ponto
December 21st, 2006, 08:59 AM
Earlier in the month, The Associated Press sent out a snowflakes-falling-lightly-on-Americana-perfection photograph of the picturesque Maysville's downtown at Christmas.
Now comes another city in Kentucky having conversations about creating a unified and classy theme so that residents get something Maysville already has: "The kind of Christmas most people want.
Mayor David Cartmell said the magnificent swags that graced the AP photo that "ran in half the newspapers in America" costs $1,150 each. "(The swags) are the best you can get. The roping we use is also the best. It has pine cones and lights on it."
Why pay so much?
"Because it's a proven economic development tool,'' said Cartmell. On the Monday night before Christmas, some 300 kids were downtown visiting the Santa House, he said, lining up with their parents (who have money) who visited the merchants who stayed open with hot chocolate and cookies for everybody.
Cartmell said it's all part of a $2 million downtown improvement initiative that uses private and public dollars and includes putting the utilities underground and returning downtown streets to their original brick.
The reasoning?
"If you don't have a downtown, you don't have a town."
And if the downtown doesn't have sparkle in December, the thinking goes, it won't inspire a wink of greatness the rest of the year.
Read the rest of the story (http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/16287490.htm)
Now comes another city in Kentucky having conversations about creating a unified and classy theme so that residents get something Maysville already has: "The kind of Christmas most people want.
Mayor David Cartmell said the magnificent swags that graced the AP photo that "ran in half the newspapers in America" costs $1,150 each. "(The swags) are the best you can get. The roping we use is also the best. It has pine cones and lights on it."
Why pay so much?
"Because it's a proven economic development tool,'' said Cartmell. On the Monday night before Christmas, some 300 kids were downtown visiting the Santa House, he said, lining up with their parents (who have money) who visited the merchants who stayed open with hot chocolate and cookies for everybody.
Cartmell said it's all part of a $2 million downtown improvement initiative that uses private and public dollars and includes putting the utilities underground and returning downtown streets to their original brick.
The reasoning?
"If you don't have a downtown, you don't have a town."
And if the downtown doesn't have sparkle in December, the thinking goes, it won't inspire a wink of greatness the rest of the year.
Read the rest of the story (http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/16287490.htm)