D'TOWN TO D'TOWN

Temperatures in the teens did not deter the thousand or more TRICK-OR-TREATERS from scurrying through the business district for two hours on the 31st. Costumes were ubiquitous, ranging from cute, clever and comical to some seriously ghoulish ones. Lots of parents were dressed up, too. Young and old were having FUN! Kids collected plenty of candy—enough to carry them through the winter months, for sure. Many were cradling cups of hot cocoa or cider, compliments of Benchwarmers, and at least two other businesses whose names I’m lacking at the moment. Fully 76 businesses including City Hall and the Tom & Maxine Cook Memorial Library let it be known they were participating by putting up the orange pumpkin sign in their windows. Some participants hail from the far corners of downtown, like Century 21, REMAX, Bear Mountain Pizza and EONI.

Special thanks for hard work go to Rod Sands (Sands Technical Services) and his crew for handling the street closure signs. To Sandi Gross (Claudson’s) for preparing the pumpkin signs. To Darcy Bloom (DRC’S Property Management) for map distribution. And to Timothy Lucas for the maps.

We are pleased that City Council voted to recognize the Downtown Halloween Trick-or Treat activity as a regular annual event to be on the City Calendar. What they have actually approved is their permission in advance for street closure as long as LGDDA is in charge. Downtown Trick-or-Treat is now on a par with Celebrate La Grande and Crazy Days in the City’s eyes. The safety features for the kids and families provided by staging this event in a traffic-free environment during the late afternoon hours of 4 to 6 makes it a pretty happy event. There are multitudes of first-timers hitting us merchants up for a few goodies. It feels good.

Doug Campbell

“MERRY, BRIGHT & RIGHT AT HOME”

This year’s holiday theme is “Merry, Bright and Right at Home.” To promote this theme, LGDDA is sponsoring a store front-decorating contest. The contest is open to all businesses, and will be judged via community ballot.

In order to accommodate those who will be incorporating items from the Soroptimist Club’s Festival of Trees, we have CHANGED the deadline for participation to Monday, November 27 at 5pm. Decorations should be finished by that time to allow community judging.

Winners will be rewarded with a trophy and recognized in local publications. For those with no latent artistic ability, consider working with youth, art students and the like to make your window “Merry, Bright and Right at Home”!

EOU COMMUNITY PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Various LGDDA board members represented your Association at this year’s EOU Homecoming celebration, as we were recognized as EOU’s Alumni Association Community Partner of the Year! The award was given Friday evening at the Alumni Awards Ceremony, and special recognition was made at the breakfast, the parade, and at the game, and we look forward to many more years of fruitful partnership—thank you, EOU!

2006 LGDDA COMMEMORATIVE ORNAMENT

Sales of this year’s commemorative ornament are continuing—its colorful depiction of the old and new libraries are proving popular...call Doug Campbell to get yours, either for resale or for gifts!