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| Jubilee
Fun! |
 Thousands
turned out for July 3 Jubilee to celebrate Independence Day
in Allegan. The event was fun for the entire family
and a great tribute to the United States and those who fought
for our freedoms.
Event
organizers would like to thank all of the volunteers and
personnel who helped make this event a success.
Also, thank you to the community for supporting the event
by attending.
Photo
provided by Mark Stamm of the Allegan County News of bicyclists
in the Jubilee Parade.
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| Unlocking
Small Town Succes:
A
series of feature articles
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Recently
someone shared the book, "Boom Town USA - 7 ½ Keys to Big
Success in Small Towns" by Jack Schultz with me.
Thank you!
In this Connector, I will begin a series of articles
to pass on some of the information I have gleaned from this
insightful book.
When
I look for information on any subject I am often struck
by two things - the quantity of things that are "accidentally"
being done "right" and the amazing amount of opportunity
for improvement. Allegan
is a unique and amazing town with tremendous potential and
diversity. It
offers a quality of life that many larger cities struggle
to attain.
The
physical assets this town offers are impressive; several
outstanding performance venues, riverfront boardwalks, the
many parks, the history - the list could go on and on; demonstrating
the distinct personality of the community.
The push towards a vibrant and cohesive downtown
is moving forward. . .mostly in small steps.
The areas with room for improvement are obvious and
can seem overwhelming.
However, if you look back at the progress made in
the last 3 years; boardwalk extension, Hubbard Street parking
lot, additional parking on Hubbard Street, canoe portages
at the Mill District and the Water Street project and others,
the momentum is exciting.
It
has become almost cliché to say, "People are our biggest
asset" but in Allegan I believe this is true.
From the many volunteers serving on various committees
to knowledgeable business owners and managers to the numerous
caring non-profit organizations and the families experiencing
the community, the people make Allegan precious.
Communication is increasing.
Downtown merchants meet every other week to share
thoughts & ideas and look for ways to take advantage of
downtown activities.
Downtown
activities are increasing, expanding and improving.
Promotion of Allegan has been strengthened with a
presence in visitor guides, downtown maps and event publications
to name a few. It
would be easy to focus on what needs to improve or has perhaps
declined. It
is fair to say that some needed developments are beyond
any individual's control, but I encourage each person, each
business to ask themselves, "What difference can I make
today, this week, this year?"
It is your community & your passion for its success
will cause the resurgence of prosperity.
As
we begin to explore some key characteristics for small town
success, it will become vividly clear that prosperity is
not one of the things that happens "accidentally".
It happens through consistent "Can-Do" attitudes,
knowing what our town's strengths and resources are and
how to leverage them.
It happens through building a brand for Allegan -
a process that has begun and one that successful small towns
have embraced.
Next
Month: "The
Dilemma and the Opportunities"
Article
submitted by Vicki Knuckles, Downtown Allegan Coordinator
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Summer
Sizzles in Downtown Allegan with Sidewalk Days and Water Street
Celebration
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| Get
a break from the summer heat in Downtown Allegan July 26th
and 27th.
Come
to Downtown Allegan to shop for sales and specials at local businesses
on July 26 and 27 for sidewalk sales.
Sidewalk sales take place during regular business hours
and are always the last Thursday and Friday of July.
On
Friday July 27th, celebrate the success of the Water
Street Construction project with live music ,food and fun.
Enjoy live music from 4 Wheel Drive, Rooster and more.
Musical performances will start at 4:00 pm.
Food will be served from noon to 8:00 pm.
Artists have also been invited to showcase their artwork
along the Water Street boardwalk as part of the celebration.
The Celebration will take place along Water Street and
at the Water Street Gazebo.
All are encouraged to come have a good time at the Water
Street Celebration.
Apsiring
artists aged 0 -18 are invited to unleash their creativity on
Water Street in a chalk challenge.
The Chalk Challenge will take place on Water Street Friday
July 27. For more
information about the challenge, please contact Leslie at Curves,
269.686.2288.
Summer
is sizzling and so will Downtown Allegan on July 26 and 27th.
Shop for fantastic sales, enjoy live music, have fun and
you may even meet new friends.
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Allegan
Area AYSO team invited to play in 2008 AYSO National Games
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Congratulations
to the Allegan U16 girls AYSO team for being selected to play
in the 2008 AYSO National Games.
The 2008 games will be held July 6th through
the 13th in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The
team comprised of 15 and 16 year old girls was randomly selected
to play in the National Games from hundreds of entries.
The team's roster consists of soccer stars from Allegan,
Hopkins and other local communities and is being coached by Jeff
Herpst.
"Playing
in the National Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity for
these girls, they will be exposed to players from across the country
and will meet new friends all while playing the game they love,"
said Beth Herpst, wife of Coach Herpst and parent of a player.
The
team is currently working on fundraising to help with the financial
costs of the trip. If
you would like to give a cash donation or help out with a fundraiser
by providing silent auction items, dinners or desserts, please
email
alleganayso@yahoo.com
or call Beth Herpst at 269.793.7640.
For
more information about the team or the upcoming games, please
contact Coach Herpst at 269.793.7640.
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| Make
Mine Quirky |
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Sometimes
it's the quirky little things that make a visit to a shop, restaurant
or town memorable. Is
there something unique or unexpected that you can do to set your
business apart and make people talk?
Have
you ever gone to Logan's Steakhouse where customers throw peanut
shells on the floor or to Phil's in Saugatuck where they cover
their tables in brown kraft paper and give customers crayons?
Did you ever see the woman's legs sticking out the upper
level window at Hoodee Scootee in Saugatuck?
If you have, I'll bet you remember it and that you told
someone about it.
Simple,
yet quirky, decorations, activities, or diversions all assist
in accenting your store and its atmosphere creating a unique and
fun atmosphere to visit, shop or eat in.
How can you make your business or store stand out from
all the rest?
Here
are some ideas:
·
Let
customers sign your walls
·
Free
balloons for kids and adults
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Vintage
photos
·
Serve
unique sodas, a signature beverage or candy unique at your store
·
Play
fun, but interesting music
·
Allow
people to hang business cards or pictures on your walls
·
Have
vintage vending, pinball, fortune telling machines, antique scales
or other machines
·
Sell
ice cream bars fresh from the freezer
·
Entice
customers with the smell of fresh popcorn or roasted peanuts
·
Have
outdoor benches, chairs or bistro tables with planters and flowers
to invite customers to relax out front of your store
·
A
"penny" horse or other fun creature for children to ride on
·
A
basket outside full of brightly colored sidewalk chalk for customers
to decorate the sidewalk with
The
possibilities are endless, use your imagination and make it memorable.
. .make it quirky.
Story
submitted by Korree Johnson
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| Griswold
Auditorium offers TWO Summer Art Camps |
| Do
you have children or grandchildren who are interested in art?
If so, two great opportunities exist this summer for them to learn
more about art and theater.
Break a Leg Theater Camp will be held
August 6th - 10th for youth aged 10 -14 at The Griswold Auditorium.
The camp is designed to help youth better understand acting, improv,
character development, technical aspects of theater and much more.
For more information, contact 269.673.3456 or
griswoldauditorium@charter.net.
Summer Art Camp will be held August 13th
- 17th for children aged 6 -10 at The Griswold Auditorium.
Instructor, Lori Gavan, will be your tour guide as you travel
the world in search of art treasures. For more
information, contact 269.673.7080.
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Barnabas
Ministries 1st Annual Revvin' Up for Teens Car, Truck,
Bike & Tractor Show
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Saturday,
August 4, 2007
10am-2pm
in the Allegan High School parking lot.
The community is invited. . .fun
for the entire family, food and beverages, live remote broadcast
by WaYfm's Portable Beach Party, and take a shot at winning a
Mini Quad.
Classes
represented: Super
Modifieds & Race Cars, Trucks, Classics, European Sports Cars,
Luxury Cars, Antiques, Motorcycles, Corvettes, Custom Cars & Tractors.
People's Choice Awards & Best of Show Award presented at
1:00pm. For more
information or to register your vehicle, call Kim at 269-686-7103
or email kim@barnabasmin.org
All proceeds from this event will
go toward providing services to high-risk youth and families in
the greater Allegan area, through Barnabas Ministries.
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SummerFest
Puppet Ministry Training offered at The Griswold Auditorium
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The
One Way Street SummerFest One Day Training in Puppet Ministry
will be held Saturday, August 25th at the Griswold
Auditorium, 401 Hubbard, in Allegan.
This fun-packed training event is perfect for youth leaders,
children's ministry leaders, teachers, homeschool educators, ministry
teams, church workers, community awareness and education programs
and anyone interested in learning the art of puppetry.
The registration cost is $30 per person, with discounts
offered for early registrations and groups of six or more.
The
One Way Street SummerFest is filled with workshops, performances,
competitions, demonstrations, and comprehensive resource store.
Puppetry techniques such as lip synchronizations, rod arm
manipulation, eye focus, believable movement, action and reaction,
and choreography basics are explored.
Event organizers are expecting hundreds of attendees from
states throughout the region.
One
Way Street, Inc. is
an inter-denominational children's ministry resource publisher
and supplier, specializing in equipping and training children's
workers. They are
located in Centennial, CO.
For more information and to register for the event, visit
the company's website at
www.onewaystreet.com
or contact One Way Street Events at 303.790.1188 ext 4 or via
email at
events@onewaystreet.com.
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| Upcoming
Events and Happenings |
| Regent
Free Matinees
Monday - Friday
2:00 & 4:00 pm
New show each week
Allegan Farmers Market
Thursdays
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Water and Cutler Street parking lot
Good Times at the Gazebo
Saturday Nights :: 7:00 pm
July - August 18th
New performer each week
A Garden Walk
a tour of distinctive gardens in the area presented by Friends
of Allegan Parks
July 21 & 22 :: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
$8.00 per person; proceeds benefit the beautification of Allegan
Parks
Advance Tickets available at Something Sweet or on walk days
at The Griswold Auditorium
1st Annual Revvin' Up for Teens Car, Truck, Bike and
Tractor Show
August 4th
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Allegan High School Parking Lot
Break a Leg Theater Camp
Learn acting and theater skills designed for youth 10 -14 years
old
August 6 - 10 :: 9:00 am - noon
Summer Art Camp
"travel the world in search of art treasures"
August 13 - 17 :: 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Michigan Fiber Fest
August 15 - 19
Allegan County Fair Fairgrounds
SummerFest Puppet Ministry Training
August 25 :: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Griswold Auditorium
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