By Karen Hall

Editor

At their meeting Tuesday, members of the Economic and Community Development/Tourism committee of the county commission unanimously approved a request for money from the Lewisburg Downtown Alliance.

"Assuming the commission approves our budget, I move we take $1,600 from undesignated funds for the LDA," said committee member Don Ledford, and this was unanimously approved.

"Thank you," exclaimed LDA member Ken Todd after the vote.

"We appreciate the help you have given us for the last two years," LDA President Leland Carden said to committee members. "Second Saturdays have gone well. We've had good results, and a good turnout. The biggest ever was this last month. Memberships and donations are our only source of funds, and we had almost nothing in the bank going into this last one."

"We still have one more, on Sept. 14," Carden continued. "We got donations and a loan or two for August, and it's costing about $800 per Second Saturday, so we are asking for $1,600 to cover what we owe for August and to pay for September."

Carden explained all Second Saturday activities have been free so far, "to get people coming downtown" and it has been "a good thing," with 400 to 500 people on the square on Aug. 10, "the best yet."

"We'll come up with another plan for next year," Carden said.

"There's quite a buzz going on now," said Todd. "We'd love to upscale our bands. We'd like to hire Eddie Fuller's band, for instance, but they charge $300."

Committee members asked for a breakdown of costs, and Carden and Todd said for each Second Saturday LDA spent $150 on advertising, $250-$300 on music, and $500-$700 on amusements, such as the wildly popular water slide they had on Aug. 10.

New Life Church has gotten involved, and Lyons Chevrolet and NAPA have stepped up as sponsors, Mike Wiles reported.

"We're pulling people in slowly," said Carden.

"Is there any business that's not opening?" asked Ledford.

"No," Todd replied. "They're all pretty supportive, and say Second Saturday has generated business."

"Will $1,600 take care of entertainment as well?" asked committee member Vicki Cain.

"Yes, it will," Todd said, noting that Vicki and her husband have supplied tents from their business Action Tents for free.

"I have no problem with $1,600," said committee chairman Seth Warf.

"If you want to give us more, we won't fight it," laughed Todd. "With momentum it will grow to the point where we need to shut down the entire square."

For activities on the square after Second Saturdays end, Todd reported LDA was thinking of doing a haunted house for Halloween.

Wiles said the city was hoping to have the Christmas light display on the courthouse lawn again.

"It's a great draw for downtown," he said. "We had a good response, even from young people. Hats off to Lynda and Ed (Potts) for doing that."