February 2012 Newsletter

Business of the Month
LR Jewelers

    LR Jewelers opened in 2009 when family friends - the Schillings, offered us their location. It is good to be back in Cedar Falls on a daily basis, and we love the challenge and the comfort of being a downtown Cedar Falls business. Our store, LR Jewelers, offers a wide selection of fine quality diamond, gold and silver items, a huge selection of colored gemstone pieces, a great selection of bridal engagement rings and wedding bands, baby jewelry, watches, gift items and more. Of course Troll Beads make their home in our store too!
    We repair, restring, refurbish, redesign, or redo your special jewelry pieces and are proud to say, we are trained, certified to do so. We have always stressed to our children that there is more to being a true jeweler than being able to just sell the merchandise. Larry has studied for and achieved all the different capacities a true jewelry storeowner should have to provide the best and most knowledgeable service. Larry became a certified Master Watchmaker and Jeweler, a GIA Certified Diamond Appraiser, and a Gemologist.
    Our family will soon be a third generation jewelry family, as we look forward to bringing our son Drew into the business after he graduates. Our daughter Elizabeth silently helps out whenever she can, as she continues her education in nursing. Our family IS about the jewelry business, which IS about one of the major parts of our lives. The Larry Rasmussen family of LR Jewelers would like to become YOUR family Jeweler. LR Jewelers, where the difference is service and knowledge.

BUZZ ON MAIN

80’S PARTY ON MAIN – Our kick-off event for Community Main Street’s 25th anniversary was a huge success! The sell-out crowd enjoyed an evening of Vic Ferrari, the awesome 80’s band who rocked the Hub from 8-midnight. There were totally rad costumes and hair galore! Thank you to sponsors Barmuda, Country Inn & Suites, Lincoln Savings Bank and UNI’s Gallagher-Bluedorn. Also, a special thank you to Gary Kroeger who was our master of ceremonies for the evening. Watch for more exciting 25th anniversary events planned throughout the year.

NEW BEGINNINGS - Congratulations to Jen Johnson who assumed ownership of An Elegant Affair on January 1. Stop in and welcome her to the downtown district and see all of the latest styles and trends in wedding attire.

NEW STORE HOURS – Lillians will now be open the first Thursday – Sunday of the month AND EVERY Friday and Saturday! The new store hours are Thursday 10-7, Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 12-3. Take advantage of the new store hours and stop in to see all the great apparel and accessories Lillians has to offer!

WELCOME GLAM – GLAM recently opened up a new location right here in the heart of downtown Cedar Falls! Glam is a Prom Boutique that specializes in moderately priced fabulous prom dresses and accessories. They are open Mondays 10-8, Tuesday thru Thursdays 10-6, Fridays 10-5, Saturdays 9-4 and Sundays 12-4. Head on over and check out all Glam has to offer! http://www.glampromstores.com

PARTNERSHIP GETS ATTENTION – Last Fall Community Main Street and a number of downtown merchants supported a project initiated by Price Lab English instructor, Holly Hanna and her Advanced Speech class. The partnership provided students the opportunity to study and practice speech from a very micro to macro level in a project based approach to education. The collaboration between the 15 downtown businesses and students allowed the students to gain experience in a “real-world” situation resulting in an authentic end product ready for use by the participating businesses. The project gained the attention of City Council member Tom Hagarty during the December Community Main Street board meeting who recommended the project as a topic for an episode of Currents. After review, the project was chosen and episode is set to air: Tuesday, January 31 @ 10:00pm; Wednesday, February 1 @ 6:00am, 10:00am & 2:00pm; Thursday, February 2 @ 7:00pm, 9:00pm & 11:00pm; and Friday, February 3 @ 4:00am, 6:00am, 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm & 2:00pm.

PARKING ON MAIN – Reminder: Employees of downtown businesses should be parking in the 24-hour parking lots or unrestricted spaces along State Street. Note that if you have a parking pass you can park in parking meter stalls without putting money in the meter. Please remember the goal is to keep the 2-hour parking along the Parkade and close spaces in the parking lots available for customers’ convenience. Please review these regulations with your entire staff.

BE A FAN OF DOWNTOWN - Our Friend account, “Cedar Falls Main Street” is filled up with the maximum of 5000 friends, but our Fan page, “Cedar Falls Downtown” has unlimited fan spots open. Build the virtual network by “Liking” Cedar Falls Downtown — we’ll “Like” you right back!

DOWNTOWN RECYCLING UPDATE – Congratulations downtown merchants, you recycled 2,740 lbs. of recyclable materials the month of December. Keep up the good work!

GREEN = GREEN TIDBIT OF THE MONTH – Did you realize that you can protect the environment, improve your health, and save money when you “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”? What if you can save money and bottles by using non-toxic, concentrated cleaners: help reduce packaging waste from landfills, eliminate greenhouse gases, do the equivalent of planting trees, ship less, use less, and save up to 99%. Protect your home, your health, and your environment by taking another step towards going green. For more information, visit www.ChooseToImprove.com Submitted by Jessica Crouch.

CONGRATULATIONS – To Gretchen Behm and the staff of Kitchen Essentials who are celebrating their 6th year in business on the Parkade!

Anniversaries? Accomplishments? Additions? Businesses are welcome to send their news, additions or suggestions for the newsletter to communitymainst@cfu.net. Please let us know so we can share the news.

UPCOMING EVENTS

COMMUNITY MAIN STREET STRATEGIC PLANNING DAY – All downtown stakeholders are encouraged and invited to attend this very important planning session. The session is planned for 9am-noon Wednesday, February 29th at the Cedar Falls Public Library. Thom Guzman, Director, Iowa Downtown Resource Center at IEDA, will be our facilitator and guide us through this very important planning session. Please be a voice for the future of our organization; join us. RSVP by calling Community Main Street at 319-277-0213.

GOOGLE WORKSHOP - The Business Improvement Committee is pleased to offer a FREE “Get Your Business Online Workshop” February 7 from 12:30-3pm at the Cedar Falls Public Library. This workshop offers a great opportunity for businesses to create a simple website which will increase your web presence through identification on Google map and search engines. Employees of Google will conduct the seminar. Although it is during the middle of the day, hopefully you can take advantage of this great opportunity. Click on the invitation above to link to the registration.

CEDAR VALLEY LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION – Please join the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber for their annual Cedar Valley Legislative Reception 5-7 pm Wednesday, February 15 at the Renaissance Savery Hotel, 401 Locust St., Des Moines. State legislators and administration leaders are invited to enjoy our Cedar Valley hospitality while discussing issues of importance to the Cedar Valley of Iowa. There is no charge to attend this event.

W.O.W. (Women’s Outrageous Weekend) – The 4th annual WOW Convention is scheduled for February 24 and 25th. WOW, it’s the perfect antidote for cabin fever, winter blues, and other winter season disorders! Check out our web site to see all the great specials, classes and fun we are planning for our registered guests. The weekend kicks off on Friday evening with registration and an opening reception hosted by Scratch Cupcakery and Iowa Wine Producers. Later in the evening take in the Interlude at Field of Yoga! The fun and events continue through Saturday with a closing reception at Voo Doo Lounge. Pre-registration remains at $20 and the first 100 registered will receive a special WOW it’s Outrageous tote bag. Not to worry if you aren’t one of the first 100-registered guests, there will be great prizes and specials for everyone! Registration forms are available on line at www.communitymainstreet.org

CULINARY CRUISE – Kitchen Essentials is partnering with Humble Travel to bring you an exclusive 7-day culinary cruise! Kitchen expert Gretchen Behm will host this luxurious voyage for an exclusive group of food enthusiasts. Your ship will depart from historic Boston Harbor – from the moment you step on board, you can relax and enjoy total pampering from the highly trained Holland America staff. During the trip, Gretchen and the group will participate in two demonstrations at the ship’s Culinary Center, as well as enjoy a private premium wine tasting with the Cellar master. For more information on this great offer go to www.humbletravel.com.

Visit www.communitymainstreet.org or www.cedarfallsdowntown.com for a complete list of downtown area events.

CMS DEVELOPMENTS

February Meeting Dates:
Business Improvement: Noon -Wednesday, February 1 @ CMS office
CMS Board Meeting: Noon - Wednesday, February 8 @ US Bank
Organization & Development: Noon -Monday, February 1 @ CMS office
Retail Promotion: 8:45am Tuesday, February 14 @ CMS office
Design: Noon -Friday, February 17 @ CMS office
Strategic Planning Session: 9-noon Wednesday, February 29 @ Cedar Falls Public Library

NEWS FROM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT
The focus has been:
1. Washington Street and W 6th Street Parking Considerations
2. Seminar: “Google Get Your Business Online” – Feb. 7th
3. 25th Anniversary – 80’s Party on Main
4. Business Changes/Welcome Visits
a. An Elegant Affair – New owner
b. Glam – Welcome Visit

NEWS FROM DESIGN
The focus has been:
1. Façade Review
2. 25th Anniversary Banner Design
3. Mid-year review of committee program of work
4. Operation Beautification
5. Main Street Iowa Awards
6. Historic Preservation Commission Update

NEWS FROM ORGANIZATION & DEVELOPMENT
The focus has been:
1. 25th Anniversary – 80’s Party on Main
2. Friends Letter/Mailing Date
3. Upcoming Main Street Events
a. Fabulous Indoor Sidewalk Sale
b. WOW Convention – Feb. 24th & 25th
4. Strategic Planning Session
5. 2012 Evaluation of Fall Events

NEWS FROM PROMOTION COMMITTEE
The focus has been:
1. Holiday Hoopla
2. Update on Vic Ferrari
3. Getaway to Gateway – Thursday, June 14
4. Hops on Main – April 12

NEWS FROM RETAIL PROMOTION COMMITTEE
The focus has been:
1. Buy Local Campaign Presentation Internet Sales Tax Action
2. Blue Zone
3. Indoor Sidewalk Sale
4. WOW Convention

If you are interested in serving on a committee or would like to volunteer for a special event or project, email Carol Lilly at carol.lilly@cfu.net or call the CMS office at 277-0213.

SPACE FOR RENT
Visit www.communitymainstreet.org for a listing of available space within the district.

CONTACTS
CMS Board of Directors: Dave Schachterle (President), Gretchen Behm (President- Elect), Dave Deaver (Treasurer), Brent Johnson (Secretary), Ty Kimble (Past-President), Sheryl McGovern, Julie Brunscheon, Lisa Rivera Skubal, Mare Schmidt, Johna Petersen, Jodi Landau, Ann Remmert, Cindy Bramblett, Gregg Humble, Brandon Gray, Tom Hagarty, Kim Manning, John Miller, Bob Justis, Jeff Sitzmann, Joel Anderson, Jane Messingham

Staff: Executive Director Carol Lilly, Events & Promotions Coordinator Jan Andersen, and Office Coordinator Breanna Parker