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Busy Season for the Hobart Main Street Organization Summer ‘04 has been a busy season on Hobart’s Main Street. The Farmer’s Market began early June and will continue through the fall growing season. The Market is held every Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. on the Kiowa County Courthouse Square. An average of 6-10 growers and 80+ buyers attend each Saturday. September 25th is setting up to be a very exciting day and night in Hobart. The Farmer’s Market will kick off the day for the 3rd annual Fall Festival, which begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Kiowa County Historical Museum. The Fall Festival will feature a tractor show, car show, outhouse race, tricycle race, chili or brisket cook-off and a bake sale. The Kiowa County Courthouse Square will host the first annual Kiowa County Heritage Day Celebration. Activities will run all day long. A Kiowa County Heritage Day Parade is being planned for 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The parade is open to anyone who would like to be included. The antique cars and tractors, Cub Scouts, HHS Band, Wagon Trains, Hobart Riding Club, Politicians, children with decorated bicycles, fire trucks, and Police cars are all invited to be in the parade. The parade will begin on South Main Street at the Museum and travel north to 3rd Street, turn to Jefferson Street and back south to the Museum. Saturday night at Fred Gray Memorial Baseball Park will be the 3rd Annual Hobart Pow Wow with competitive ceremonial dancing. For more information contact Hobart’s Main Street Office at 580-726-4206
New Main Street and Chamber of Commerce Office Joe Harris has allowed us to rent the building at 106 W. 4th, previously the Prairie Tales Bookstore. This has allowed for additional space that was much needed. We have a very attractive reception area with various packets of information that people frequently request from the Main Street/Chamber office. This office is also home to Main Street Director, Stephen Boyd, and a conference room for various types of meetings.
Dr. Bill Talley graciously provided two conference tables and executive chairs for us to use. We welcome everyone to come in and take a look at our wonderful new space.
Economic Restructuring Training Available for Downtown Merchants
I am new at the helm of this committee but look forward to the challenge. We also have several new members on our committee. If you are interested in getting involved, this committee would welcome your input. The history of Hobart, Oklahoma, is unique. So we must ask what heritages we can share with Hobart tourists? How does the Hobart Main Street Program entice the local merchants to build a customer base through tourism? As I look around, I am encouraged by the positive activity toward the improvement of Hobart as a great place to live and do business. May Hobart, as a community, always strive to continue its growth in all areas. Jim Watters, from the Oklahoma Main Street office in Oklahoma City, held an Economic Restructuring Training Session for the Hobart Main Street Economic Restructuring Committee and interested volunteers of Hobart. This training was very informative and helpful for our downtown economic development. The Hobart Main Street Program certainly would like to support and help the merchants of the downtown area with more training opportunities like this one.
Design Committee Report - An Exciting Time in Hobart It is an exiting time in Hobart with all the improvements and restorations being made in downtown storefronts and in residential neighborhoods. It is called P R I D E that Hobart citizens have in their businesses and their residences. Pride is something you cannot buy or legislate, but what a difference it makes in our town. In downtown to name a few, a complete restoration of the former Toma Grocery building at 5th & Washington. This beautiful building will be the new home of Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant, the owners who ran Gino’s Restaurant until July 31, 2004.
The old J.C. Penney building on 4th Street between Main and Washington is also being updated. What character it has, and everyone is anxious for restoration to be complete—it will be a real asset to downtown Hobart. If you get a chance, look at the upstairs windows and the lettering that appears on them.
The Reed’s Chiropractic storefront renovation is really neat, and look at the sign hanging high over the front door.
Also look at the awning restoration and the sign hanging over the Lil’ Hacienda Restaurant on 4th between Main and Washington. This restaurant is scheduled to open during August.
Busy Day for Main Street Architect - Assisting Bldg & Business Owners On December 4, 2003, Oklahoma Main Street Architect Ron Franz came to Hobart and found, as usual, that Hobart has a lot going on. Accompanying Ron was the Assistant Director of Oklahoma Main Street Matt Weaver. Business and building owners had been notified that Ron was coming and knowing the value of his free consultation as an architect, eight wanted to meet with him to discuss planned or current renovations and/or design. Ask any one of them the value of the availability of this service and you will know what a plus it is for Hobart to be an Oklahoma Main Street Community. What this tells customers and the community is that these business or building owners CARE about serving their customers in the best way possible and how to attract new customers. How many times have each of us started to perform a task such as the improvement of our building or business and did not know what to do. It has happened to all of us and it is a very costly mistake both in terms of building costs and failure to present a professional look for our customers. Ron asks the building or business owner what he would like to accomplish and then offers advice on how it could best be accomplished at the lowest cost. In some instances it is necessary for Ron to sketch a plan along with the suggestions that he has make. As you can imagine, if you have not met with Ron, it is a fun time to talk in an informed manner about improving businesses and buildings in our town. Ron will return to Hobart as needed so if you are thinking about some façade restoration or changes or any other renovations, just call the Hobart Main Street office at 726-4206 and advise Stephen Boyd. He will get you on the list. If you have a complicated restoration project, we can consider making an application for a “Design Grant”. This is a complete architect’s drawing for your project at no cost to you. Please remember that “Energy Grants” are also still available. Two energy grants have been granted to Hobart applicants. If you are planning these types of improvements, see Stephen Boyd before you start any of the work and submit your application. We are here to help improve existing businesses and to bring in new businesses. The more quality shops we have and the better they look will go a long ways in attracting the largest number of shoppers.
Economic Development Committee Recent speakers to the group include Larry Wright with RC & D through the National Resource Conservation Service office in Cordell; Richard Schwalbach with the Department of Commerce from Mustang; Rick Iliff, Manager with CableOne; Jerry Bayless with SBC, and Katy Reed of Frederick with Great Plains Country. The group held a planning session to focus on work for the coming year. The priorities include the following: encourage/support existing business & industry; recruit new businesses & industry; develop industrial property; increase/improve housing; advertise Hobart; develop tourism; construct public restrooms in the downtown area; improve retail leakage; encourage potential residents to move to Hobart; support grape growers and wine industry; support development of alternative fuels; and continue to make Hobart more attractive. Several members attended the open house for Bank Loft property in Cordell. Attending were Stephen Boyd, Gwen and Lou Sims, Wilt Brown, Liz Crites, Liz Metcalf and Emilie Krieger.
With Hobart’s Farmers Market well into it’s first season,, the months of July, August and mid-September have been very successful. Every Saturday, several growers have sold out by 10:00 a.m. The market will continue at least through late September with a couple of growers wanting to sell pumpkins into October and November. On September 27, Hobart Main Street will help sponsor Hobart’s 2nd Annual Fall Festival and Indian Pow-Wow. The fall festival will be held at the Kiowa County Museum. The Festival begins at 8:30 a.m. and features a tractor show, car show, out-house race, burn-out and chili and brisket cook-off. The Hobart Indian Pow-Wow will begin at 2:00 p.m. and will continue into the night. There will be four categories of competition including fancy war dance, straight dancing, ladies buckskin dance and ladies cloth dance.
A great crowd is expected at both events, so plan to attend and enjoy.
The Farmer’s Market has been going very well with many growers selling their fruits, vegetables, and various other items. The response from the public has been very good. Bearcat Deli & Expresso Bar has added Italian Food to its menu items, and it is very good. The Energy Grant Audit for Hetherington Specialties will be Aug. 12 and will be done by the Oklahoma Department of Energy. Two new businesses will open soon. Bill Rains will open a pawn shop at 215 S. Main, and Baltimore Hernandez’s Lil’ Hacienda Mexican Restaurant will open at 122 W. 4th Street. Everyone should welcome these new businesses to the downtown area. Renovation projects are the J.C. Penny’s building by John Brown, Toma Building by John Muldrow, Dimension Theater Building by InterBank, and Hobart Seed Buildings by the City of Hobart. Lonnie Olson has done some storefront renovations on his building, and it looks very good. The interior of the Democrat Chief office also has been repainted and looks very nice. The is a reminder for everyone to submit your financial commitment to the Hobart Main Street office as soon as possible. The Jr. Main Street Program will get organized after school begins for the coming year. Tommie and Jose Rodriquez, who have operated Gino’s Mexican Restaurant, will open their new Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant on the corner of Washington and S. 5th Street. The Hobart Main Street Program will be having a food booth at the Kiowa County Heritage Days Celebration, Sept. 25th. Come and have some good food and help support the program. Be sure to plan to attend the Indian Pow Wow on Sept. 25th, the Pow Wow is very impressive and enjoyable to watch. Main Street Week will be Sept. 27-Oct. 1. We need to really promote Main Street during this week. We may plan to have a special meeting during that week to invite people who may not know what the program is about in order to inform them of our success. The Main Street Painters meet every 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 1:00 p.m., at BancFirst. Everyone is invited to come and paint with us. The Hobart Main Street Program has been designated as a 2004 National Main Street Program. The Courthouse Lighting Project still is in need of additional funding for the 11 Antique Street Lights that will go around the Kiowa County Courthouse Square. Kiowa County Free Fair will be Sept 8-11 at the fairgrounds. The Hobart Riding Club will sponsor an Oklahoma High School Rodeo, Oct. 16 & 17, at the rodeo arena. The ladies sorority of Hobart will sponsor their annual Crafts Fair, Nov. 13 in the Women’s Exhibit Building. The Homecoming football game will be Sept 10th, and the Fifties Reunion will be that weekend as well. The Hobart Main Street Board Meetings are held on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday mornings, at 7:30 a.m. in the InterBank Conference room.
Main Street Board of Directors Scott Northrip, President Jim Stoup, Vice President Diana Clark, Secretary
Members:
Corrections from previous issue We would like to apologize for leaving the Main Street Cleaners off our list of Main Street Sponsors last newsletter. We are glad to have the services of the cleaners in our town. Thank you very much.
Main Street & Chamber of Commerce Contact Information
This newsletter was created by the Hobart High School Multimedia Class using Microsoft Publisher. I took the liberty with permission from the Multimedia Instructor, Vonda Binghom and the City of Hobart to convert the newsletter onto our website. Any mistakes occurring from the hard copy to the web version are solely mine. Questions or comments: [email protected]
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