Clarkesville Main Street 2016 Board of Directors. Front row (l-r): Mayor Barrie Aycock, Joey Duncan, Deborah Kilgore, Chair; Wally Wenn; Back row (l-r): Roxie Barron, Teresa Barry, Secretary; Claudia Lyle, Janet Taylor, Mary Beth Horton, Manager;and Katie Ledford.
Clarkesville Main Street recently released their annual report highlighting projects and accomplishments from the 2016 calendar year.
Designated a Main Street Community in 2010, the Clarkesville Main Street Program’s mission is to “serve as a positive force working with our community, business and property owners to preserve, enhance, and promote our historic downtown as a vibrant destination for residents and visitors to gather, shop, work, and enjoy.” The Main Street program is led by manager Mary Beth Horton and its all-volunteer board of directors.
For the 2016 design initiatives, through the Façade/Sign Grant Program (a fifty-fifty matching grant from Clarkesville Main Street), $3,487.00 was awarded to building or business owners in the area which assisted in over $17,916.10 aesthetic improvements in the community.
Another project, the Soque River Viewing Platform, was completed using local donations. The platform was built to showcase Clarkesville’s natural resources by creating a stronger connection between the City’s park (Pitts Park) and the Soque River. An interpretive sign was installed to educate visitors on the river’s history and unique assets.
Further design plans included repainting the downtown Gazebo to enhance Clarkesville’s iconic landmark and adding a new set of street pole banners.
Other accomplishments in 2016
Last year, there were 23 new businesses netting 30 new jobs. Clarkesville held 26 downtown events attracting an estimated 20,000 visitors to the city center. The Glow in the Park: Clarkesville Glow Run, was the first event created and organized by the Clarkesville Junior Board and raised $2500 for further downtown beautification projects.
The report also acknowledged the 1700 volunteers hours put into events such as Movies on Main, Friday Night Live, Clarkesville Mardi Gras, Easter Bunny, A Downtown Clarkesville Christmas and Red, White & Tunes.
Year-end promotional statistics were also provided, through Facebook “likes,” and indicated that currently, there are 4,864 social media “likes” on the City’s Facebook page- an increase of 26% from 2015.
“It’s the main form of communication with the community,” explained Mary Beth Horton, Clarkesville Main Street Manager. “We use social media to promote our events as well as our downtown businesses.”
Most notably mentioned was the statewide recognition Clarkesville Main Street received when awarded the Georgia Downtown Association’s Award of Excellence for Organization of the Year for their work on the Clarkesville Master Plan. The Clarkesville program competed with 50 other communities for this coveted award. A $3000 Vibrant Communities Grant was also received in 2016 by the Georgia Council for the Arts to use towards a downtown mural- a public arts initiative of Main Street.
The report thanked numerous individuals and organizations who have contributed to downtown and the Main Street program through sponsorships and volunteer support.
SEE: 2016 Main Street Award Winners
“The annual report provides us the opportunity to reflect on the successes of the year and celebrate milestones and accomplishments,” Horton said. “Most importantly, it serves as a reminder that no one institution, organization, business, or individual can revitalize a downtown. It takes many people, all working together towards a common goal- making their community a better place to work, shop, live and play.”
Click here to view complete report
To find out more about Clarkesville Main Street or how to get involved, contact Mary Beth Horton at 706-754-2220.
