Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 4, 1993 TAG: 9311050312
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV16 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Pulaski Main Street Director Roscoe Cox submitted a budget for proposed magazine, billboard and brochure advertising to council's Finance Committee. ``I sincerely believe that council should consider continuing with the advertising campaign,'' he said.
Mayor Gary Hancock suggested that the town help provide $26,675 toward advertising from its general fund. The committee members present - Alma Holston, Andy Graham, Junior Black and J.R. Schrader - agreed to recommend that council increase the funding for the advertising. The council will take up the issue at its next meeting.
But several council members have expressed a desire to wean the Main Street program from governmental funding.
Cox said he believed that could be done within the next year, as the newly formed Pulaski Merchants Alliance comes more fully on line. ``But I don't think now is the time to do it because new business is still coming in,'' he said.
``This community to me, right now, cannot retrogress,'' Cox said. ``This community cannot go backward. ...We've got wonderful things going on on Main Street.''
The Main Street Board of Directors estimated recently that the program might be $17,000 in the hole, mainly because of poor attendance at a fund-raising music festival July 3 which lost money. Mayor Hancock said he doubts the figure is that high.
In any case, he said, the program to bring new business to downtown Pulaski has proved well worth its investment by adding jobs and increasing the town's economic vitality.
``If we had one industry coming to town, we would spend this kind of money in a heartbeat,'' Hancock said. ``I think, unless we continue with the advertising, we're going to see that all lost and there's not going to be a second chance for us.''
Cox said he and Holston had come up with the ``antiques, art and music'' theme for developing downtown Pulaski shortly after he agreed to become the Main Street program's part-time director a year ago.
He has tried twice to resign , but has agreed to stay on at least until early 1994.
``I am going to have to start playing golf some bloomin' time,'' Cox said. ``I came up here to retire.'' More importantly, he said, Pulaski needs other good-will ambassadors pushing the program.
``I like this town and I think this town is on the threshold of something,'' Cox said. He said people like new Wendy's manager Jeff Logan had been attracted to Pulaski because of its revived economic activity during the last year.
``He picked this area for Wendy's because of what was going on in the town,'' Cox said.
Cox said two things that attract new industry to an area are a strong economic base, which is being strengthened in downtown Pulaski, and a strong educational base ``because there's not going to be any middle management. You`re going to have high-tech situations.''
Council's next regular meeting is Nov. 16, but it might hold a special session earlier than that.
by CNB