with four events this coming month. She will be at the March Serenity event on the 26th with more information. The KYWC is a statewide organization that promotes “Arts in the Parks” statewide, with a focus on literature. They replace learning lost in the classroom. La Grange will serve as a regional connection to the statewide organization.

Regional Main Street Mayoral Meet & Greet: Tuesday, March 29th at the Irish Rover. Regional Main Street managers and executive directors from Jeffersonville, Louisville, Shelbyville, Taylorsville, Mt. Washington, Carrollton and New Castle will meet in La Grange to discuss the importance of the Main Street program. Mayor Bill Lammlein is hosting, and Mayor Tom Hardesty of Shelbyville and Mayor Don Pay of Shelbyville will offer short presentations. This meeting, unfortunately, is closed to the public, as it is intended to integrate the new mayors into the Main Street objectives for their towns.

Businesses Leaving: ShopGirlz (previously Mary Kinney) is moving from La Grange after seven years to a new location off the Gene Snyder Freeway (I265) at the Shelbyville Road exit. They will locate in the Landis Lakes TownCentre across from the Lake Forest Subdivision. Their last day on Main Street is on March 31, 2011.

New Businesses: Kathryn Cohan Photography now is located at 206 W Jefferson St La Grange,KY 40031, the same location as Sandstone Counseling. Colorado Mike’s BBQ is located at the edge of town on Jefferson, offering BBQ and take-out Italian food, including pizza. Soy Creations will be moving into the incubator at 210 East Main (next to Whimsey) for a grand opening on Memorial Day.

Light Up La Grange was a joy! Plenty of entertainment kept music in the air, and Santa kept a block-long line of kids happy. There are a few thanks to go out to folks who helped support this annual event for 2010, including Mayor Carter, who helped Santa light the town trees.

Next up? Elvis Lives! Discover Downtown La Grange is delighted to welcome Kentucky writer Alanna Nash for the weekend. You can put on your poodle skirt or just don your jeans for a dance at Soiree on Friday evening. On Saturday, you can enjoy a birthday party for Elvis at the community center, then listen to some gospel music at DeHaven Baptist Church or visit the Oldham County Library Main Branch to listen to Alanna read from her books.

Also — if you come in for the events, you’ll see never-before-seen photographs of Elvis! For more information, call Discover Downtown La Grange at 502-269-0126.

Next up after Elvis Lives! is a bridal fair. Did you realize that you can create your entire wedding through La Grange merchants? We’ll help you realize that possibility through the event, Tales, Veils and Rails. Stay tuned for more information!

Visit our Special Events page or our calendar to stay on top of this increasingly busy season! Follow us on Twitter or “like” us on Facebook to keep track of  special messages and insights.

Shop Local

Be sure to visit our Main Street restaurants and La Grange shopping and services pages to find the products and services you might need. But…why are we asking you to buy local when we’re located near Louisville shopping? Here are ten good reasons to shop in La Grange:

1. Dollars spent at community-based merchants create a multiplier effect in the local economy. For each dollar spent at a local independent merchant, three or more times as much typically goes back into the local economy.
2. By shopping locally, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development.
3. You may be surprised at the prices for products and services in our Downtown La Grange shopping area. And, you may learn that you have a larger selection of merchandise than you think.
4. Local businesses define our “sense of place,” but we often forget their survival depends upon our patronage.
5. Today’s workers are choosing to settle in places that preserve their distinctive character. La Grange has several small businesses that have been in town for years, contributing to the town’s special quality.
6. The element of surprise and discovery is almost completely lacking in a big-box chain store, but in a small local shop whose inventory is carefully chosen by the owner, you can find all sorts of unexpected treasures.
7. In a local store, you can build a relationship. The owners and clerks get to know you as people, and the smart ones know how to make you feel special.
8. Local merchants care about your community, because they want to grow their businesses and services and create jobs. They donate to many causes — not because they want to make themselves look good through a carefully channeled PR campaign — but because the owners of these stores live and work next to you.
9. Choosing to shop locally first saves you gas and travel time which equates to money saved.
10. Finally — as any seasoned traveler knows — if you want to find the best places, you ask the locals. As a La Grange resident, can you tell people where to eat, where to find certain products or any news about local events? As a La Grange resident, you are the visitor’s expert.

So, think independently and shop locally. Re-discover downtown La Grange for the holidays!

If your church, civic organization or local group would like to know more about the La Grange Shop Local campaign, please contact us. We’ll be happy to meet with your group to explain the program in detail.