Downtown Shenandoah close to getting approval
BY LESLIE RICHARDSON
06/20/2007
SHENANDOAH — Downtown Shenandoah Inc. received
a favorable review in a recent assessment from Pennsylvania Downtowns.
DSI had to be evaluated and pass the inspection process
before the year’s funding could be released.
DSI President Val Macdonald told the group during Tuesday’s
meeting that there were many suggestions, which she expected, but
only four points that needed to be addressed.
“We did quite well,” Macdonald said. “They
were quite impressed by what we did.”
When the final report came out, Macdonald met with committee
chairs to review it. The chairs will meet with their committees.
Of the four points DSI must address, Macdonald said
the group needed to have a cooperative agreement with the borough
of Shenandoah signed, which was completed at Monday’s borough
council meeting.
They need to create a manual for use in hiring the downtown
manager.
Base maps listing building location and parcel numbers
needed to be posted and this has also been completed.
And the final point was a need for a long-term financing
plan, something that shows how the revitalization group will sustain
itself after DCED funding runs out at the end of Year 5.
“We need to find new sources of income for years
6 through 10,” Macdonald said. “It is a continual process
of raising money.”
In other business, Kaitlyn Crash, a recent graduate
of Shenandoah Valley High School and a member of DSI, used her required
community service hours to create a directory of all Shenandoah area
businesses.
The books, available for view at DSI headquarters and
the Shenandoah Public Library, list the businesses in alphabetical
order and also color-codes them by category.
“This will make an excellent brochure,” Macdonald
told Crash.
Macdonald also said five resumes have come in since
it was decided to re-advertise the position of downtown manager.
Review committee Chairman William Crash said his target
is to have the manager in place by the first week of July. He also
said that anyone who had previously submitted an application was welcome
to submit again.
The promotions committee has extended the deadline for
the Shenandoah Then and Now Photo contest. Anyone with current or
old photos are asked to drop them off at DSI headquarters, Caledonia
Antiques or the library.
DSI member Annie Taylor said that photos will be scanned
and returned.
A panel of nine judges will view the photos on Aug.
9 and the winners will be announced Aug 11.
The committee would like to have them on display for
the annual Heritage Day event.
© The REPUBLICAN & Herald
2007
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