Main Street Vicksburg News
May 2008

Thank You For Your Support:

Erin Powell, Chairperson for Warren County Relay for Life, would like to extend a very special thank you to the Downtown businesses who participated in the Rally at River Stage Plaza , and supported the awareness week with “purple” in their window displays.  Erin acknowledged how much easier it to do volunteer work when you have cooperation from the community, especially like the Downtown merchants give.  Give yourself a pat on the back!!!     

Playground at Art Park – Cat Fish Row:

Kudos to the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary for providing our community with a delightful children’s playground beside the Art Park and Splash Fountain at Cat Fish Row.  During the regular scheduled April board meeting, the Main Street Board presented Heather Butler, representing the Junior Auxiliary with a check for $500.00.  Board members present were Harry Sharp, Jerry Hall, Nancy Bell, Norma Massey, Ronnie Bounds and Staff members Kim Hopkins and Rosalie Theobald.  Many diverse hands went in to bringing this to fruition.  Not only do our local children enjoy the park, but parents who are traveling with children say they find it a wonderful venue for the kids to let off some steam after being cooped up in a car all day! The Vicksburg Main Street Program is very proud to be one of the many sponsors who helped support this “cool” Children’s Playground.  

New Cafe Opens on Washington Street :

Best wishes to Steven & Katy Cunningham and James & Erica Leo who just opened Fire-N- Ice Café at 1415 Washington Street .  Their menu consists of Appetizers, Chicken Strips and Pop Corn Shrimp Baskets, Hamburgers, Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, PoBoys, Salads, and a variety of Ice Cream and Toppings.  The hours are Monday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, except for Thursdays when it closes at 5 p.m. because of firefighters meetings.  Be sure to save the phone number, 601-636-7190 and fax number 601-636-7191, as they will be happy to deliver.  

MS Main Street Assn Marketing Meeting:

Jan Miller, Director of Central Mississippi, Representative of MMSA, delivered a marketing program at the Ware House Bar & Grille last month.  A few of the most important topics Jan touched on was encouraging the merchants to keep their door windows clean and clutter free of posters and flyers. If businesses have to put items on their door, make sure they are not eye level.  Jan also recommended that anyone doing any t.v. or print ads, should make sure the owner of the business is in the picture.  Statistics show customers can generally buy anything they are looking to purchase from numerous stores in the area  What our independent store owners need to do in their ads is make the customer associate the business with the business owner (face).  We’ve heard numerous times before  that we need to keep our retail stores open to at least 6 p.m. to give people who work a chance to shop during the week.  It would be better to open later in the morning, and stay open longer in the evening.  Another marketing suggestion was to buy promotional items such as fans with Downtown events on one side and the business logo with stores hours etc… on the other side.  These were just a few suggestions Jan touched on as time didn’t allow for more.  Jan was most complimentary of all ads we do, especially the co-op ads with many of the different businesses in the Main Street District. We hope to get Jan back again soon, and that more of our members will attend and take advantage of listening to what someone who travels the State daily gathering information has to say.    

Main Street Advertisements:

Main Street and Vicksburg Factory Outlet have joined forces again in a 30 second t.v. commercial.  On a 4 week rotating basis, the regional areas included are WAPT-Jackson, KNOE-Monroe, Comcast-Greenwood, and Comcast-Natchez.  Rotating radio ads promoting just Downtown Vicksburg are on WVBG-Vicksburg, WBBV-Vicksburg, WRTM- Vicksburg, KLIP-Monroe, WQJQ-Jackson.  Main Street is also running ads in Bluffs and Bayous, City Beat, Vicksburg Post, Rankin County News, Northside Sun Magazine, NE Louisiana Publishing, Copiah County Courrier, Yazoo Herald, Jackson Free Press, MS Magazine, Delta Magazine, DeSoto Magazine, and Parents & Kids Magazine.

S.P.S – Social-Physical-Spiritual Community Outreach

This program is to increase social, physical, and spiritual awareness in our community.  Activities include live musical entertainment, free food, Red Cross presentation, free blood pressure checks, motivational speakers, fun and games.  River Stage Plaza , 1300 Washington Street parking lot, Saturday, May 31st from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  For more information contact Gary Cooper, Chairman of the event, 601-218-5365 or 601-634-1606.  

13th Annual Mississippi Market Wholesale Show:

The Mississippi Development Authority is hosting the event, Thursday, June 5th and Friday, June 6th, at The Trademart from 9 am to 5 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to see and sample unique products from over 100 Mississippi based exhibitors. The deadline to be an exhibitor is May 23rd.  For more information check out www.mississippimarket.org  

Riverfest - Arts & Crafts Festival:

The Riverfest Board of Directors did an outstanding job putting on the 21st Annual Riverfest festival.  We would like to recognize the members of this volunteer board who worked those endless hours for months and months to make Riverfest and the Arts & Crafts Festival such wonderful events for our community..  We salute the Executive Board of Directors, Ginny Tzotzolas – President, Aleisa Shaw – Vice President, Direk Copelin – Treasurer, DeLynn Willard – Secretary and Board Members Kelly Jeffers, Jason Loboda, Janelle Lee, Erin Hern, Beverly Prentise, Richard O’Bannon, Johnny Reynolds, Mel Burgess, Skipper Whittington and Ex-Officio member Ray Neilsen for a task well done.  As an Ex-Officio member of the Riverfest Board, Main Street would like to also acknowledge, Assistant Director, Kim Hopkins, for her conscientious effort of working with the Riverfest Board and the downtown businesses to help ensure a successful event.  One last note:  Whenever there is an event of this magnitude in a downtown area such as Riverfest, there are a lot of variables that enter in to the equation to make it work.  The Riverfest board does take into consideration the downtown merchants and tries to inconvenience them as little as possible. We will always recommend to the Board the best interests of all our businesses in the 1100 – 1500 blocks of Washington Street, but sometimes the logistics of where some things have to go comes down to the size of the vendor, electrical power required, security, etc.; and we have to agree on a compromise.  Always remember, your Main Street board and staff, have in the past, and will continue in the future, to be your voice.  

MAY MEETINGS  

May 9, 19, 23  - City of Vicksburg , Board Meeting – 10:00 a.m. – City Hall Annex Board Room. Call Tasha Wynn, City Clerk’s office, 601-634-4553 to get on agenda prior to meeting.

May 5 – Warren County Board of Supervisors, Board Meeting – 9:00 a.m. – 3rd Floor, Warren County Courthouse , Board Room.  Richard George, President.

May 27 - Board of Architectural Review – 4:00 p.m. – City Hall Annex Board Room. Call Paula Wright, Community Planning Dept., and 601-634-4526 to get on agenda prior to meeting.

May 20 - Vicksburg Main Street Program Board Meeting – 8:45 a.m. – City Hall Annex, Executive Board Room, 1415 Walnut St .  Call Main Street office 601-634-4527 before 5 p.m., Friday, May 116th to get on agenda.  Harry Sharp, Chairman.

MAY DATES TO REMEMBER  

May 7 – Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On! Book Signing, Lorelei Books – 1103 Washington St. ,7 p.m.

May 8 – Rosa Temple Mural Unveiling - Downtown Vicksburg Waterfront – 6 p.m.

May 10 – 18  - National Tourism Week -   Main Street will have a booth at the MS Welcome Center.

May 11 – M/V Delta Queen – Docked at City Waterfront from Noon to 5 p.m.

May 19 – M/V Delta Queen – Docked at City Waterfront from Noon to 1 p.m.

May 24  – Memorial Day Parade – Downtown Vicksburg , Washington St. – 10 a.m.

May 25  - M/V Delta Queen – Docked at City Waterfront from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May 28 – M/V Delta Queen –Docked at City Waterfront from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May 31 – S.P.S – Social-Physical-Spiritual Community Outreach – River Stage Plaza from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.    

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER  

June 5  - Mississippi Market – Trade Mart, Jackson , MS – Potential Buyers &/or Exhibitors can call 1-888-886-3323 or check website www.mississippimarket.org for more information.

June 6 – Heritage Fest – Riverstage Plaza parking lot – 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Sponsored by Our House Ministries. For more information call 601-218-3577 or 601-218-3578.

June 11,12,13 – Miss MS Outstanding Teen Pageant – Vicksburg City Auditorium.

June 12 – B.B. King – Live at the Vicksburg Convention Center -  

June 13,14– B.B. King Blues Weekend - Special Evenings of Shopping  –  Downtown Merchants open till 8 p.m.

June 24-28 – Miss Mississippi  Pageant – Vicksburg Convention Center – 601-638-6746.

June 27 – Miss Mississippi Pageant Mural Unveiling – Downtown Vicksburg Waterfront – 2 p.m.

June 27 -  Miss Mississippi Pageant Parade – Downtown Washington Street – 7 p.m.