Involvement with Mayfest, EWU football are designed to draw attention to local businesses
Among the efforts the Cheney Merchants Association want to promote is a bigger involvement with Eastern Washington football and this year's Mayfest.
During last year's Mayfest, the alleyway behind the Mason Jar was transformed into the Paice Art Alley. Right: CMA funded the production of banners like these in 2014.
By PAUL DELANEY
Staff Reporter
While winter snows have forced cancellation of meetings, the Cheney Merchants Association has been busy behind the scenes.
Holding its first general membership meeting since the first week of November on Monday, Feb. 6, the CMA offered up a lot of news and information to those in attendance.
Snow cancelled the Jan. 9 meeting where the business booster group had planned to officially introduce its new leadership.
Randi Kooyman from Banner Bank takes over the chair duties from Doug Nixon, who has stepped down. Shane Noblin of New Boundary Brewing is the vice chair, replacing Roger Hagenbaugh. Tina Sikkema of Lily Kate Boutique will continue in her role as secretary while Kathleen Schreiber is treasurer, the position previously held by Kooyman.
Joan Mamanakis from the Cheney Historical Museum is the events calendar coordinator and webmaster.
The CMA is spearheading involvement in two community activities, Mayfest, May 12-13, and likely another edition of "Tailgating Starts Here," which is still in the works and comes the start of the 2017 Eastern Washington University football season in September.
Those in attendance Monday heard about a pilot program launched in 2016 in partnership with EWU and Cheney Public Schools.The two entites forged an agreement to operate shuttle buses for football fans. The shuttle had 140 riders at the first game. At the Dec. 17 Youngstown State game, played in bitterly cold weather, 120 people used the free service to get to and from Roos Field from parking outside the congested university area.
The CMA will be inquiring with the university, which sponsors the service, as to whether it might help sponsor expansion to downtown Cheney. The hope is to get more people patronizing downtown businesses, both before and after games.
The organization purchased banners that hang on the lightpoles along First Street in advance of the 2014 college football season opening game between Eastern and Sam Houston State University.
Another mission on which CMA would like to embark would be getting the town more dressed up, "Like they do in Montana on game day," Kooyman said.
Along with a new leadership group, the CMA plans to update its website, making it more user-friendly and informative, Mamanakis said.
She hopes to develop a full list of merchants in Cheney, whether they are members or not. However association members would receive special perks of an as yet undetermined nature. "They would receive all the bells and whistles," Mamanakis said - whatever those might end up being.
The organization will continue to develop the site in-house, or possibly contract out, ideally with local website pros in Cheney. Or they may look to EWU for some assistance in the spring when it is possible that students are looking for projects to complete graduation requirements.
"How do we promote and grow businesses (in Cheney)," is the goal for CMA, Kooyman said.
The organization heard reports about the 2017 edition of the Relay for Life cancer-fighting fundraiser that will take place Saturday, May 20 indoors at Eastern Washington University's Thorpe Field House.
Cheney School District Superintendent Rob Roetteger presented its upcoming bond proposal to the group, hopeful of further spreading the word about the $52 million measure that will be decided by voters Feb. 14. If passed it would provide money to expand the high school, as well as a variety of other buildings in the district.
While Spokane has taken a great deal of public criticism over how it has dealt with clearing the streets of snow, Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove was pleased with the efforts of city crews who can plow city streets in just 10 hours - all while using the gates that keep driveways clear, he said.
The mayor also noted there is work ongoing with both the city and EWU to develop a nonprofit business incubator, with the search still underway for a location. The eventual goal would be to have a permanent building in the industrial park on the west end of town.
In conjunction with Mayfest on May 13, the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge will stage its "Floods, Flowers and Feathers Festival," an open house event that showcases the many activities found at the preserve, which turns 80 years old in 2017.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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