Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 29, 1993                   TAG: 9309290061
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

BUSINESS GROUP TO SEEK MORE MEMBERS

The PMI board of directors accepted the organization of merchants and business people as part of its program Sept. 16 and named the Alliance's three officers to the PMI board.

"So now we have a lot of representation on the board," Alliance Vice Chairman Paul Etzel reported to the membership. In addition to Chairperson Jeanette Stephens, Secretary Debbie Jonas and Etzel, there were already two downtown merchants - Alex Rygas and Karen Graham - who are members of the Alliance as well as the PMI board.

The Alliance created a Membership Committee to be headed by Sarge Hoopes. Etzel and Jonas emphasized that membership is not limited to representatives of stores and businesses in the Main Street area.

"That's why we came up with the term `Business Alliance,' " Etzel said, instead of using "Downtown Merchants" in the title.

The Alliance is seeking town-wide membership, including representation from stores in shopping malls within the town, to support its activities such as advertising Pulaski as a shopping area.

It also made plans for a fashion show in the annex of the Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley on the afternoon of Dec. 5, sales of raffle tickets on prizes donated by merchants with the drawing a week before Christmas, and learned that the Pulaski Jaycees had moved the annual holiday parade back to Nov. 20.

Merchants in the Alliance agreed to have the town Christmas lights turned on at that time.

Don Breedlove, a Jaycees member, said the town's Christmas parade has traditionally been the first Saturday in December. It was the earliest one in the region, he said, but now other towns have started holding their parades on that date.

"So we're moving it up two weeks to again have the earliest parade in the area," he said. It will be called the Holiday Festival Parade, rather than a Christmas parade.

He said the Jaycees will be looking for support from merchants to fund the parade, which has cost about $2,000 to stage. The Jaycees have been staging it since 1975 when a previous merchants' association, which has since dissolved, turned it over to the organization.

But now the Jaycees have no funds for such a venture, Breedlove said. "That's what we're looking for, is a commitment from business."

Jaycees President Terri Fitzwater is to attend the next Alliance meeting at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 12 at the Renaissance Restaurant. A representative of Adelphia Cable will also be invited to let business people know what cable television advertising options are available.

Graham will head an Alliance committee seeking volunteers for a downtown cleanup day. Etzel will contact the town to express the group's concern about litter in alleys and elsewhere.