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Show Panguitch Businesses Unite To Define New Strategic Vision By Jess Johnson PANGUITCH Local Panguitch businesses came together last Wednesday evening to define a vision for the historic downtown in a meeting organized by Panguitch Main Street, Inc. Facilitated by the Coordinator for Utah Main Street, Bim Oliver, the meeting served as a forum for the business busi-ness community to vocalize concerns and challenges facing Panguitch today. The group then brainstormed solutions to the above in a proactive and productive manner that left participants par-ticipants with a sense of hope and a renewed dedication toward making Panguitch a top destination in Southern Utah. A comprehensive effort from the community as a whole, and businesses in particular, is vital to the creation of a pedestrian environment downtown that encourages tourists and residents resi-dents alike to visit local shops, said Bim Oliver in his introductory introduc-tory speech. The key, he continued, contin-ued, to a successful downtown is simple: Persistence. Key concerns raised by members mem-bers of Panguitch's business community included a lack of adequate parking, the seasonal nature of tourism in Panguitch and a lack of awareness among local employees in the service industry of what Panguitch has to offer. Parking is a key issue in communities com-munities across the globe and the challenge is for communities like Panguitch to come up with creative and innovative ways to accommodate tourists, RVs and buses in a safe, traffic-friendly manner. For every concern (See BUSINESS on page 3A) Business From Front Page raised, at least two progressive solutions came out of the discussion. discus-sion. One solution to eliminate the parking concern suggested that the alleyway immediately behind the buildings on the West side of Main Street between Center Street and 100 North be' designated a parking area. The design would incorporate parking park-ing for standard automobiles, RVs and buses. An innovative suggestion to educate service industry employees to be knowledgeable of Panguitch's varied and comprehensive com-prehensive services and merchandise mer-chandise was for Panguitch Main Street, Inc. to offer a fun and informative training class on a regular basis. Businesses would have the opportunity to send their employees to this class in order to make sure inquisitive visitors are directed to as many local stores and facilities facil-ities as possible. In this manner, the business community is collaboratively col-laboratively working to increase the entire town's sales revenues. '. Over 45 Panguitch residents were present at this Strategic Planning for Panguitch Meeting, including Panguitch Mayor Janet Oldham, Councilman Art Cooper and several Panguitch Main Street board members. From a Panguitch Main Street, Inc. perspective, this meeting was a complete success because , it initiated collaboration arriong members of the business community com-munity and opened the floodgates flood-gates of free-flowing ideas for a i better downtown. ' This event marked the first of many actions by Panguitch Main Street, Inc. to involve the local . community in a revitalization effort for Historic Downtown i Panguitch. For more information informa-tion about this and other projects of Panguitch Main Street, please contact Jess Johnson at (435) 676-2514 or via email at . pangstrtcolor-country.net. |