February 16, 2011
CONTACT: Randy Thomas, President, Midway Renaissance Inc.
859-846-4049 RandyThomas@MidwayRenaissance.org
Randy Thomas, President of Midway Renaissance Inc., appeared at the Midway City Council meeting on February 16 and delivered the following letter to the Mayor and Council:
Dear Mayor Bozarth and Members of Midway City Council:
We are writing this letter to inform you that the Midway Renaissance Board of Directors voted last night to withdraw our participation in the Kentucky Main Street Program. We have informed the Heritage Council of our decision.
To maintain certification and to continue Midway’s participation in the Kentucky Main Street Program, our Francisco’s Farm event coordinator agreed to serve as interim Main Street Manager without additional compensation. This situation was always intended as a temporary solution to carry us through until a more permanent arrangement could be made to employ a Main Street manager. Marcie Christensen has served admirably in the role of interim Main Street manager for much longer than anyone could have reasonably expected her to. With no prospects for funding the position permanently, either through Midway Renaissance or the City of Midway, we can no longer ask Marcie to continue serving in this capacity. Midway Renaissance can no longer bear the sole responsibility to keep Midway a certified Kentucky Main Street Program. Additionally, for the past several years, the partnership between Midway Renaissance and the governing body of the City of Midway regarding participation in the Main Street Program has not been the type of relationship that is conducive to effective and sustainable participation in that program.
While Midway Renaissance has elected to no longer participate in the Kentucky Main Street Program we have not abandoned our commitment to be a vehicle for community involvement and volunteerism. Our strength and core competency is recruiting volunteers who want to give back to their community through promotion of the arts, the preservation and celebration of our history, community beautification and environmental responsibility and serving as ambassadors for promoting Midway as a destination. Those efforts will continue.
As we all enter into a new chapter of our history we look forward to future opportunities and new ways for the City of Midway and Midway Renaissance to collaborate.
Respectfully,
Midway Renaissance Board of Directors
Midway Renaissance will continue to produce Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival and the Midway Arts Series, Midway Living History Day, and other initiatives to continue to improve the quality of life in Midway. The organization is currently undertaking a Market Study, funded by the Kentucky Heritage Council, to identify means to strengthen and improve the economy of Midway’s downtown business district.
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By Rachel Bryant
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, Fall 2010
Midway Renaissance is a non-profit membership organization that strives to promote the city of Midway and revitalize downtown. It has channeled more than $2.4 million to the city.
Midway Renaissance is part of the Kentucky Main Street/Renaissance program. In 1980 the National Trust for Historic Preservation developed the National Main Street Center to encourage economic development in cities through technical assistance. Gov. Paul Patton, who was in office from 1995 to 2003, wanted to assist communities with downtown revitalization efforts so he created Renaissance Kentucky to bring together communities and the resources needed to restore Kentucky’s towns.
The legislature allocated state funding for Renaissance communities and set aside $11 million annually in federal funds. Gov. Ernest Fletcher, in office from 2003 to 2007, restructured Renaissance Kentucky into Renaissance on Main. All Main Street programs are now referred to as Kentucky Main Street/Renaissance Communities.
Midway became a Renaissance community in 2001 after completing a year-long application process.
The most high-profile accomplishment of Midway Renaissance is the reconstruction of the downtown streetscape and City Hall. Renaissance got more than $2 million for the project, which put all utilities underground, built new sidewalks, restored City Hall, built the stone walls along the railroad tracks and erected street lights.
Since Midway Renaissance is a non-profit organization, all the group’s accomplishments of the group have been completed by volunteers.
The primary continuing source of funds is annual membership dues of $15 that includes a copy of A Walk in Midway, a book written with the help of local historian Bill Penn, to showcase Midway’s historical architecture. The premium individual membership of $25 includes a copy of the book and a stainless steel water bottle.
The organization has three committees: Francisco’s Farm Arts, Greenspace and Midway Living History.
Each committee works on its own projects. The Francisco’s Farm Arts Committee is busy planning the 2011 Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival, an outdoor art exhibition where artists selected by a jury sell their work. Last year’s festival showcased 150 artists from 14 different states and had nearly 8,000 visitors. The festival, which has been held on the Midway College campus (photo), will move in 2011 to Equus Run Vineyards, on Elkhorn Creek east of Midway.
“Thanks to an anonymous benefactor we are able to do the event,” said Marcie Christensen, the committee chair. “It costs a lot of money to get an author to stand up here and read, but it was important to the benefactor that the event be open and free to the public.”
The Greenspace committee is working on building rain gardens around Midway. It is also creating the “Greenspace Reaches Out” initiative, helping with small-scale garden and landscaping tasks for neighbors with disabilities. In the past the committee has cleared invasive plants from Walter Bradley Park and has involved children from the local schools in the project.
The Living History Committee was formed three years ago when Helen Rentch, a Renaissance member, voiced her opinion that Midway’s history needed to be gathered and protected. Living History Day was established to educate the community about Midway’s story. The event included a pageant, with a large cast from the community (photo).
Midway Renaissance as a whole is looking for interested volunteers. Its only stipulation is “You have to love Midway.” Thomas said the group has levels of involvement for everyone, whether it’s just signing up and paying your annual membership dues or helping a Committee once a week.
“You can help by being a member, it is a little bit of support for the things we do, assistance through committees or a certain event,” said Thomas. “We would love to have you join us in the things you are interested in.”
