Main Street, Gazette receives governor's award
Peabody Main Street received a 2004 Governor's Award of Excellence on Main Street for its quarterly newsletter.
The award was presented Oct. 6 during the annual Main Street conference in McPherson.
In the outstanding organization category, Peabody Main Street won the award for the newsletter which is compiled and published quarterly in the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin. Issues of the newspaper with the newsletter insert are sent to all Peabody-Burns alumni, compliments of Peabody Main Street and the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin.
"The newsletter is an opportunity for Peabody organizations, businesses, and schools to keep in contact with alumni all over the United States," commented Joanna Brazil, director of the Peabody Main Street Association.
We have been thrilled with its success and appreciate the valuable partnership with the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin and Marion County Record."
Accepting the award were Susan Marshall, Gazette editor; Beth Eldridge, Peabody Main Street vice president; Randy Dallke, Peabody mayor; and Brazil. Commerce secretary Howard Fricke presented the award.
"The key to downtown revitalization is the grassroots support of caring volunteers," Fricke said. "We are pleased to recognize these outstanding efforts by community leaders who are committed to creating positive economic and social outcomes in our Main Street cities."
The theme for this year's conference was "Main Street — An American Classic." Community leaders from across the state attended.
Currently, there are 21 designated Kansas Main Street cities: Augusta, Belleville, Chanute, El Dorado, Ellis, Emporia, Garden City, Hutchinson, Independence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Marysville, McPherson, Ottawa, Parsons, Peabody, Russell, St. John, Sterling, Wamego, and Winfield.
The Kansas Main Street program, administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce, uses a common-sense approach to tackle the complex issues of revitalizing a community's central business district.
Started in 1985, the program provides management training, consultation visits, local program evaluation, design assistance, business enhancement strategies, incentive dollars, and on-going training in the National Main Street Center's four-point approach.
For more information regarding the program, contact Jeanne Stinson or Jean Warta in the Community Development Division of the Kansas Department of Commerce at (785) 296-3485, comdev @kansascommerce.com or www.kansascommerce.com
The mission of Peabody Main Street Association is to ensure that Peabody continues to grow and thrive while preserving its historic character through community involvement.
