Parking lot Name Winners

Public parking lots and on street parking spaces are precious commodities in bustling commercial districts. In August, Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) asked for your help to rename the 5 FREE ALL-DAY parking lots downtown in order to highlight the availability of public parking in the district. LMSA had an overwhelmingly positive response to the survey with 242 community members responding.

The winning parking lot names are as follows:

Parking lot #1, at Garfield and 1st: TROUT, with 42% of the vote. 

Parking lot #2 between Custer and Garfield on 1st, JACKALOPE, with 72% of the vote. 

Parking lot #3 at Custer and 2nd, SAGE-GROUSE, with 72% of the vote.

Parking lot #4 at University and 1st, BISON, with 57% of the vote.

Parking lot #5 at University and 4th, MOOSE, with 65% of the vote. 

Located throughout  the district, the all day parking lots are perfect for downtown employees, visitors who are participating in community events, and people who want to spend more than 2 hours downtown.

Congratulations to Linda Valenti who won the drawing for a $25 downtown gift certificate for completing the survey. Linda is excited to use the lots when she comes down to shop local!

LMSA is planning further enhancements to the parking lots. With the help of the  Laramie Public Art Coalition, LMSA will put out a call for artists to design new parking lot signage and beautify the lots. In addition, LMSA’s Parking Committee is developing incentives for downtown employees who utilize the lots during their shifts. If you are interested in volunteering for this initiative, contact Kim Jessen, LMSA Volunteer Coordinator at kim@laramiemainstreet.org or visit www.laramiemainstreet.org/volunteer to fill out a volunteer application.

Farmers Market Feature: ACRES Student Farm

This week’s vendor highlight recognizing ACRES Student Farm is brought to you by our award winning Main Street.

This Friday, August 25th be sure to stop by the ACRES Student Farm booth on the corner of Harney and 30th Street.  Grab a free canvas tote bag  with your $10 purchase too!

School has started back up…this Friday is the last day ACRES is scheduled to be at the Laramie Farmers Market for the time being.  Be sure to follow their socials https://linktr.ee/ACRESstudentfarm for the most up to date information about any possible additional market days this Fall.

We want to give a loud shout out of thanks to the students who run our local Laramie ACRES Student Farm, to all the volunteers who help out, and the faculty advisors at the University of Wyoming who support and guide this treasured local initiative!

Farmers Market Feature: Twigs & Aloe

Twigs & Aloe is a local Wyoming business that specializes in hand-crafted candles, apparel, accessories, some skin care items, and more.  You won’t find a long list of ingredients on their products; owner Tayla Davis makes each all-natural, small batch by hand.  Designs for their apparel and accessories line are all original.  

Stop by the Twigs & Aloe table at this Friday’s Farmers Market or visit www.twigsandaloe.com to buy online.  This Friday the 16th you can also pre-order their Fall 2023 featured Pumpkin Patch candle or Spooky SZN sweatshirt.  Small batch items do sell out at times so pre-ordering is a great idea!

This week’s Vendor Highlight recognizing Twigs & Aloe is brought to you by your award-winning Main Street! 

Name That Lot!

Downtown parking lots and on street parking are precious commodities in small towns that rely on locally owned businesses as economy engines. In order to increase awareness of where the free, all day public parking lots are located downtown, Laramie Main Street Laramie is launching a Wyoming wildlife themed, “Name That Lot” campaign. 

Located centrally, and on both the north and south ends of the district, all day lots are perfect for downtown employees, visitors coming for events, and people who want to spend more than 2 hours shopping or dining. 

Public parking lots are conveniently located at First and University Avenue, Fourth and University Avenue, First and Garfield, Second and Custer, Fifth and Grand (City Hall) and north of the historic train depot (where the Farmers Market is hosted). Together, these lots provide 284 parking spots.

With this in mind, help us “Name That Lot” to increase awareness of the locations and availability of parking downtown. 

The survey opens August 4 and closes at midnight on August 18. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/namethelots

As a thank you, participants will be entered into a drawing for a $25 downtown gift certificate. 

Winning names will be posted on signage at each lot. 

Learn more at: https://laramiemainstreet.org/parking

Welcome to the Team Ana Castro

Ana Castro is a dynamic and community-driven professional who recently assumed the role of Program Coordinator for Laramie Main Street. With a passion for revitalizing community spaces and fostering local economic growth, Ana brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her new position.

Ana's journey began in Mexico City, where she was born. However, at a young age, her family moved to Jackson, Wyoming, and this picturesque town became the backdrop for her formative years. Over the course of 24 years, Ana has called Wyoming her home, and her love for the state and its community runs deep.

Known for her excellent communication skills and ability to bring people together, Ana will undoubtedly play a key role in driving Laramie Main Street's mission forward. Her vision for the program involves a strong focus on community engagement, event planning, and implementing creative strategies to attract visitors and promote local entrepreneurship.

As the new Program Coordinator, Ana's goal is to make Laramie's downtown area a vibrant and thriving hub for residents and visitors alike. By fostering a sense of pride in the community and leveraging her expertise in community organizing, she aims to create an even more welcoming and dynamic downtown space that continues to evolve and flourish.

Summer Flowers Arrive Downtown

A series of colorful summer flower pots have made their way to downtown Laramie again with the support of Laramie Main Street, the Laramie Garden Club and downtown businesses.  Flowers of many varieties brighten up the storefronts of businesses downtown thanks to the Adopt-a-Pot program. 

The Adopt-a-Pot program has been a long running favorite for downtown businesses and their patrons. It is a collaborative effort to keep downtown inviting, friendly and beautiful for residents and summer visitors. Laramie Main Street’s Design Team volunteers coordinate the ordering and payments for the flower pots, Windmill Hill Greenhouse plants and delivers them, and the Laramie Garden Club provided a 50% cost share with businesses who wanted to participate. 

In addition to the cost share contribution,The Laramie Garden Club also planted three of the large permanent planters located downtown with the local businesses nearby watering them for the summer. 

As you visit the historic district this summer, be sure to stop and smell the new and colorful flowers dotting the streets. 

For more information about Laramie Main Street, and volunteering with our Design Team, visit: https://laramiemainstreet.org/volunteer 

Hide and Seek on 3rd Street!

As the City of Laramie continues a multi-phase water system rehabilitation project along the Third Street corridor, Laramie Main Street is launching a campaign to drive foot traffic to the impacted businesses. 

As an incentive for customers to shop local during construction, Main Street is providing impacted businesses each with a $10 downtown gift certificate to hide in their store this week, starting Wednesday, June 21. 

Shoppers are encouraged to visit the following businesses and look for the certificates, that can be used like a check anywhere downtown.

• Daylight Donuts

• Hometown Garage

• Subway

• Grounds Internet and Coffee Lounge

• Bagelmakers

• Qdoba

• Travel Inn

• Link Cycling

• Laramie Respiratory

• Laramie Property Management Group & Laramie Auto Glass

• Hot Power Yoga

• ReVive - IV Vitamin Bar

• St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

• Laramie Soup Kitchen & Clothing Cottage

We'll be posting photos of the lucky winners and gathering customer testimonials to enhance the campaign. 

Main Street has also developed marketing materials for the impacted businesses, including poster and social media templates and a business handbook. These can be downloaded at:  https://laramiemainstreet.org/thirdstreet 

This second phase of construction began in April and is estimated to be complete by October 2023. The project involves abandoning the old water main and installing a new one along the western side of the street. The project will include the replacement of the water main within Third Street between Lewis Street to Sheridan Street moving from north to south. Additionally, water main repairs will be made in the Third Street and Fetterman Street intersection. The City states, "there will be an unavoidable temporary inconvenience to area businesses and the public".

For project updates and a map of the impacted area, visit: https://laramiemainstreet.org/thirdstreet 

For more information, reach out to Jennifer Power, Laramie Main Street Communication Coordinator at marketing@laramiemainstreet.org 

*Applications Closed* Full Time Program Coordinator

POSITION OVERVIEW: Laramie Main Street’s Program Coordinator is a champion for downtown! They inspire and lead people through collaborative work with a variety of individuals and organizations while building consensus among diverse stakeholders. They coordinate redevelopment projects utilizing Laramie’s Downtown Development Plan and National Main Street’s Four-Point Approach for downtown revitalization: Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Development. The Program Coordinator will learn, practice and promote downtown revitalization best practices using local, regional and national resources to support Laramie Main Street’s mission and transformation strategy.

This position will assist the Executive Director with the administration of the program. Based on the individuals skill set and interest, the final job description could include a focus on:

• Event planning and coordination

• Community and volunteer engagement

• Fundraising, grant writing and budget monitoring

• Outreach to and support for businesses and property owners

• Administrative support for board members and committee chairs

• Developing and monitoring work plans and revitalization strategies

• Facilitation of physical improvement projects including infill, renovations, preservation and streetscape amenities

The final job description will be tailored to the candidate who is the best fit for the organization.

MISSION: Laramie Main Street strives to preserve historic Downtown Laramie while enhancing its economic and social vitality.

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY: Develop Downtown as a home for entrepreneurs with a focus on authentic consumer experiences and creative Third Spaces.

REPORTING TO: The Program Coordinator will work collaboratively with the Executive Director (ED), and in the ED’s absence, report to the Chair of the Board.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience working for a non profit 

• Excellent oral and written communication

• Ability to lead and inspire

• Dynamic self-starter with exceptional organizational skills

• Experience with project coordination

• Appreciation for downtown Laramie and local businesses

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with a Main Street program, Downtown Development Authority, chamber, tourism board or economic development organization

• Professional fundraising or grant writing experience

• A history of developing and executing short and long-term strategic plans

• Ability to organize a diverse variety of stakeholders around a shared vision

• Basic understanding of or appreciation for historic preservation

• Small business management with the ability to evaluate performance and provide technical assistance to spur growth 

• An entrepreneurial spirit and/or passion for volunteerism

• Experience in facilitating community engagement and utilizing public input in strategic initiatives 

• Coordination of small scale infill and redevelopment projects 

COMPENSATION: Hiring range is $32,000 to $38,000 based on experience. Benefits include flex time, options for remote work, paid professional development, two weeks of vacation the first year (time increases with years of service), 14 paid holidays, a phone stipend, and a simple IRA retirement contribution.   

TO APPLY: Email your resume and cover letter highlighting your qualifications and which aspects of the job best fit your skill sets to Trey Sherwood at downtownlaramie@gmail.com before June 26. Applications will be reviewed as received. The final job description will be tailored to the candidate who is the best fit for the organization.

*Applications Closed* Now Hiring: Food Equity Intern

The Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) is restructuring the responsibilities of market staff for the 2023 season. We will be hiring an intern, who will assist the manager with weekly duties in addition to specialized tasks to help enhance market planning and specialized events. Market staff should be strong communicators, team players, self motivated and organized. Experience working with entrepreneurs, food systems, markets, events and/or non-profits is a plus. Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to LMSA  Communications Coordinator, Jennifer Power, marketing@laramiemainstreet.org by 11:59 pm on April 30th 2023. 

For more information about Laramie Main Street, visit: www.laramiemainstreet.org  

The Downtown Laramie Farmers Market is a weekly event hosted by Laramie Main Street on Friday afternoons that runs from the last week in June through the last Friday in September. The market provides our community access to locally and regionally grown produce, farm products, local artisans and non-profits. In addition to food trucks, drinks and food stalls, live entertainment provides a vibrant market atmosphere. The market’s goal is to create a pipeline of entrepreneurs (from market to storefront), support food based manufacturing, drive traffic downtown, increase sales for local businesses, and create a sense of vibrancy within the Laramie community. 

Food Equity Intern

The Farmers Market Intern is a part-time summer position, with some preparation taking place in the spring. The primary responsibilities are assisting the Market Manager with the day-of operations of the Market with a focus on our SNAP program, food equity, and sustainability. Please be aware this position requires a fair amount of manual labor, and you may be asked to lift up to 40 lbs. This position reports to the Market Manager.

This position requires a weekly presence at the Friday Farmers Market between the hours of 1pm and 8pm from June 30th- September 29th (no market July 7th).

Pre-season (Spring) 

• Training for the position, and getting familiar with the market money system 

• Assisting with preparing materials for our SNAP food matching program

• Assisting with ARPA Grant reporting

• Help with goal setting and event pre-evaluation

Summer Weekly Duties

Must be available Fridays 1-8pm June 29th- September 29th, 2023 (No market July 7th)  In addition to some Thursday evenings to help set out signage for lot closing the next day. 

• Oversee SNAP match program at the farmers market

• tracking of grant and moneys used for SNAP matching

• communicating program to community

• evaluate program effectiveness and suggest and implement improvements

• train volunteers and others on how to use SNAP EBT machine and exchange for market tokens

• Outreach to partner organizations and community spaces to promote SNAP match program

• Coordinate with SNAP EBT program as needed

• Assist with ARPA grand reporting

• Assist with Sustainability efforts

• Assist Deb with PedalPalooza - a bike downtown event that encourages biking over driving to the market

• Develop sustainability days for 3 of the summer markets - how can we incentives vendors and communities to use sustainable practices?

• Assist the Market Manager in Market set-up and tear down and day of operations including: 

• Set out market fixtures like market tent, trash, toilets, signage, and street barricades

• Help organize vendors into locations as they arrive 

• Call dispatch about remaining cars parked in lot

• Assist the Manager in collecting vendor fees and token exchange 

• Collect SNAP and other token transactions at the market table

• Communicate with vendors about updates, issues, and questions

• Close the market by breaking down market features

• Walk the market location and collect trash

• Assist in storing items neatly for next market use

Post-season (Fall/winter) 

• Collect final inventory, organize items for winter storage

• Attend wrap up meeting

• Collaborate on event post evaluation 

• Coordinate with Market Admin on final report on budget and to the board

• Assist with ARPA grant reporting

• Help finalize any token collection and outstanding payments 

This is a contract position paying $4,000 for the season.

Deb's Main Street Conference Experience

Public Art, Community creative endeavors, Historic Architecture in downtown districts, Stories of the individuals who have made an impact on their communities, past, present and visions for the future.  Ties to the natural environment enriching our daily lives within the city we call home, whether it is public parks, gardens, rivers, alleyways, outdoor seating, trees and flowers.  These are all impressions I soaked in from my experience especially during the Wyoming Best Practices part of the conference.  I was so amazed by the strength and enthusiasm of our fellow Wyoming main “streeters”.  What a treasure the state of Wyoming has in these citizens who give so much of themselves to their communities.  I pondered if the Governor of our state realizes what an asset they are for the state. “People are our greatest asset”-(quote from the storytelling workshop).  I learned from the visited Virginian communities that they had state financial support and funding for business pitch contests that help diversify their city’s economic base.  How wonderful that would be for our Wyoming towns.  I plan to write a letter or maybe several to our Governor, it would be great if we could try a letter writing campaign across the state. Wyoming Main Street organizations are already working to build their communities in so many ways.  If the state would use its resources to give us more capabilities for expanding and fulfilling our missions, what amazing work could be done.  

During the National Main Street conference a favorite workshop was “Storytelling on Main Street”, I could see how Hopewell was using this with their public art and billboard project.  Their message of immigration, diversity, the vision of hope for enriching and building a strong community was powerful.  I learned storytelling techniques that could be used next year for the International Flavor Festival to enrich the experience.  Human faces, human stories, “people are our greatest assets”.  This makes me think of an article I was just reading about how jumpy the public is right now, how we as a public have a lack of trust in government, in public  safety, in each other.  How can we help build back trust in our fellow man?  Personal connection through storytelling, connection to our community and emotional connection to place would be a good place to start.  The workshop gave useful step by step instructions on how best to interview someone to create a good story, how best to use social media, photos, questions, techniques and the app-Otter for recording the interview. (I need to practice now!)

Another favorite workshop was “Activating the Main Street Approach through Placemaking”.  This workshop emphasized not to “overthink” but the need for more action.  I liked their idea of the “power of 10”, multiple uses=10=successful space.

Creating the space and teaching the public ways to use it.  How do we engage the community-creating opportunity to interact, look at the project holistically, create the unexpected, build a love for place-a space people want to be and come back to.  There was an emphasis on creating a great relationship with city officials and building partnerships.  Small changes can make big impacts, and then there are bigger catalyst projects.  (Creating grants, obtaining grants)

The Main Idea presentation on “Championing Commercial District Housing Development” was extremely relevant for communities large and small across the nation.  Again the word, “Grant” came up, should we have a professional grant writer on staff?  At home on Main Street-the more eyes on the street the safer they are. How can we activate existing vacant buildings, upper floors and attract property development entrepreneurs?  How can we support developers?  Incentives from the state?  Is there money from the State department of Commerce for housing development?  Has Laramie lost businesses wanting to locate here because of the lack of available housing for employees?  Why wouldn’t the state want to help encourage housing development in downtown districts to contribute to diversifying our state economy and deal with the housing shortage?  What can we do as a Main Street organization to encourage and support 2nd story developments?  (Live-Work-Walk). Walkability is an attractive amenity for seniors as well as young professionals.  No commute=Live more life. (Life you gain back). Residents who live downtown spend more money downtown.  Should we have a real estate agent on our EV committee or do we all ready?  I am very proud LMSA is currently working on the development of 2nd story residences downtown.  

Codes and Ordinances-code enforcement=run down buildings (deferred maintenance).  I am sure this is a hot button issue in our town, how can we approach this? How is the city government dealing with this issue? 

The conference was so rich with experiences, information and networking opportunities.  I would love to get to know our Wyoming Main Street people better, sharing our experiences in our state and with our state government.  I look forward to working within our LMSA organization to bring forward new ideas, enriching experiences for our community, support downtown businesses and life downtown.  I came away from the conference inspired and have a deeper connection to the Main Street program.  

Thank you to Wyoming Main Street!  Thank you Blue Federal Credit union and thank you Laramie Main Street for the opportunity to attend this incredible conference.