Main Street Thermopolis selected for façade program; participates in Shop Smart, Shop Safe
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One-Eyed Buffalo employees Shayna Soderstrom and Lisa Williams proudly wear their Shop Smart, Shop shirts, part of a campaign from the Wyoming Main Street Program which Main Street Thermopolis is a part.
THERMOPOLIS - Despite many events having to be canceled this summer, Main Street Thermopolis has been busy.
The summer started out with the news that Main Street America had selected three Wyoming communities to participate in the Main Street Façade Improvement Grant Program: Laramie, Rock Springs and Thermopolis.
Wyoming Main Street - a program of the Wyoming Business Council -- will work with Laramie Main Street Alliance, Downtown Rock Springs and Main Street Thermopolis to award grants of up to $25,000 for improving downtown façades in those communities.
Main Street America is an organization committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. The façade grants are made possible by a $746,900 grant from the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program (HSRP) as administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of Interior. The grant money will be split between Wyoming and three other states selected to participate.
"Wyoming Main Street is excited for this opportunity for the Main Street programs in Laramie, Rock Springs and Thermopolis," said Wyoming Main Street Manager Linda Klinck. "The Main Street approach is rooted in historic preservation with a focus on the downtown district because it can be a destination, but the ultimate goal is the economic health of the whole community. This fund will reinforce the historic preservation work that has already been done in these communities."
The Main Street Façade Improvement Grant Program will demonstrate the power of coordinated, small-scale facade improvements on local economies, reinvigorate the image of these downtowns and aim to attract private investment.
Grantee applications for the Main Street Façade Improvement Grant Program are available now.
Main Street Thermopolis President Suzanne Samelson said, "So far, about eight business owners in Thermopolis have begun the application process. They need to be potentially able to be deemed 'contributing.' The improvements are being vetted by the Facade Improvement Grant program folks and will be reviewed in conjunction with National Main Street guidelines."
In other Main Street Thermopolis news, new board of directors were elected during a Zoom meeting in June. The Board of Directors are Suzanne Samelson, Johnny Dorman, Meri Ann Rush, Tracy Linko, Howie Samelson, John Dorman Sr., Dakota Jeffs and Deb Tudor.
Officers are: Suzanne Samelson, president; Johnny Dorman, vice president; Meri Ann Rush, treasurer; and Tracy Linko, secretary.
Folks are invited to attend the next meeting on Thursday, July 23 to learn what Main Street is up to, Samelson said.
SHOP SMART,
SHOP SAFE
The Wyoming Main Street Shop Smart, Shop Safe campaign kicked off earlier this month. Window clings and decals promoting safe practices as shopping gets busier in Thermopolis have been distributed to local businesses.
Wyoming Main Street provided the window clings and has also funded several other safety promotions in the community including the billboard on U.S. 20 just north of Thermopolis. There are T-shirts being distributed to the shops and restaurants in the historic downtown district which sport the Shop Smart, Shop Safe buffalo logo.
Wyo Wednesdays, an additional piece of the Shop Smart, Shop Safe campaign, kicked off on Wednesday, July 1. Main Street Thermopolis is promoting the first Wednesday of the summer months as a shopping day and the theme for this first one was "Made in Thermopolis/Made in Wyoming."
The organization purchased local items and gift cards for a gift basket from shops and businesses in downtown and held a drawing for the prize early on Thursday. To be in the drawing, participants had to post the answer to the question "When did Main Street Thermopolis become an affiliate Wyoming Main Street community?"
More than a dozen folks answered the question correctly and the winner was drawn. Ellen Reed won the basket and she likes what is in it - "There are a lot of great items and I'm thrilled to be the winner."
Next month's Wyo Wednesday will be on August 5.
Learn more about Main Street Thermopolis on their new website www.mainstreetthermopolis.org and on Facebook @mainstreetthermopolis.
