July 17, 2005

BLOSSBURG V.I.B.E. AWARDS TWO GRANTS FOR FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Heidi I. Jones
570-638-2486
heidi.i.jones@gmail.com

or Jill Nickerson
570-638-3459

BLOSSBURG V.I.B.E. AWARDS TWO GRANTS FOR FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS

BLOSSBURG, Nov. 18 – Blossburg V.I.B.E. (Visions in Business and Entertainment) awarded grants Wednesday to Blossburg Main Street property owners Stephen (“Doc”) and Pat Ollock and Jill and Shane Nickerson for improvements to facades of their buildings at 228 and 242 Main Street , respectively.

The grant money was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development as part of its New Communities Main Street program which seeks to revitalize Pennsylvania’s downtown areas through a four-point approach that encompasses design (such as the façade restorations, parking, signage and streetscapes), promotions, economic restructuring and organization. Blossburg V.I.B.E. was awarded $30,000 for planning and façade improvement grants in April.

Blossburg V.I.B.E. awards matching grants to property owners who have completed historically appropriate renovations to the façade of a building, up to $3,000. The design guidelines were developed by the design team in conjunction with Larson Design Group of Williamsport.

“We’re excited to be moving forward with this program and are very pleased with the success of our first award recipients. The Ollocks and the Nickersons are leading the effort to beautify Main Street and bring more attention to Blossburg,” said V.I.B.E. president Heidi Jones. “V.I.B.E. appreciates the time and money they’ve spent to make this happen.”

The Ollocks recently completed extensive renovations to the interior and exterior of their building at 228 Main Street , which now houses the Blossburg area Head Start program of Laurel Health Services. The façade renovations included redesigning the entry way, painting, cleaning and preserving original corrugated and plate glass windows, removing small basement windows and replacing them with architecturally appropriate wood panels. The Ollocks also plan to install an awning over the entryway.

The Nickersons painted the front of their building at 242 Main Street with an historically appropriate color scheme that highlights the fancy details of the late Victorian architecture. They also cleaned and restored the door and windows of the structure that were damaged in a fire in July 2003.

Blossburg V.I.B.E. (Visions in Business & Entertainment) is a nonprofit organization created in 2004 by the Blossburg Borough Council and Blossburg Improvement Association to envision, plan and implement projects that will enhance the quality of life for those who live, work, play or attend school in Blossburg.

April 20, 2005

Greet spring and support V.I.B.E. Saturday, April 30: The Farmers’ Market sets up at 8 am and the chicken, barbecued by Sleezy Construction, will be ready at 10:30. Dinners are $6, halves $5 and come with a half a chicken, baked beans, macaroni salad and a roll. V.I.B.E. members will be available to answer questions.

The Farmers’ Market team is ready to tackle its second year with new vendors and crafters setting up at the Riverside Plaza every Saturday morning, 8 am – 1 pm, beginning April 30. Vendors pay $5 for the season to participate. For more information, contact team lead Tonya McNamara, 570-638-3112, mcnamara@epix.net.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development recently awarded Blossburg V.I.B.E. $30,000 for its downtown storefront improvement project. The money is through the department’s New Communities program and also enrolls V.I.B.E. in the Main Street Affiliate program with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. V.I.B.E. will be also eligible for $25,000 per year for the next three years to continue the storefront project.

In addition, Pennsylvian State Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga) worked with V.I.B.E. to acquire an additional $5,000 DCED grant for program planning and further organizational development needs.

The east side of Main Street between Carpenter and Hannibal streets is the focus of the first two years of the storefront project. Local artist Sarah Gilkinson created a rendering of what the storefronts could look like if restored, online at http://gallery.insanart.com/blossdesign or on display at 248 Main Street or .

Each storefront owner is eligible to receive up to a $3,000 grant for restoration of the historic look of the building if the owner spends at least $6,000, submits plans to the V.I.B.E. design team and adheres to the guidelines developed by Larson Design Group in conjuntction with the V.I.B.E. deisgn team, DCED and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center.

V.I.B.E. design team members are available to assist with creating plans and submitting the application. For copies of the design guidelines and grant application contact Heidi Jones, 570-638-2486, hij@blossburg.org. For application and planning assistance, contact Heidi, or Shane Nickerson, 570-638-2586/2005, nickerson@epix.net. The V.I.B.E. design team creates ways to get Blossburg’s downtown area into top physical shape with facade, lighting and other physical improvements.

DCED: www.inventpa.com * Pa. Downtown Center: www.padowntown.org * Larson Design Group: www.larsondesigngroup.com * Rep. Matt Baker: www.repbaker.com * Sarah Gilkinson: www.insanart.com

The communications team has been busy working on advertising for the fast approaching Coal Festival. We have also been brainstorming on ways to increase the amount of press coverage that V.I.B.E. receives in the local media. The communications team provides support for other V.I.B.E. action teams. Upcoming projects for the communications team include designing a new Blossburg sign and conducting a traffic survey to determine which entrance to town makes more sense for the sign, as well as designing a logo for V.I.B.E. For more information contact Annie Metarko, ametarko@chilitech.net , 570-638-3686.

The Victoria Theatre team, led by Shane Nickerson, is investigating the feasibility of reopening the movie theater which has been dormant since 1975. For more information, contact Shane Nickerson at nickerson@epix.net or 570-638-2005.

The Old Town Hall team is evaluating the restoration of the former Blossburg Borough building which has been vacant since 2004. This unique building celebrates 105 years in 2005. The team is researching ways to restore and rehabilitate the building and return it to its role as a cornerstone of downtown Blossburg, and is collecting historical information and photographs. For more information, contact Lonny Frost, 570-638-2861, poorcartoonist@yahoo.com.

The administration team coordinates meetings, grants, databases and other organizational infrastructure. The team successfully wrote the DCED grant. Blossburg V.I.B.E. is not just a word it is a feeling you get when you participate at the meetings or when you see the new look of our Main Street. Come and feel the V.I.B.E.!