Old Town Greenwood   
1/21/09
Dr. Anndrea Kapke, Secretary

 Greenwood-A-Glow-what went well; what didn’t

    Horse drawn carriages-Some people got in line for the horse drawn carriages and didn’t have tickets.  We should have a sign at the line stating that people in the line to the carriages need to already have ticket.

   For parking- Barriers should be around the flag pole and blocking off the first circle parking lot and additionally want a sign saying “lot full” so people won’t continue to come in when the lot is full.  Recommend walkie-talkies so we can communicate real time that night.  Cell phones won’t work in all areas of the library. 

    Tree lighting-The stage was good. Had over 120 people.  Recommend real stage and more entertainment at the tree lighting.  Santa was late this year, b/c the police had a run, then the fire truck didn’t come and Santa came in a Saturn car.  He will be on a fire truck next year (tactical unit).  Stage and audio equipment recommended for next year b/c of the size of the event.  The mayor didn’t come, we aren’t sure why. The free hot chocolate and cookies by Innovative Financial were very popular.  Try to get more Old Town businesses involved. Consider a whole day A-Glow next year like Franklin. Tea with Mrs. Claus was mentioned, also talking to the Greenwood Community Center or the Methodist church and having their Santa breakfast on the day of the A-Glow.  Talking to OTG businesses and seeing if they want to do special things on that day.  Perhaps Santa picture and carriage rides at the library, but maybe not at the same time of day to decrease crowd control issues.  The 2009 Greenwood-A-Glow theme will be ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

   Tickets-Needs to be a more organized method of selling.  Need (75 ones and 50 fives) change at each site (tree lighting and library) for carriage ride tickets.  Need a table at tree to sell tickets.   Print 400 horse carriage tickets and sell no more than that.  People get upset if you close the line saying you are out of tickets and then open it again later to sell more tickets. Sell tickets starting at 5:00 at both sites-not before (200 at each site) Recommend advertising this time and the fact that there are limited number of tickets and no early sales.   Print tickets for Santa. Sell 300 Santa (1 ticket per picture) picture tickets. (horse picture on carriage tickets and Santa picture on Santa tickets-different colors).  For carriage rides-children 2 and under free.  Workers will wear Santa hats so we are identifiable. (2008 $1 per picture and $2 per rider).  Make signs that we are all volunteers.  Maybe we will get fewer grumpy members of the public that way?

   Entertainment-Victorian singers went well.  Schedule entertainment by time next year?  But if we do that, we have to stick with that schedule and not make adjustments that night!

   Santa-may need more significant barricades for the line?  Recommend DVD player so the movie is on continuous play so we don’t have to find someone who knows how to restart the movie each time it finishes.  Might use a digital camera and printer for Santa pictures next year.  Polaroid film is more practical due to speed, but the film may be discontinued.  May need to increase the picture price to cover ink and paper costs.

   Coloring contest-remove kids’ phone numbers and addresses blanks from the form.  Instead only child’s name, grade, school name and school number.  Home school students will need to put a phone number down so the library can contact the winners, but we can cover it up if there are home school winning entries displayed.  There will be 70 winners, some will be posted at the library and some will be posted in National City.  We will distribute the entries with manila files and ask that they be returned to us separated by grade and school.  When we judge, do not mix the school entries together.   That way, both winning and non-winning entries can be returned to the schools by the Monday of the second week in December in case the art teachers want to display them at school or use them for art projects/gifts for the students’ parents.  Keeping entries separated by school and grade at all times will make this practical. 

    OTGA has paid all the bills.

    Officers for 2009-President-Rosemary Cunningham (The Flower Market), Vice President-Tracy Stott (Greenwood Animal Clinic) Secretary-Dr. Anndrea Kapke (Greenwood Animal Clinic), Treasurer-Lucy Bartley (Charter One Bank)

    The Old Town Redevelopment Committee will hold a public meeting on January 27 at the Community Center from 6-8 pm.  The meeting is about plans for Old Town Greenwood.

    Contact Lucy Bartley (Charter One Bank) if you are interested in donating prizes for drawings at the Girl Scout Father-Daughter dance at Greenwood Middle School on February 28.

    The Greenwood Animal Clinic fifth annual Feed a Furry Friend Food and Supply Drive to benefit the Humane Society of Johnson County and the Johnson County Animal Control shelter is February 1-15^th.  If your business is interesting in having a donation box at your office, please call Greenwood Animal Clinic at 881-4300.  February 7 at Pet Supplies “Plus” at Emerson Ave. and County Line Rd. from 1 pm to 4 pm, Paul Mitchell The School students will be doing pet baths using their new pet shampoo for $10 a bath.  The proceeds will go the Feed a Furry Friend Food and Supply Drive. 

    The next OTGA meeting will be on the third Wed. in February, which is the 18^th at The Bean Cup at 11:30.