NEWS AND EVENTS

2012 Board of Director's and Officers Announced

Lilac City wins Profile Award for historic preservation

By DANIELLE CURTIS
dcurtis@fosters.com
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
 
ROCHESTER— The Lilac City was recognized Sunday at the Profile Awards in Franconia for its work to preserve its historic culture while attracting new commercial and residential development.

The awards, which have been given out annually since 2003 by the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, recognize an individual, organization, and municipality for their work in preserving the resources and character of New Hampshire in the spirit of the state's icon.

The Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund is a private, nonprofit organization that works to provide a lasting legacy for the Old Man of the Mountain, through a new monument at Profile Plaza and presentations across the state.

According to Dick Hamilton, president of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, Rochester was selected as the winning community due to its work to rebuild itself and its dedication to the preservation of the city's historic areas.

"We were quite enthralled with the city's reputation," Hamilton said Monday. "They have done an exemplary job in meeting the criteria of the award."

Part of this criteria, Hamilton said, is that the municipality demonstrate the spirit of the Old Man, a spirit that Hamilton described as one of community, community service, and being a part of the state of New Hampshire.

This award "recognizes the importance of Rochester to the whole state," Hamilton said. "It was a very easy decision."

Hamilton said the work the city has done to refurbish itself and the hard work done by various communities and the city itself to do so was worthy of the award.

According to a press release from the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, Union Leader Corp. President Joseph McQuaid, who serves on the Profile Awards' selection committee of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, also spoke highly of the city at the award ceremony.

"Rochester residents have a strong sense of volunteerism, supporting causes that make the city a livable and friendly place," McQuaid said. "Keep a watch on Rochester. It is a special community with a bold vision for its future."

Mayor T.J. Jean, along with several other Rochester residents and employees, was on hand to accept the award and said he is honored to say Rochester is a prize-winning city.

"It feels wonderful," Jean said Monday. "I'm most pleased for the volunteers of the city of Rochester who put so much time and effort to see that the city improves ¿ this award goes directly to them."

Jean said that while he was surprised to hear Rochester had been nominated for the Profile Award, he thinks the city deserves it.

"If you look at the city of Rochester, what is shown is that we work best when we work together," Jean said. "Between the Rochester Opera House and Chamber of Commerce and Rochester Main Street, we have several hundreds of volunteers that have put in many hours of work to help the community."

Jean said that he believes historic preservation projects, like the restoration of the Parson Main statue downtown and the ongoing restoration projects at the Rochester Opera House, helped the city win the award and that he has high hopes for the city's future.

"I really hope this is the first of many recognitions," Jean said. "I hope this is the beginning of great things for the city of Rochester."

To view the article on Foster's Daily Democrat's website, click here.

Rochester Named a Finalist in 2011 Community Challenge
Published Jun 7, 2011 at 3:00 am (Updated Jun 6, 2011)  

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Main Street Businesses to Discuss "Customer Service" at their monthly "Sidewalk Talk"
Click here for the full story.

SHOPPING LOCAL-According to AMIBA (American Independent Business Alliance) in 2010:

Their survey found that holiday sales for independent retailers were up an average of 2.2%. That contrasts with the U.S. Department of Commerce figures released today, which show that overall retail sales were down 0.3% in December and up 1.8% in November. The survey also found that independent retailers in cities with active "Buy Independent / Buy Local" or "Local First" campaigns reported stronger holiday sales than those in cities without such campaigns.Nearly 80% of those surveyed said public awareness of the value of choosing locally owned businesses had increased in the last year (16% said it had stayed the same).

Local businesses are superior generators of wealth for the community. Every dollar spent at one local business stays in town a little longer as profit for other local businesses. Local businesses that expand create jobs at all pay levels. Every dollar spent locally also furthers the possibility that some of our unique businesses will grow and perhaps expand out of our area, as some already have done bringing outside dollars into our communities.

Local businesses tend to give more to community causes and support local media. Many of the non-profit organizations that serve our communities are supported largely by local businesses, and our local radio stations, newspapers, and television stations are kept alive by local business advertisements.

Local business owners and employees often have more knowledge and expertise. The benefit of going to a local business for a product or service is that local businesses often specialize. This creates better customer service. Music-store owners know a great deal about music, trade businesses usually have expertise specific to the area when it comes to building or repairing structures, florists know flowers, and small hardware-store owners know tools. Sometimes it is better to pay a little more once for a quality product or service than twice for an inferior one.

Local businesses generally require less infrastructure investment. With a smaller footprint, local businesses tend to require less from our governments in the way of infrastructure services. This lowers both the initial and ongoing maintenance costs to taxpayers.

Local businesses usually have less of an environmental impact. Local businesses generally set up in the center of town or in existing commercial corridors. Local businesses often also buy locally produced products, services, and materials, cutting down on pollution caused by transporting goods around the world. Local manufacturing facilities and industries are also restricted by our laws as to the amount of environmental damage they can legally cause, and local business contracts keep some of these industries afloat.

Local businesses provide the most new jobs nationally, and new local businesses have the potential to create high-paying jobs in the form of business ownership. Local businesses can also collectively achieve a larger local economy by finding new small niches that are often missed by non-local businesses.

Rochester Main Street Receives Promotion Donation
The volunteers of the Rochester Main Street Program are happy to announce the receipt of a large donation to use towards collectively promoting downtown and downtown businesses over the next few years.  Local business owner Ralph DiBernardi of Jetpack Comics at 37 North Main Street has donated a First Edition, First Printing comic book of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to Rochester Main Street to help raise funds for the organization.  On behalf of the Main Street Organization, Jetpack Comics placed the first edition on Ebay, with a reserve bid, where it was purchased by an undisclosed collector in the seacoast area. After the return period had expired, sales fees, insurance, and shipping and handling charges were deducted, Rochester Main Street received a check for $4,400. Since these funds were received from a promotional opportunity, it is intended that they will be utilized to help offset costs in promoting events and business opportunities in downtown.  According to Rochester Main Street Executive Director Michael Provost “This is an excellent example of local businesses and the Main Street organization working together to promote the downtown through events and raising the funds the help promote those events.”  Other downtown events include OctoberFest, Horribles Parade, the Jingle Bell Walk and new this year, coming up in June, the “Shoe Festival”.

Jetpack Comics and Rochester Main Street have partnered together for the past several years to participate in National Comic Book Day. Together with other participating downtown businesses, this event brings hundreds of people into the downtown to receive a free comic book, attend shows and demonstrations and attend an artist/dealers event (held at the Knights of Columbus hall). The 2010 Comic Book Day will be held on Saturday, May 1 and Rochester Main Street is already signing up businesses to participate.  Deadline for sign ups is February 27 and a $50 deposit is required. To get more information or to sign up for Comic Book Day, please call the Main Street Office at 603-330-3208 or email director@rochestermainstreet.org .

The Rochester Main Street Program is sponsored by the National Main Street Center at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, DC. Rochester is one of only 14 New Hampshire Communities that have National Main Street Programs, the others being Berlin, Concord, Dover, Enfield, Hilsborough, Goffstown, Jaffrey, Laconia, Lisbon, Meredith, Milford, Ossipee, Plymouth, Tilton and Wilton. For more information on the Main Street Program, or to volunteer, donate, or make suggestions to the Rochester Main Street Program, please contact our office by calling 603-330-3208 or at director@rochestermainstreet.org .