The Promotions Committee of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group has announced a new festival to take place Thursday through Saturday, March 22 through 24. Titled the Cabin Fever Comedy Festival, the event is meant to be a diverse and inclusive Comedy Festival focusing on all aspects of comedy and featuring local and regional comedians and comic groups.

The event will offer comedy for all ages and tastes, and is the brainchild of CDG volunteer Miles Fuller, a stand-up comic and non-fiction writer, currently pursuing a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa.

Funding of the festival will be through the sale of Clown Noses. And all events scheduled throughout the weekend will be free to all patrons wearing the official festival nose. Noses will arrive later this month or you can contact Joe Jennison at the Mount Vernon Visitor Center to purchase.

 
Call for Venues

As part of the Cabin Fever Comedy Festival, the CDG Comedy Committee is working to secure venues where a diverse group of performers and performances can take place throughout Mount Vernon and Lisbon. Some of the venues already secured include C&D Lounge, First Street Community Center, Chameleon’s, Lisbon City Hall (possible), Lisbon History Center, Lisbon Public Library, Video Village and Scorz. Volunteer committee members are reaching out to several businesses to gauge interest. If you or your business would like to take part, contact Joe Jennison at (319) 210-9935, cell).

 
Call for Performers

As part of the upcoming Cabin Fever Comedy Festival, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Comedy Committee is reaching out to several local performers and performance groups to take part including Elaine Ball (puppeteer), the Iowa Goatsinger, Miles Fuller, Joe Jennison (playwright), Laughing Laura, Mount Vernon High School Improvisation Team, Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Theatre and many others.

If you would like to perform or would like to recommend a local person or group to be part of the comedy lineup, contact Joe Jennison at (319) 210-9935.

 
Chalk the Walk committee meetings have begun

Work has begun on the organizing of the annual Chalk the Walk event.

The project will once again be a joint community project managed by a team of volunteers and organizations including the City of Mount Vernon Parks and Rec, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group and the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council. The event is scheduled to take place May 5 and 6. Look for more information coming soon!

 
Video Village offering late fee forgiveness

The new owners of Video Village will be offering late fee forgiveness during the month of February to all customers.

If you have a fine that is keeping you from returning to the store, you are encouraged to bring in three canned food items.

All items will be donated to Southeast Linn Community Center. And all late fees will be forgiven.

 
Retail Meetings take place third Tuesday of the month at noon – you must RSVP if you are planning to attend

All are welcome to attend the monthly Retail Meetings of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group. This meeting welcomes retailers and others to get together to discuss promotions, events, advertising, marketing and other subjects of concern to the Retail community.

November’s meeting featured important info about prosecuting shoplifters. December’s meeting offered an open conversation that resulted in the creation of a committee to recruit more bus tours to Mount Vernon and Lisbon.

The meeting always takes place at noon at Pizza Palace, 106 First St. W, Mount Vernon. Rawley Alger agrees to open for us for this private meeting. Everyone is served a choice of pizza slices and soda. This month’s meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 17, at noon, at Pizza Palace. If interested in attending, please RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com so that Rawley knows how much pizza to make. Charge is $6 per person to help cover food and operation costs.

 
CDG Annual Report to be released next week

CDG’s Annual Report will be coming out next week. Copies will be available at the Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center and the Lisbon History Center, among other places.

Main Street Iowa offers winter training for CDG volunteers

WHAT:          The MSI winter workshop will be focused on upper floor revitalization.  “Upstairs

                        Downtown”, developed at Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, will be presented

                        by Anna Margaret Barris, Dan Carmody and Mike Jackson.  This hands-on

                        training goes beyond the classroom to give attendees the experience of working in

                        groups to analyze the potential for developing a building.

WHEN:           January 31st and February 1st, 2012       

                
Where:         Howard Street Christian Church Community Room, 101 North Locust Street in Colfax, Iowa.    

                
Cost:            There will be a $30 charge for meals. (includes all breaks both days, lunch and dinner on Tuesday and lunch on Wednesday).  

Please have cash or check for $30.00 payable to Colfax Main Street.

RSVP to Joe J if interested at (319) 210-9935.

 
Important MSI Dates

Main Street Iowa has these upcoming trainings, let Joe know if you want to take part:

Jan. 30 – MSI general orientation and training for new volunteers, Des Moines

Jan. 31 through Feb. 1 – Upper Floor Revitalization, Colfax

Feb. 21 – MSI in Mount Vernon for Tech Visit and Report

June 20-21 – Annual visit and program assessment

 
Festivals for 2012 – Have you written these dates down in your calendar?

Cabin Fever Comedy Festival, March 22, 23, 24

Chalk the Walk, May 5 and 6

Chocolate Stroll, June 2

Lincoln Highway Antique Extravaganza, July 4

Heritage Days, July 12 through 14

Lincoln Highway, Buy-Way Yard Sale, August 2 through August 4

Sauerkraut Days, August 9 through August 11

Lincoln Highway Art Festival, Sept. 22

HalloweenTown, Oct. 31

 
Butt Brigade Reminder

The Butt Brigade has shut down for winter.

The Butt Brigade will return to active duty in the spring.

In the meantime, if anyone would like to borrow a broom and a dustpan to tackle downtown cigarette butts, feel free to contact Joe J via cell phone at (319-210-9935). And say no to butts!

 
Hey! Want to join a Committee?

Business Improvement Committee- Meets third Wednesday at 7:15 a.m.

Organization Committee- Meets second Thursday at 8 a.m.

Promotion Committee- Fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 a.m.

Design Committee- This committee always meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month.

New committees now forming: Comedy Committee, MSI Awards Committee, Raffle Committee, Tour Bus Committee

Joe Jennison

Main Street and Marketing Director

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group

PO Box 31

Mount Vernon, IA 52314

319-895-8214, office

319-210-9935, cell

director@visitmvl.com

visitmvl.com – Your Source for Events, Features and Information

The Uptown holiday decorations are a huge hit with both residents and visitors to Mount Vernon and Lisbon. The decorations represent a year-long research and design project through the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group, the City of Mount Vernon and dozens of volunteers including a crew from Mount Vernon Construction.

The board and staff of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group wanted to be sure to publicly thank the individual members of the committee(s) involved for their hard work over the past year. Some of those involved include Linda Bild, Mitch Bloomquist, Amy Butz, Stan Crocker, Rick and Trude Elliott, Adam Flockhart, Susan Hargus, Tim Kelley, Kelly May, Pat and Tommie Ouversen, Chris Rodman and many others. If you should see one of these fine residents on the street, be sure to thank them for their contribution.

Holiday Window Winner to be announced on Christmas Eve…

The winner of the CDG Holiday Window Display project will be announced Saturday, Dec. 24, at noon. Individual registration forms are available at any participating retailer and can be deposited:

1)      at the slot at the Holiday Window Display, 100 First St. SE

2)      inside the mailbox at the Visitor Center, 311 First St. NW

3)      at any participating retailer

Every day another present is unwrapped displaying more and more merchandise available locally. On Dec. 24, at noon, one registration will be drawn from the fish tank inside the Holiday Display, and that person will win all 25 gifts on display.

Fill out your form in the Mt Vernon-Lisbon Sun or drop into any participating retailer for your chance to win.

Dog Park Committee becomes Parks and Rec partnership

After nearly a year of research and promotion, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group’s Dog Park Committee has become its own entity and will now work in partnership with the City of Mount Vernon Parks and Rec Department.

Congratulations to the dedicated group of volunteers who took on this task and saw it through. Questions re: The Dog Park including the current fundraising projects can be directed to Dog Park Chair Chris Goodwin at (319) 270-2113.

Next Community Leaders Breakfast Jan. 5

Join the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group as well as the City of Lisbon, City of Mount Vernon, Lisbon Community Schools, Mount Vernon Community Schools, Cornell College, local service and church groups and businesses as we all come together to share community information and network. The next breakfast will take place Thursday, Jan. 5, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Harlan Dining Room, in the Cornell College Commons.

Breakfast available for $6. Free parking is available behind the Commons, on Commons Circle Drive and First Street. No RSVP required, just show up.

These take place the first Thursday of every quarter. The next meetings are Jan. 5, April 5, and Oct. 4.

Retail Meetings take place third Tuesday of the month at noon – you must RSVP if you are planning to attend

All are welcome to attend the monthly Retail Meetings of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group. This meeting welcomes retailers and others to get together to discuss promotions, events, advertising, marketing and other subjects of concern to the Retail community. Last month’s meeting featured important info about prosecuting shoplifters.

The meeting always takes place at noon at Pizza Palace, 106 First St. W, Mount Vernon. Rawley Alger agrees to open for us for this private meeting. Everyone is served a choice of pizza slices and soda. This month’s meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 20, at noon, at Pizza Palace. If interested in attending, please RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com so that Rawley knows how much pizza to make. Charge is $6 per person to help cover food and operation costs.

Mount Vernon After Dark raises $6,680

The Mount Vernon After Dark fundraiser turned out to be the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group’s best fundraiser ever. We counted 379 persons through eight downtown apartments and raised $6,680. We will most likely be planning a similar apartment tour next year. Let us know if interested in taking part. Good committee seats always open.

Thank you to all the volunteers, restaurants, artists, musicians, board members, patrons and apartment owners and tenants who all contributed to the success of this project. Yahoo!

CDG Annual Report to be released in early January

CDG’s Annual Report will once again be coming out in early January. The Organization Committee will be meeting next week to discuss content. If there is something you are interested in seeing from this year’s annual report, let us know.

Festivals for 2012 – Have you written these dates down in your calendar?

Chalk the Walk, May 5 and 6

Chocolate Stroll, June 2

Lincoln Highway Antique Extravaganza, July 4

Heritage Days, July 12 through 14

Lincoln Highway, Buy-Way Yard Sale, August 2 through August 4

Sauerkraut Days, August 9 through August 11

Lincoln Highway Art Festival, Sept. 22

HalloweenTown, Oct. 31

Big Butt Brigade Reminder

The Butt Brigade has been growing over the summer and fall. Last Sunday’s Butt Sweepers numbered four. We’ve been averaging three or more volunteers a week over the last month or so. The project has been very popular and fun, but we will be shutting our butts down for winter. The Butt Brigade will return to active duty in the spring.

In the meantime, if anyone would like to borrow a broom and a dustpan to tackle downtown cigarette butts, feel free to contact Joe J via cell phone at (319-210-9935).

Hey! Want to join a Committee?

Business Improvement Committee- Meets third Wednesday at 7:15 a.m.

Organization Committee- Meets second Thursday at 8 a.m.

Promotion Committee- Meeting rotates times and places monthly.

Design Committee- This committee always meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month.

Contact Info:
Joe Jennison

Main Street and Marketing Director

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group

PO Box 31

Mount Vernon, IA 52314

319-895-8214, office

319-210-9935, cell

director@visitmvl.com

visitmvl.com – Your Source for Events, Features and Information

Read the full report at the link below:

http://mvlcdg.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/mount-vernon-feasibility-report_low-res.pdf

You may have noticed the plethora of scarecrows popping up around both Mount Vernon and Lisbon. The scarecrows are part of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group’s annual Scarecrow contest.

Customers can vote as many times, at as many businesses and for as many scarecrows as they like. One customer will win a $25 gift certificate to any Mount Vernon-Lisbon business. And one business will win a Traveling Trophy provided by Anything But Ordinary Gift Shoppe, and a chocolate scarecrow provided by Mount Vernon Confections.

This year’s pack of scarecrows will be touring to both the Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, Oct. 29, and to HalloweenTown on Monday, Oct. 31. Voting will take place throughout the Chili Cook-Off, with the final awards being announced at 7 p.m. at the Chili Cook-Off itself.

Look for the scarecrows at these local businesses: Ben & Flo’s, Big Creek Market, Blooming Acres, Chameleon’s Pub & Grub, City of Lisbon, City of Mount Vernon, The Dance Place, Farm Bureau, First Street Community Center, Hallmark Care Center, Insidious Ink, Liberty Iron Works, Mount Vernon Bank & Trust Co., Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group, Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, Mount Vernon Insurance, Mount Vernon Motel, Right Frame of Mind, Scarlett Boutique, Shepley Pharmacy, Silver Spider, Skillet Café, The Shops at First Brick, Video Village Etc., and Wolfe’s Antiques.

Murder Mystery to take place Oct. 28, 29

Up to nine suspects each night will be questioned by a group of amateur sleuths as guests witness a murder, look over the evidence and try to figure out “Who Killed John Bardsley?” during the Lisbon-Mount Vernon Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28 and 29, beginning at 6 p.m. at Lisbon’s Heritage Hall.

The event, a fundraiser to benefit three outstanding local nonprofits (Lisbon History Center, Lisbon Public Library and the Southeast Linn Community Center), will be a fun, tongue-in-cheek murder mystery led by a group of local celebrities all volunteering their time for a good cause. The progressive dinner will begin in Heritage Hall for appetizers, move to Southeast Linn for dinner, and end in the Lisbon History Center for desserts and coffee.

Tickets are $25, and are on sale now through Shepley Pharmacy and the Lisbon Public Library. Questions can be directed to the Lisbon Public Library through (319) 455-2800.

Chili Cookoff to take place Oct. 29

More than 20 teams will be competing for a traveling trophy and bragging rights as the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group presents the 5th Annual Mount Vernon Chili Cook-off. The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, at the Iowa Physical Therapy parking lot (rain or shine), with cooking from noon to 4 p.m.; and tasting taking place from 4 to 7 p.m. that same day.

Admission is free and chili samples are 50 cents each.

Team applications are still being received. Download an app at www.visitmvl.com or email Matt Margheim for more info (mattmargheim65@yahoo.com).

RFP for winter plantings in downtown pots

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group (CDG) is seeking the services of an experienced professional plant designer to design and fill the seven large outdoor planters in downtown Mount Vernon for the holiday season. Bids will be accepted until 5 p.m. Oct. 28. If interested in obtaining the entire RFP, please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

HalloweenTown to take place Oct 31 in Lisbon

HalloweenTown returns Oct 31, from 5 to 7 p.m., in downtown Lisbon. New this year are several interiors and windows along Main Street that will be decorated for the event, including the front room of the Lisbon History Center, 102 E. Main St., Lisbon, that has been turned into a Creepy Victorian Parlor.

Hundreds of kids are expected to take part in this event. Volunteers are needed to help with set up. If interested in volunteering, contact Becky Hess at rrhess@msn.com or (319) 455-0141. All are welcome to take part in this annual Halloween event.

MSI Focus Groups

As part of Main Street Iowa’s Technical Assistance Training for Mount Vernon’s Main Street program, Main Street experts in marketing/branding will be in town Nov 1 and 2 to interview various Focus Groups about the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group’s message and branding. This is a free service to Mount Vernon provided by Main Street Iowa. The information received through these one-hour discussions will be used to recreate our message(s) and messaging in 2012 and beyond.

If you would like to take part in one of these Focus Groups, contact Joe Jennison at (319) 210-9935.

MV After Dark tickets on sale

Mount Vernon After Dark is a new event taking place in Uptown Mount Vernon on Friday, Nov. 4 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The event will include eight open houses (seven apartment and one conference room) showcasing food from eight local restaurants. Each apartment will be teamed with another local restaurant or caterer, and each apartment will feature local art, music and/or history about the area. The event is a fundraiser and will include a Silent Auction.

Tickets are $20 and are available at either Mount Vernon Bank & Trust, 206 First St. West, Anything But Ordinary Gift Shoppe, 221 First St. NE, or at the Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center, 311 First St. NW. Questions regarding the event, can be directed to Joe Jennison at (319) 210-9935.

Social Media for Dummies

The Business Improvement Committee of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group will be offering a business workshop as part of its ongoing series titled Social Media for Dummies. The event will take place Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mount Vernon High School. Food will be included. If interested in taking part, you must RSVP through Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com.

Magical Night

Work has begun on preparations for Magical Night. The event is going to take place on Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. Chair of this committee is Merridy Reth from Anything But Ordinary Gift Shoppe. Joe Jennison will be compiling a brochure that will include Hometown Holiday events. If interested in listing MV-L holiday events open to the public, please forward detailed info to director@visitmvl.com

The baskets for the annual Silent Auction are in. Baskets are available through either Anything But Ordinary Gift Shoppe in the First Street Community Center, 221 First St. NE, or through Mount Vernon Bank & Trust, 206 First St. SW. If interested in donating a basket of items for the Silent Auction, contact Merridy Reth at mlreth@aol.com

Final Investment Letter

The CDG is winding down its investment drive for 2011. A final investment drive letter will be going out in the next few days. This will be the last chance to get listed in the Annual Report and in the Sun ad. We do appreciate your help.

Hey! Want to join a Committee?

Business Improvement Committee- Meets third Wednesday at 7:15 a.m.

Organization Committee- Meets second Thursday at 8 a.m.

Promotion Committee- Meeting rotates times and places monthly.

Design Committee- This committee always meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month.

Contact: Joe Jennison

Main Street and Marketing Director

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group

PO Box 31

Mount Vernon, IA 52314

319-895-8214, office

319-210-9935, cell

director@visitmvl.com

visitmvl.com – Your Source for Events, Features and Information

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Business Improvement Grant (BIG) has returned in a big way. Eight local building owners have been granted monies through the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group to assist in the updating of facades, signage and/or lighting on their buildings. The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Design Committee facilitated the grants. Eight applications were received and as a result eight local buildings will benefit with exterior improvements. Look for updates to occur before Dec. 1 at these area businesses:

Fuel

Lincoln Café/Silver Spider

Mount Vernon Hair

Right Frame of Mind

Sauter Baty Associates

The Perfect Blend/First Brick Antiques

The Purple Elephant

Williams Media Group

Music on Main, Johnny Krob

Johnny Krob will be returning this summer for a concert downtown on Sept. 17th from 6 to 9 p.m. He will plan to perform in the lot just West of Mount Vernon Bank & Trust Co. Mike Smith is once again looking for $50 sponsorships. If you are interested, please contact Mike direct at (319) 895-8692.

Flea Market Dates Extended

The Lisbon-Mount Vernon Flea Market has been extended through October due to demand. The dates for the Flea Market will be expanded to include September 17 and October 15. The Flea Market takes place in downtown Lisbon on the third Saturday of every month. Vendors are asked to begin set up at 6 a.m. The event will go from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Booths at the event are being offered for as little as $10 per day. If interested in setting up a booth, contact CDG board member Beryl O’Connor at (319) 455-2714, or show up early Saturday to sign up. First come, first served.

Lincoln Highway Arts Festival returns

The Mount Vernon Area Arts Council will be hosting the Lincoln Highway Arts Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Look for artist demonstrations, history lectures, interactive dance workshops and Cornell creatives composing poems to order in the street.

Want to help local artists? Buy LHAF vouchers

Mount Vernon Area Arts Council board members Pam Mott and Carol Dillard are heading up a new promotion based on the former Art in the Park sponsorship process. The Committee will be selling purchase award vouchers in $25 increments, $5 of that amount goes to the committee for expenses and $20 goes back to the sponsor to use for purchasing art on the day of the festival.

These $20 sponsor vouchers can be given to clients or friends or employees as a thank you, and the sales from the vouchers help to guarantee the art vendors that they will make at least a certain amount of sales for taking part in the festival. Any questions about this sponsorship process, should be director toward Committee member Pam Mott at (319) 895-8509.

Leadership breakfast returns

The Community Leaders Breakfasts will take place again this year on the first Thursday of each quarter from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the Harlan Dining Room, on the Cornell College campus, 600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon. Please mark the dates in your planner and join representatives from CDG, City of Lisbon, City of Mount Vernon, Lisbon Community Schools, Mount Vernon Community Schools, Cornell College, as well as local service groups and businesses to share community information and network.

The dates for the breakfasts are:

Oct. 6, 2011
Jan. 5, 2012
April 5, 2012

The CDG Business Improvement Committee planning two fall workshops

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Business Improvement Committee is planning two fall workshops as part of its commitment to help businesses throughout the Mount Vernon-Lisbon area.

a.       A holiday decorating/lighting design workshop is being planned for Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at a place yet to be determined. At this event, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Design Committee will plan to unveil the plan for downtown holiday decorations this year. Tim Reindeers from Main Street Iowa will also be on hand to offer design assistance and answer questions. The event will begin at 5 p.m., with a ½ hour of networking and eating, followed by the workshop from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by questions. If interested, questions should be directed to Amy Butz at abutz@mchsi.com

b.      A Social Media for Dummies workshop is being developed for Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. as well. This one would partner young people who are Facebook and Twitter experts with those older business owners who need help with the very basics. This too would include food and questions. If interested, questions should be directed to volunteer Deb Herrmann at daherrma@rockwellcollins.com

CDG Fundraiser in the planning stages

A CDG fundraiser is in the works that looks like oodles of fun. Six downtown Mount Vernon living spaces will be opened up for tours on Friday, Nov. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. On the night of the event, each apartment will feature food, beer, wine, art and/or music and a little bit of history. Come see how downtowners live in this new event tentatively called “Mount Vernon After Dark.” Details are pending but please save the date!

Volunteers Wanted

Visitor Center- We are still in need of volunteers to greet tourists at the visitor’s center on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am – 3pm. throughout the summer and fall. If interested please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com.

Butt Brigade- Interested in sweeping cigarette butts on early Sunday morning? Join the Butt Brigade! We are looking for volunteers to sweep the cigarette butts off the sidewalks and gutters along Uptown Mount Vernon on Sundays. If interested in joining in on this really fun and rewarding project, contact Joe direct at director@visitmvl.com

Hey! Want to join a Committee?

Business Improvement Committee- Meets third Wednesday at 7:15 a.m.

Organization Committee- Meets second Thursday at 8 a.m.

Promotion Committee- Meeting rotates times and places monthly.

Design Committee- This committee always meets at 6 p.

Joe Jennison

Main Street and Marketing Director

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group

PO Box 31

Mount Vernon, IA 52314

319-895-8214, office

319-210-9935, cell

director@visitmvl.com

visitmvl.com – Your Source for Events, Features and Information

Sauerkraut Days “Wall of Support.” Support can be purchased in $25, $50 or $100 increments. The Wall of Support sits out throughout Sauerkraut Days and honors the individuals and businesses who have donated to help with the cost of operations.  More information is available through Bob Hill at (319) 455-2931.  Please consider a donation to this fantastic summer festival.

BIG Grants due August 8

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Business Improvement Grant (BIG) has returned. These grants will be offered on a competitive basis to both private, for-profit businesses and non-profit businesses. The focus of this grant is four areas: Building Awnings, Projecting Signs, Façade Lighting and Façade improvements. Application deadline is August 8, and work must be completed by Dec. 1.

Interested parties can download the application from www.visitmvl.com or contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com to receive same. Questions should be directed to Mitch Bloomquist, Chair of the Design Committee at mbloomquist@sauterbaty.com

Joe J out for two weeks

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Director Joe Jennison will be taking two weeks off starting next week to pursue a playwriting opportunity in Minneapolis.

While gone, the following volunteer board members will be available to help:

President Deb Herrmann, daherrma@rockwellcollins.com

Past President and Chair of the Streetscape Committee Ed Sauter, esauter@sauterbaty.com

Secretary Jennifer Miller, jmiller@glmghotels.com

Treasurer Brenda Langenberg, Brenda_Langenberg@hillsbank.com

Business Improvement Committee Chair Sonia Redmond, sredmond@mountvernonbank.com

Design Committee Chair Mitch Bloomquist (re: BIG Grants), mbloomquist@sauterbaty.com

Organization Committee Chair Dr. Jason Salier, mtvernonchiro@gmail.com

Promotions Committee Chair Stephanie West, swest@hrb-ideas.com

Lisbon Representative Beryl O’Connor (also Flea Market Chair), boco476155@aol.com

 Hot Summer Nights in August brings Mutiny in the Parlor

Hot Summer Nights is a new event that corresponds with our own Farmer’s Market and Uptown Thursday Nights.

The music event is working in conjunction with the Farmer’s Market to bring music to Uptown Thursday nights. On Thursday, August 18, we will present Mutiny in the Parlor, an old-timey jazzy five-piece band. They will be performing in the gazebo at Memorial Park, from 4 to 7 p.m. Free.

Music on Main, Johnny Krob

Johnny Krob will be returning this summer for a concert downtown on July 29th from 6 to 9 p.m. He will plan to perform in the lot just West of Mount Vernon Bank & Trust Co. Mike Smith is once again looking for $50 sponsorships. If you are interested, please contact Mike direct at (319) 895-8692.

Flea Market Dates Extended

The Lisbon-Mount Vernon Flea Market has been extended through October due to demand. The dates for the Flea Market will be August 20, September 17 and October 15. The Flea Market takes place in downtown Lisbon on the third Saturday of every month. Vendors are asked to begin set up at 6 a.m. The event will go from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Booths at the event are being offered for as little as $10 per day. If interested in setting up a booth, contact CDG board member Beryl O’Connor at (319) 455-2714, or show up early Saturday to sign up. First come, first served.

Lincoln Highway Arts Festival offers new twist on old idea

The Mount Vernon Area Arts Council will be hosting the Lincoln Highway Arts Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Committee member Pam Mott is heading up a new promotion based on the former Art in the Park sponsorship process. The Committee will be selling purchase award vouchers in $25 increments, $5 of that amount goes to the committee for expenses and $20 goes back to the sponsor to use for purchasing art on the day of the festival. These $20 sponsor vouchers can be given to clients or friends or employees as a thank you, and the sales from the vouchers help to guarantee the art vendors that they will make at least a certain amount of sales for taking part in the festival. Any questions about this sponsorship process, should be director toward Committee member Pam Mott at (319) 895-8509.

Leadership breakfast returns

The Community Leaders Breakfasts will take place again this year on the first Thursday of each quarter from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the Harlan Dining Room, on the Cornell College campus, 600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon. Please mark the dates in your planner and join representatives from CDG, City of Lisbon, City of Mount Vernon, Lisbon Community Schools, Mount Vernon Community Schools, Cornell College, as well as local service groups and businesses to share community information and network.

The dates for the breakfasts are:  

 Oct. 6, 2011
 Jan. 5, 2012
 April 5, 2012

 
Antique Show Numbers

The CDG is trying a new tactic to capture data during festivals. At the Fourth of July Antiques Extravaganza, our volunteers spent part of the day counting heads, cars and recording details such as license plates to determine how many people showed up and from where. This is going to give us a more accurate assessment of how our festivals are doing and where we should be focusing our advertising dollars. We do know, for instance, that we had somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 people in town July 4, and that the vast majority of patrons came from Linn County, followed by Johnson and Jones. Our next highest group of patrons came from Illinois, followed by Cedar, Benton and Dubuque counties.
A complete report is being compiled. If interested in receiving said report, email Joe Jennison at director@hotmail.com

The CDG Business Improvement Committee planning two fall workshops

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Business Improvement Committee is planning two fall workshops as part of its commitment to help businesses throughout the Mount Vernon-Lisbon area.
a.       A holiday decorating/lighting design workshop is being planned for Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at a place yet to be determined. Traditionally, the event is at 5 p.m., with a ½ hour of networking and eating, followed by the workshop from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by questions. If interested, questions should be directed to Amy Butz at abutz@mchsi.com

b.      A Social Media for Dummies workshop is being developed for Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. as well. This one would partner young people who are Facebook and Twitter experts with those older business owners who need help with the very basics. This too would include food and questions. If interested, questions should be directed to volunteer Deb Herrmann at daherrma@rockwellcollins.com

Signs Missing from parade

You may remember the site of several CDG volunteers in the Heritage Days Parade handing out candy and marketing materials while following Dale Beeks and his sidecar filled with dogs and children. After the parade, CDG volunteers noticed as many of six of our signs were MIA. If anyone has any thoughts as to the whereabouts of said signs, please contact Joe Jennison ASAP at (319) 210-9935.

CDG at Iowa State Fair

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group will be participating in the Main Street Community booth at the Iowa State Fair. We will be at the fair Saturday, August 20, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

We are currently looking for volunteers who would like to work the booth for four hours during that time. If interested in joining the CDG at the Fair booth, you and a friend will get your fair entry for free. After you have finished volunteering you are welcome to see the butter cow and slide down the giant slide. If you would like to highlight your business and all that’s good about Mount Vernon-Lisbon, contact Joe Jennison through email at director@visitmvl.com

Volunteers Wanted

Visitor Center- We are still in need of volunteers to greet tourists at the visitor’s center on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am – 3pm. throughout the summer and fall. If interested please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com.

Butt Brigade- Interested in sweeping cigarette butts on early Sunday morning? Join the Butt Brigade! We are looking for volunteers to sweep the cigarette butts off the sidewalks and gutters along Uptown Mount Vernon on Sundays. If interested in joining in on this really fun and rewarding project, contact Joe direct at director@visitmvl.com

Hey! Want to join a Committee?

Taste of Mount Vernon/Volunteer Recognition – This is a project that will merge the Taste of Mount Vernon event with the Volunteer Recognition event to create a new event in Memorial Park this fall. This committee is forming now. If interested, contact director@visitmvl.com to participate.

Holiday Lighting Decorations Committee – The Design Committee is getting an early start looking at holiday decorations and will be creating a committee to create an Uptown lighting/decorations plan. If interested in taking part, contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Bridging the Gap Fundraiser Committee – we are looking at creating a November event that will help the CDG make an extra $2,500 for programming and operations. If interested in helping us plan a really fun party, contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Standing Committees

Business Improvement Committee- Meets third Wednesday at 7:15 a.m.

Organization Committee- Meets second Thursday at 8 a.m.

Promotion Committee- Meeting rotates times and places monthly.

Design Committee- This committee always meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month.

Hot Summer Nights is a new event that will take place over three nights this summer (June 16th, July 21st and August 18th ) and corresponds with our own Farmer’s Market and Uptown Thursday Nights.

If you missed the event this past Thursday night, you missed Paddy Mac, a live Celtic band performing on the front porch of First Brick Antiques, 224 First St. SW, Mount Vernon. Future bands will include bluegrass and blues musicians playing in Uptown Mount Vernon to call attention to other Thursday night activities Uptown, including the Farmer’s Market and Uptown Thursday Nights, where Uptown merchants are open till 7 p.m.

Music on Main, Johnny Krob

Johnny Krob will be returning this summer for a concert downtown on June 25th from 6 to 9 p.m. He will plan to perform in the lot just West of Mount Vernon Bank & Trust Co. Mike Smith is once again looking for $50 sponsorships. If you are interested, please contact Mike direct at (319) 895-8692.

Flea Market Begins Saturday

Downtown Lisbon will be hosting the Lisbon-Mount Vernon Flea Market over three Saturdays this summer: June 18th, July 16th and August 20th. Vendors are asked to begin set up at 6 a.m. The event will go from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Booths at the event are being offered for as little as $10 per day. If interested in setting up a booth, contact CDG board member Beryl O’Connor at (319) 455-2714, or show up early Saturday to sign up.

Results of Visioning Project released Saturday in Lisbon, June 30 in Mount Vernon

There are two upcoming Open House events scheduled in both Lisbon and Mount Vernon that are the culmination of an input-gathering process that has been taking place throughout the spring in both communities. The goal of the Community Visioning program, facilitated by Trees Forever, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Transportation, and coordinated locally by two different groups made up of private citizens from Lisbon and Mount Vernon, is to identify transportation needs and opportunities in the two communities, especially related to pedestrians, bicyclists and overall aesthetics.
See the results of the Lisbon Visioning Project, Saturday, June 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Lisbon History Center (during the Lisbon-Mount Vernon Flea Market).

See the results of the Mount Vernon Visioning Project, Thursday, June 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center (during the Farmer’s Market).
Questions can be directed to chairs Chris Yancey, Lisbon (lisboncityadmin@cityoflisbon-ia.gov) and Jeff Wahlberg, Mount Vernon (visioning.mv@gmail.com).

 
Lincoln Highway Antiques Extravaganza July 4

The annual Lincoln Highway Antiques Extravaganza will be held on July 4, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be the largest to date, with well over 30 vendors. And, yes, if interested, there is booth space still available. Applications are available and volunteers are still needed. Applications are available for download from www.visitmvl.com. If interested in volunteering, contact event organizer Kim Wolfe at (319) 560-9478.

Heritage Days July 7 through 9

Heritage Days will be held Thursday, July 7 through Saturday, July 9 this year. The parade will be held Saturday, July 9, with groups lining up at 11 a.m. at the Small Multi-sports Complex. Fireworks will take place Thursday night at Hillcrest Country Club. The fun continues Friday and Saturday Uptown with rides, food vendors and entertainment on the main stage.  Full schedule on http://www.visitmvl.com

March in the Parade with other CDGers

Dale Beeks and his granddaughter have agreed to drive his motorcycle and sidecar in the Heritage Days Parade on July 9. Tony Cassady is going to create some signs that have the logos and/or names of CDG events or projects. We are looking for volunteers to march with us, hand out magnets and carry signs as Dale and his granddaughter drive the motorcycle alongside.

If you would like to be a part of the parade this year and represent the CDG Team, let Joe Jennison know what sign you’d like to carry. All are welcome. CDG T-shirts provided to all who participate. Oh boy!

What is the Office Olympics?

The Heritage Days Staff is inviting all organizations to participate in Office Olympics 2011. Office Olympics will feature teams from local groups and organizations competing in office-themed events for a traveling trophy, prizes and bragging rights. The event will take place Friday, July 8, from 5 to 6 p.m., in front of the Main Stage. Each team must consist of 2-10 members and organizations can register more than one team. If interested in participating, contact Tracy Pearson at tpearsoncpas.com by July 5.

CDG at Iowa State Fair

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group will be participating in a Main Street Community booth at the Iowa State Fair. We will be assigned a date for the booth on one of the last days of the fair and will be hosting the booth from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day. If interested in joining the CDG at the Fair booth, highlighting your business and all that’s good about Mount Vernon-Lisbon, contact Joe Jennison through email at director@visitmvl.com

Volunteer Survey Being Conducted by Main Street Iowa

We have all been invited to take part in a Main Street Iowa survey about volunteer needs and issues. The results of the survey will be used to shape the content of an upcoming Main Street Iowa volunteer development workshop.

If interest in voicing your opinion, log onto http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8MR8RYP

Volunteers Wanted

Abbe Creek School- Chuck Ungs is looking for volunteers to lead tours of Abbe Creek School on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. through the summer. If interested, contact Chuck direct at Chuck.Ungs@linncounty.org.

Visitor Center- We are still in need of volunteers to greet tourists at the visitor’s center on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am – 3pm. throughout the summer If interested please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com.

Butt Brigade- Interested in sweeping cigarette butts on early Sunday morning? Join the Butt Brigade! We are looking for volunteers to sweep the cigarette butts off the sidewalks and gutters along Uptown Mount Vernon on Sundays. If interested in joining in on this really fun and rewarding project, contact Joe direct at director@visitmvl.com

Hey! Want to join a Committee?

Taste of Mount Vernon/Volunteer Recognition – This is a project that will merge the Taste of Mount Vernon event with the Volunteer Recognition event to create a new event in Memorial Park this fall. This committee is forming now. If interested, contact director@visitmvl.com to participate.

Holiday Lighting Decorations Committee – The Design Committee is getting an early start looking at holiday decorations and will be creating a committee to create an Uptown lighting/decorations plan. If interested in taking part, contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Standing Committees

Business Improvement Committee- Meets third Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. This committee has been working on getting business recruitment/retention plan created.

Organization Committee- Meets second Thursday at 8 a.m. This committee has been working on a Volunteer Recognition Event. This event as it is planned now will be merging the former Taste of Mount Vernon with the Annual Volunteer Recognition Event. A sub-committee devoted to this event is forming now, contact Joe J if interested in being a part of this project.

Promotion Committee- Meeting rotates times and places monthly. This committee works very closely with the retail businesses to create and manage events and promotions. The latest project is an email marketing campaign tied to a raffle that would be a part of every major festival and event. They are also working very hard on the Lincoln Highway Antiques Extravaganza, Hot Summer Nights and the new Lisbon-Mount Vernon Flea Market.

Design Committee- This committee always meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month. This group has been very involved in creating a BIG grants campaign to offer support to Uptown businesses for awnings, signage and lighting. This is also the group interested in creating an Uptown Holiday Lighting projec
Joe Jennison

Main Street and Marketing Director

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group

PO Box 31

Mount Vernon, IA 52314

319-895-8214, office

319-210-9935, cell

director@visitmvl.com

visitmvl.com – Your Source for Events, Features and Information

The Mount Vernon Community Clean Up Day, AKA Polish It!, will take place Saturday, April 30, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 80 volunteers are needed to sweep, shovel, pick up, rake and otherwise polish the 12-block area up and down 1st Street Mount Vernon, as well as other areas of the community.

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group is working very closely with the City of Mount Vernon and the Mount Vernon Parks and Rec Department to create simple clean-up projects throughout the City. All volunteers are asked to sign up through the Volunteer Icon on the left-hand side of the Main page of www.visitmvl.com and check-in Saturday, April 30, at City Hall.

CDG and the City of Mount Vernon will have rakes, shovels, brooms and garbage bags available but everyone is encouraged to bring yard tools from home as well. Please post, forward and recruit friends, neighbors and strangers for help. The goal is to make our Main Street spotless for the first big festival of the summer. Please plan to check in April 30, at City Hall. If you don’t have a broom, rake, trash bag, etc., one will be provided to you. Stop in anytime Saturday morning to get an assignment. Questions, contact Joe J at director@visitmvl.com

Community Leaders Breakfast April 7

More than 50 people turned out Thursday, Jan. 6, for the first Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Leaders Breakfast of the New Year. The next Community Leaders Breakfast is scheduled to take place Thursday, April 7 (yes, next Thursday) at 7:30 a.m. on Cornell College’s campus, in the Harlan Dining Room in the Cornell College Commons.

This event offers any community member the opportunity to share a three-minute update about what is new with their business, service group or organization. All are invited to this event. Please reach out to someone new and invite them to join us. Expect representatives from both City Councils, both schools, Cornell College and all area groups and organizations. No RSVP necessary. $6 includes the cost of a breakfast buffet.

Got talent?  Two opportunities to share your gifts with your neighbors, colleagues

1) Volunteers are putting together a “Family Night Out” to benefit two local families: the Amundson Family and the Hanson Family. The event will include a pasta dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. followed by a Talent Show hosted by Rattlebox from 7 to 11 p.m. Both events will take place at the Mount Vernon Middle School, 525 Palisades Road SW. To sign yourself or a family member up for the Talent Show, contact Rubicon Photo at (319) 895-8776.

2) The Goatsinger Show is looking for all types of performers for a monthly program to take place in the recently renovated auditorium at the Mount Vernon First Street Community Center, 221 1st St. NE. The monthly show is modeled after the old Ed Sullivan program, and as such, host Mike Moran will be looking for musicians, theatrical talent, dancers, storytellers, improvisers, tumblers, acrobats, magicians, etc. There is a seven-minute time limit. To take part, contact Mike Moran at goatsinger@gmail.com or (319) 213-0148.

Next CDG Volunteer Orientation April 16

The next CDG Volunteer Orientation will take place Saturday, April 16, at the Visitor Center, 311 First St. NW, Mount Vernon, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. This will be your last chance to attend an orientation before the April 1 Community Cleanup Day. If you are interested in learning more about how you can become involved with the CDG, and make a difference in your own community, feel free to RSVP and show up.

If interested, RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Lynch Ford Chevrolet to offer Customer Service seminar April 19

The Mount Vernon Main Street Business Improvement Committee is working with Lynch Ford Chevrolet on our third business workshop of our Spring series. The April installment is set to take place Tuesday, April 19, from 5 to 6:45 p.m., at Lynch Ford Chevy, 410 Highway 30 West, Mount Vernon. This workshop is titled Customer Experience as a Strategic Choice.

Attendees will hear from Lynch Ford Chevrolet employees about how providing the highest level of Customer Experience is at the center of everything they do. Expect to learn about the “Lynch Values System” which is the foundation of the Lynch Customer Experience philosophy. Doors open at 5 p.m., event starts promptly at 5:30 p.m. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. $5 to help cover food costs.

If interested in taking part, RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Linn County Master Gardner to offer Gardening 101 for Kids

Linn County Master Gardener Laurie Azeltine will be offering a program designed for parents and elementary school children to encourage children to grow and eat vegetables. Titled Gardening 101 for Kids, the one-hour program will take place Saturday, April 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Lisbon Public Library’s Heritage Hall, 101 E. Main St., Lisbon. More information is available through Beryl O’Connor at boco4761@aol.com or through (319) 455-2714.

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Club and the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group partner to organize Community Easter Egg Hunt

Bring your children and plan to hunt for more than 3,000 eggs Saturday, April 23, at 10 a.m., as the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Club and the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group work together to welcome more than 300 children and 3,000 stuffed plastic Easter eggs to the First Street Community Center football field.

Ten volunteers needed for the annual event. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to both set up and clean up. This one is going to be big fun and someone gets to volunteer to wear a bunny costume! If interested in volunteering, contact Committee Co-Chair Alison Dix at corridorcakebites@gmail.com

Main Street Workshop about basic historic building energy efficiency

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group is hosting a “Creating Energy Efficient Main Streets” workshop through the Iowa Department of Economic Development and Main Street Iowa. The workshop will take place Wednesday, April 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the First Street Community Center, 221 First St. NE, Mount Vernon.

Presenters include Nicholas Kalogeresis, Vice-President of the Lakota Group, and Tom Liebel, Principal of Marks, Thomas Architects. Topics will include basic historic building energy efficiency improvements, new energy efficiency building materials, making historic windows more energy efficient, historic preservation tax credits and adaptive use considerations.

To RSVP for this workshop, contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Chalk the Walk – May 7 & 8

On May 7 & 8, 2011  Mount Vernon will once again host Iowa’s largest-ever Madonnari Festival. Titled Chalk the Walk, the two-day festival will present the work of more than 200 artists utilizing a downtown city street as a canvas and more than a half-ton of chalk.

News about the event, sponsorship forms and artist applications are all available on www.visitmvl.com.

If you’d like to help sponsor this event, or want to participate, please send an email to scottbrose@gmail.com.

Mickey Miller, Merridy Reth and Tony Cassady donate time/product to CDG Chocolate Stroll

The CDG Chocolate Stroll committee has partnered with Mount Vernon Confections and Mount Vernon Sign and T-shirt Company and Anything But Ordinary Gift Shop to create a fundraiser for the upcoming Chocolate Stroll. Dark and milk chocolates made by Mickey Miller, labeled by Tony Cassady, and wrapped by Merridy Reth are now available for sale.

The chocolates are being sold by a number of Mount Vernon retailers with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the Chocolate Stroll festival. The chocolates are being sold for 75 cents or two for $1. If you would like to purchase some or resell some through your store or business, contact Joe J at director@visitmvl.com

Or buy them direct through one of these fine MV retailers:

Anything But Ordinary Gift Shop, Bauman’s, Big Creek Market, Mount Vernon Chiropractic, Mount Vernon Sign & T-shirt Company, Office Expressions, The Perfect Blend/Shops at First Brick, Right Frame of Mind, Silver Spider, Wolfe’s Antiques

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Committees

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group uses the Main Street four-point approach of four standing committees:

Promotion Committee: focuses on two areas: Community Events and Retail Development.  Many events and promotions are complimentary and integrated, and all support the mission of Main Street and Community Development.

Organization Committee: focuses on communications, fundraising, and developing a strong volunteer network to support the efforts of Main Street and Community Development.

Business Development Committee: focuses on strengthening local businesses, supporting both short and long term economic growth, and helping revitalize the business district.

Design Committee: is involved with the physical aspects of the community, such as signage, lighting, historic preservation, streetscapes, and forming a comprehensive look and feel in our downtown districts.

Other committees include Streetscape, Façade Lighting, Community Visioning, Retail, Technology, Grantwriting, Economic Development, Dog Park Research, Flea Market Organization and numerous others…

If you would like to be a part of any of these committees, please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com or 319-210-9935.

April 1: MSI Awards Ceremony in Des Moines

May 22 through 25: National Main Street Conference in Des Moines

Mount Vernon High School Hosting Iowa Academic Decathlon March 4 & 5

We will have a large group of visitors in town next week when the Mount Vernon High School will once again be hosting the state Iowa Academic Decathlon competition March 4-5, 2011. As this is a two-day event, business owners may see a surge in numbers on Friday night.

More than 350 high school students and coaches from twenty-four Iowa high schools, in excess of one-hundred judges, and fans, will converge on Mount Vernon to compete in a series of ten academic events.

In 2007, the Iowa Academic Decathlon tournament came to Mount Vernon.  It was the first time this tournament was hosted in Eastern Iowa.  The annual tournament now alternates between sites in Mount Vernon and Denison in Western Iowa..

Contact:  mvcsd_alumnipres_81@hotmail.com for more information.

Next CDG Volunteer Orientation March 19

The next CDG Volunteer Orientation will take place Saturday, March 19, at the Visitor Center, 311 First St. NW, Mount Vernon, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in learning more about how you can become involved with the CDG, and make a difference in your own community, feel free to RSVP and show up.

If interested, RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

WOW was a big hit!

Last month’s Web Optimization Workshop (WOW), offered through the Main Street Mount Vernon Business Improvement Committee, was a huge success. More than 16 attendees took part in this hands-on workshop designed to help business owners take control of their business’s searchability on the Web. The Main Street Mount Vernon Business Improvement Committee hosted the event and plans to offer one workshop a month over the next few months. If you have ideas on what you would like to see offered in these upcoming workshops, contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com. The next two workshops are detailed below:

After WOW, WIN…

Website & Internet Networking (WIN) Panel Discussion to be offered March 29

This month, the Main Street Mount Vernon Business Improvement Committee will be offering a Panel Discussion Workshop for business owners about Website development and Internet Networking. The event will take place at the basement meeting room of Mount Vernon Bank and Trust, 206 1st St. SW, Mount Vernon, on Tuesday, March 29, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. The event will offer a panel discussion featuring local business owner Cookie Vanous, Web page designer and developer Bill Easton (responsible for the Czech Feather & Down site); and local Internet Networking developer Scott Cannon. Expect a panel discussion on the topic featuring Scott, Bill and Cookie all discussing their experience with building and developing Web and Networking systems. These are real, local stories offering a brief overview of Web and Internet Networking Design and Development, followed by a facilitated Q&A discussion. Are these services or others right for you and your business? Find out at WIN.

This event is one in a series of business workshops offered to business owners in the Mount Vernon-Lisbon area. Doors open at 5 p.m. Dinner and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. All are welcome. Cost for the workshop is $5 to help recover food costs. If interested, you must RSVP to Joe at director@visitmvl.com

Then after WIN, comes CESC

Lynch Ford Chevrolet to offer Customer Service seminar April 19

The Mount Vernon Main Street Business Improvement Committee is working with Lynch Ford Chevrolet on our third business workshop of the series. The April installment is set to take place Tuesday, April 19, from 5 to 6:45 p.m., at Lynch Ford Chevy, 410 Highway 30 West, Mount Vernon, this workshop is titled Customer Experience as a Strategic Choice highlighting customer service. Attendees will hear from Lynch Ford Chevrolet employees about how providing the highest level of Customer Experience is at the center of everything they do. Expect to learn about the “Lynch Values System” which is the foundation of the Lynch Customer Experience philosophy, and how this technique could be utilized to deliver this same promise to other customers throughout Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s retail and service businesses. Doors open at 5 p.m., event starts promptly at 5:30 p.m. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. $5 to help cover food costs. If interested in taking part, RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Club and the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group partner to organize Community Easter Egg Hunt

More details are forthcoming but the date has been set for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt. Bring your children and plan to hunt for more than 3,000 eggs Saturday, April 23, at 10 a.m., as the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Club and the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group work together to welcome more than 300 children and 3,000 stuffed plastic Easter eggs to the First Street Community Center football field. Ten volunteers needed for the annual event. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to both set up and clean up. This one is going to be big fun and someone gets to volunteer to wear a bunny costume! If interested in volunteering, contact Committee Co-Chair Alison Dix at corridorcakebites@gmail.com

Date of Community Clean up Released – Saturday, April 30, 7 a.m. to noon

The date of the Mount Vernon Community Clean Up Day has been released. Known also as Polish It!, the event is scheduled to take place Saturday, April 30, from 7 a.m. to noon. More than 80 volunteers are needed to sweep, shovel, pick up, rake and otherwise polish the 12-block area up and down 1st Street Mount Vernon to prepare for the next week’s Chalk the Walk festival. Please post, forward and recruit friends, neighbors and strangers for help. CDG and the City of Mount Vernon will have rakes, shovels, brooms and garbage bags available but everyone is encouraged to bring yard tools from home as well. The goal is to make our Main Street spotless for the first big festival of the summer. Questions, contact Joe J at director@visitmvl.com

Community Leaders Breakfast April 7

More than 50 people turned out Thursday, Jan. 6, for the first Community Leaders Breakfast of the New Year. The next Community Leaders Breakfast is scheduled to take place Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 a.m. on Cornell College’s campus, in the Harlan Dining Room in the Cornell College Commons. This event offers any community member the opportunity to share a three-minute update about what is new with their business, service group or organization. It’s always a lot of fun, and now, with a three-minute bell and timer, the morning seems to move bit quicker – “seven seconds!” As always, all are invited to this event. Please reach out to someone new and invite them to join us. All are welcome. No RSVP necessary. $6 includes the cost of a breakfast buffet.

Really cool Cabin Fever T-shirts for sale at cost – it’s got a monkey on it!

By now, you have all probably heard about Cabin Fever, our Snow Festival that went on despite 45-degree temperatures and no snow. We did have a great time and many people showed up to celebrate, but certainly not the numbers we were hoping for. L Needless to say we have about 35 long-sleeve Cabin Fever T-shirts leftover that we are hoping to liquidate quick. If you or your family would like to purchase some really cute Cabin Fever T-shirts with a funny-looking picture of a monkey making a snow angel, contact Joe J or stop into the Visitor’s Center. CDG is selling them at a discounted rate to hopefully make up a little of our Cabin Fever expenses. $15. And it’s got a picture of a MONKEY making a SNOW ANGEL! Really cool. Stop into the Visitor’s Center  to purchase or contact Joe J at director@visitmvl.com

Mickey Miller, Merridy Reth and Tony Cassady donate time/product to CDG Chocolate Stroll

The CDG Chocolate Stroll committee has partnered with Mount Vernon Confections and Mount Vernon Sign and T-shirt Company and Anything But Ordinary Gift Shop to create a fundraiser for the upcoming Chocolate Stroll. Dark and milk chocolates made by Mickey Miller, labeled by Tony Cassady, and wrapped by Merridy Reth are now available for sale. The chocolates are being sold by a number of Mount Vernon retailers with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the Chocolate Stroll festival. The chocolates are being sold for 75 cents or two for $1. If you would like to purchase some or resell some through your store or business, contact Joe J at director@visitmvl.com

Or buy them direct through one of these fine MV retailers:

Anything But Ordinary Gift Shop, Bauman’s, Big Creek Market, Mount Vernon Chiropractic, Mount Vernon Sign & T-shirt Company, Office Expressions, The Perfect Blend/Shops at First Brick, Right Frame of Mind, Silver Spider, Wolfe’s Antiques

Crimestoppers of Linn County Looking for Mount Vernon Representative

Crime Stoppers is an organization that encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.

Crime Stoppers provides a telephone number and Web Tips to encourage citizens in the community to volunteer vital information helpful to law enforcement agencies to fight against crime.

CDG volunteer John Bardsley represents Lisbon as part of this organization but Mount Vernon currently doesn’t have a representative. Commitment would be a one-hour per month meeting at various locations throughout Linn County as well as other volunteer time as needed for committee work. If interested in taking on this volunteer task, contact John Bardsley at (319) 560-5480.

Chalk the Walk May 7 & 8

On May 7 & 8, 2011  Mount Vernon will once again host Iowa’s largest-ever Madonnari Festival. Titled Chalk the Walk, the two-day festival will present the work of more than 200 artists utilizing a downtown city street as a canvas and more than a half-ton of chalk.

News about the event, sponsorship forms and artist applications will released this week.

If you’d like to help sponsor this event, or want to participate, please send an email to scottbrose@gmail.com.

Annual Report Released

The 2010 Annual report is now available.  Contact Joe or stop in the Visitors Center or the Lisbon History Center for your complimentary copy.

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Committees

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group uses the Main Street four-point approach of four standing committees:

Promotion Committee: focuses on two areas: Community Events and Retail Development.  Many events and promotions are complimentary and integrated, and all support the mission of Main Street and Community Development.

Organization Committee: focuses on communications, fundraising, and developing a strong volunteer network to support the efforts of Main Street and Community Development.

Business Development Committee: focuses on strengthening local businesses, supporting both short and long term economic growth, and helping revitalize the business district.

Design Committee: is involved with the physical aspects of the community, such as signage, lighting, historic preservation, streetscapes, and forming a comprehensive look and feel in our downtown districts.

If you would like to be a part of any of these committees, please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com or 319-210-9935.

Be sure to jot down these events coming up in February.

Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27: Bingo is held at the Lisbon History Center, Sunday nights through April

Feb. 5 & 19 Indoor Farmers Market held in Mount Vernon’s City Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Feb. 15 Web Optimization Workshop (details below)

Feb. 19 Cabin Fever, outdoor relay race and large snow angel art event

Main Street Iowa dates of interest:

Feb 2 and 3: MSI Fundraising Workshop in Des Moines

April 1: MSI Awards Ceremony in Des Moines

May 22 through 25: National Main Street Conference in Des Moines

WaMaC speech contest at Mt. Vernon High School on Feb. 12

High school speech teams from the WaMaC* East conference will converge at Mt. Vernon High School for the Individual Speech Event contest on Saturday, Feb. 12.  The contest will get underway at 7 a.m. and will involve eight districts, each with high school teams of 20-40 students.  Community members will assist in hosting the participants and their supporters.   The contest will be finishing up around 1 p.m.  Students, coaches and families may spill out into the business district while they are in town for the contest.

*Cool fact:  the WaMaC conference is named for the districts that include the Wapsipinicon, Maquoketa, or Cedar Rivers.

MVLCDG Web Optimization Workshop Feb. 15

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group will present a Web Optimization Workshop (WOW) on Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Lisbon History Center, 102 East Main St., Lisbon.  Doors will open at 5 p.m. and food will be provided.  If you would like to attend, please send an RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com or by phone at 319-210-9935. Cost for attending is $5. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. This workshop will be led by Stephanie West and Tony Cassady, and is being billed as a hands-on workshop where small business owners and others can learn about free marketing tools available on the Web through Manta, Merchant Circle, Google Maps, Facebook and other sites that will help you to increase your presence on Google. Please bring a laptop, or if you are unable to bring one, contact Joe and he will borrow one for you to use for the evening. All are welcome! RSVP required to Joe J!

Cabin Fever Coming Feb. 19

Cabin Fever is a new Mount Vernon event created by a joint committee made up of Cornell students and Mount Vernon residents. Scheduled to take place Saturday, Feb. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event is meant to bring together students and residents in several events including a student/resident mixed relay race and a snow angel project that will take place on the Cornell Football Field. The relay race will take place on sidewalks and public spaces along First Street between downtown and Cornell’s campus. On Cornell’s football field you are invited to make a snow angel and, using food-coloring and spray bottles, “paint” your snow angel a variety of different colors. If interested taking part in the relay race, please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com or Alex DiCicco at adicicco13@cornellcollege.edu.

Next CDG Volunteer Orientation Feb. 19

The next CDG Volunteer Orientation will take place Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Visitor Center, 311 First St. NW, Mount Vernon, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in learning more about how you can become involved with the CDG, and make a difference in your own community, feel free to RSVP and show up. A few volunteers will be needed that day to help with the Cabin Fever event, so you may see some real volunteer action yet that day.

If interested, RSVP to Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com

Two Mount Vernon-Lisbon Events Nominated for Icky Awards

Two Mount Vernon-Lisbon area cultural events were nominated for the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance Innovation in Excellence Awards (aka The Icky’s!). The annual event was created to elevate the awareness of the artistic and cultural organizations in the Corridor and to celebrate excellence in cultural programming.

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Theatre’s “Another Serving of Slices of Life” was nominated in the theater category, and Stan Crocker’s “Drift,” a joint project between Cornell, the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council and the Iowa Arts Council, was nominated in the art category. Winners will be announced Jan. 31, in a live ceremony at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City. More information is available at www.culturalcorridor.org

Mount Vernon High School Hosting Iowa Academic Decathlon March 4 & 5

Once again, Mount Vernon High School will be hosting the state Iowa Academic Decathlon competition March 4-5, 2011.  Hundreds of community members, volunteers and resources are needed to pull this event together. More than 350 high school students and coaches from twenty-four Iowa high schools, in excess of one-hundred judges, and fans, will converge on Mount Vernon to compete in a series of ten academic events. In 2007, the Iowa Academic Decathlon tournament came to Mount Vernon.  It was the first time this tournament was hosted in Eastern Iowa.  The annual tournament now alternates between sites in Mount Vernon and Denison in Western Iowa, who had hosted the state competition for more than 20 years prior to 2007. Mount Vernon’s event brings together nearly 200 volunteers who offer their time as exam proctors, interview judges, essay judges, speech judges, banquet servers and more.

Contact  mvcsd_alumnipres_81@hotmail.com if you are able to volunteer some of your time to this year’s event.

Crimestoppers of Linn County Looking for Mount Vernon Representative

Crime Stoppers is an organization that encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.

Crime Stoppers provides a telephone number and Web Tips to encourage citizens in the community to volunteer vital information helpful to law enforcement agencies to fight against crime.

CDG volunteer John Bardsley represents Lisbon as part of this organization but Mount Vernon currently doesn’t have a representative. Commitment would be a one-hour per month meeting at various locations throughout Linn County as well as other volunteer time as needed for committee work. If interested in taking on this volunteer task, contact John Bardsley at (319) 560-5480.

Web Design/Upgrade?

The CDG Business Improvement Committee is looking for Mount Vernon or Lisbon businesses interested in creating or upgrading their company Web site. Four local business owners have contacted us thus far. Let us know if you have interest, eh?

Based on response, the CDG Business Improvement Committee will work to create a program that addresses site updates or creation. If interested, contact the CDG BI Committee through Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com.

Chalk the Walk May 7 & 8

On May 7 & 8, 2011  Mount Vernon will once again host Iowa’s largest-ever Madonnari Festival. Titled Chalk the Walk, the two-day festival will present the work of more than 200 artists utilizing a downtown city street as a canvas and more than a half-ton of chalk.

Chalk the Walk is based on an original art form that began in Italy in the 16th century. Called Madonnari, this form of public art was originally done by street artists hoping to collect coins from passersby. Images back then were based on religious themes, and as the Madonna was a popular subject, the artists became known as the “Madonnari.”

Co-sponsors of the event hire a professional Madonnari artist who creates a 12’ by 12’ chalk recreation of an Italian Renaissance painting. In addition, several other professional artists will be creating 10’ by 12’ chalk images. Event producers are also utilizing hundreds of local people to create a massive 3000+-square-foot recreation of a famous painting. Each person will be responsible for creating a single 2’ by 2’ square of the famous painting, and when finished, the chalk drawing will appear as a giant quilt, colored with pastel chalk by artists of all abilities.

If you’d like to help sponsor this event, or want to participate, please send an email to scottbrose@gmail.com.

Community Clean Up April 30

Mount Vernon’s Annual Community Clean-up Day (known as Polish It!) is scheduled to take place Saturday, April 30. We will begin at 7 a.m. More details about this event will be forthcoming from the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Design Committee. But please SAVE THE DATE and stay tuned for more info…

Community Leaders Breakfast

More than 50 people turned out Thursday, Jan. 6, at the Community Leaders Breakfast. The next Community Leaders Breakfast is scheduled to take place Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 a.m. in the Harlan Dining Room in the Commons on Cornell College’s campus. More details to come closer to the event. As always all are invited to this event.

Annual Report Available Monday

The 2010 Mount Vernon-Lisbon Annual Report will be released Monday, Jan. 31.  Contact Joe or stop in the Visitors Center or the Lisbon History Center for you complimentary copy.

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group Committees

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group uses the Main Street four-point approach of four standing committees:

Promotion Committee: focuses on two areas: Community Events and Retail Development.  Many events and promotions are complimentary and integrated, and all support the mission of Main Street and Community Development.

Organization Committee: focuses on communications, fundraising, and developing a strong volunteer network to support the efforts of Main Street and Community Development.

Business Development Committee: focuses on strengthening local businesses, supporting both short and long term economic growth, and helping revitalize the business district.

Design Committee: is involved with the physical aspects of the community, such as signage, lighting, historic preservation, streetscapes, and forming a comprehensive look and feel in our downtown districts.

If you would like to be a part of any of these committees, please contact Joe Jennison at director@visitmvl.com or 319-210-9935.