“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.
Our friends at CV Flyte kicked off our summer series with the first Wind Down Wednesday of the year on May 10th. The weather was mild and the food and music were perfect. The Douglas High School marching band played as the opener raising funds for their upcoming trip to perform at the Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC. Keith Alan Barnett and the Lonesome Polecat band was the main event for the evening and boy could they play. We had our favorites food vendors: Blanhir Bakery out of Yerington, Grandpa Archie’s Ice Cream, Out West Catering featuring Dollface Cheesecake, Valley Eats, King of Kings, Ping Pow Pom Shaved Ice, Cook’d Tumbleweeds, JTay Designs, Juniper Booth Photos, and Carson Valley Bounce House. It was a perfect start to the season. Next CV Flyte Wind Down Wednesday is scheduled for June 21st, 4 pm at Heritage Park.
We started May with one of the most successful SWEEP THE TOWN Main Street clean-up we have hosted yet. We had over 70 Main Street volunteers attended this district-wide clean-up in addition to the amazing staff from the Town of Gardnerville. Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who worked so hard to get our downtown clean and to the incredible support of the Town of Gardnerville staff. The Town of Gardnerville reports after four hours and numerous passes with the street sweepers over 8 tons (15700 pounds) of rock, debris, and dirt were removed from Main Street Gardnerville!! Our volunteers logged 288 volunteer hours which is an in-kind contribution of $9148.40 to our community – they really did some work! Thank you to Meredeth Fischer our Board Member and District Vitality chair for organizing such a successful well-run event – YOU ARE AWESOME!! And to all the volunteers who showed up, you all did amazing and our downtown is shining, thank you! For a quick highlight of the day click HERE.
This weekend is a BIG one for Main Street Gardnerville. We will be in two locations on Saturday, May 20th. Find our Heritage Park Gardners at the Center for Hope and Healing, Hot Air for Hope Balloon Festival at Lampe Park Saturday 9-5 pm, and also at the Heritage Park Gardens for their annual Heritage Park Garden Plant Faire from 9-1 pm. Please come, support the Gardens, and get a jump start on your garden with locally grown starter plants! There will also be garden goodies available for donation to bring some beauty and charm to your garden. Heritage Park Gardens is a community garden project with 56 community garden beds available to rent each year. The Gardens are made possible through 100% volunteer efforts and donations. Come explore the pride of Main Street Gardnerville, and see what you are missing.
I want to take a moment to thank you, our community, for being so welcoming to our Nevada Main Street Family and our Main Street America Senior Program officer Lisa Thompson. Nevada Main Street recently hosted technical training at the Douglas County Museum and Cultural Center. The training was facilitated by Lisa of Main Street America and Shari Davis of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (where Nevada Main Street operated) for the 21 communities throughout the state exploring their national accreditation. We had friends from as far East as Ely, Elko, Mesquite, and Boulder City, as far West as Incline Village and Mid Town Reno, and everything in between like Tonopah, Winnemucca, Goldfield, and Hawthorne. I’ve said it before, the people that make up the Main Street community are some of the most genuine committed people you will meet. You showed our friends some wonderful hospitality over their two-day stay, and lucky for us they were able to stay and attend our first Third Thursday Wine Walk of the year. Thank you for your tremendous warm welcome Main Street Gardnerville and thank you Lisa and Shari for this incredible two days of training.
Right now Nevada Main Street has an Assembly Bill AB481 in the Ways and Means Committee for 700k one-time funding to the Nevada Main Street program. If passed The Nevada Main Street program will provide technical training like the one we just attended this week, grant funding for organizations to create beautification and restoration programs, business incubators and so much more. If you love your Main Street Gardnerville program and wish to see more of our Nevada communities benefit from what and MainStreet America program can do, contact the Ways and Means committee and share your support for AB481.
We just received some exciting news yesterday!!! The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners just approved the supplemental funding request from the room tax fund of $20,000 for our Facade Improvement Grant program 2023/24 Grant cycle. We are champions for the Douglas County Economic Vitality Master Plan focus on “Distinct Downtowns”. Our District Vitality and Design committees have created this incredible 50/50 reimbursement grant program for our local businesses and building owners to restore, revitalize and improve their business structures. Last year we are proud to say we awarded over $14000 in Facade Grants to 6 lucky businesses and saw a return on investment of over $30,000 in our district. This year, thanks to the success of our fundraising efforts like the Wine Walk and community donations, Main Street Gardnerville has a contribution of over $11,00 and in addition to Douglas County’s recently approved contributions of $20,000, we will have over $31,000 available for grant funding this year! Thank you Douglas County Board of County Commissioners, Scott Morgan, Community Service Director, and Lisa Granahan Economic Quality Manager for seeing the value in this program. The grant cycle is officially open. To apply visit our Facade Grant Page on our website under: Downtown Development
Speaking of your Main Street dollars at work, Beverly Caputo artist of the iconic Basque Mural will be in town next week giving her art piece some new life. We have dedicated funds for the restoration of our public art pieces, and the Basque mural is first on the priority list. Beverly is also the artist of the Cowboy mural on the Mid Towne Plaza. Installing an art piece is one thing, keeping it around to endure the test of time is another. We are grateful to have Beverly available to take the time and touch up this beautiful art piece.
Don’t forget Main Street in Bloom is about to hit Main Street. We only have a few Hanging Flower Baskets and Adopt a Pots to sponsor! Not only does everyone look forward to our iconic hanging flower baskets, but the partnerships to make this program possible are awesome. Your sponsorship and flower pot adoption is vital to the success of the Main Street Gardnerville beautification efforts. Our beautiful baskets and pots are cultivated by the students of the FFA/Horticultural youth program at Douglas High School, Smith Valley School, and China Springs Youth Camp. These students are dedicated to ensuring the flower pots are planted and cared for until they become part of our downtown landscape. We can’t wait to see their hard work hit Main Street for the summer. To sponsor a hanging flower basket or adopt a pot, check out the link below.
Well, my friends, that is the long and long of it. Next month is our 15th Anniversary and as I have been calculating data from over the last 15 years, I am again left with a deep sense of gratitude and love for this community. You have supported our mission and vision for 15 years and in that time we have done so much together. Thank you for your continued support of Main Street Gardnerville through your donation, partnerships, support of our fundraising events, volunteering, and showing up. What we accomplish is not possible without you. You have shown so many what the power of a community that really cares can do. I am grateful for each and every one of you. I hope you have a wonderful month ahead enjoying all the beautiful things our community has to offer. Summertime is coming! Enjoy the weather, get outside, breathe the fresh air, support your local businesses, tip generously, and be kind to each other.
See you on Main Street!
Jen Nalder, Program Director
Main Street Gardnerville