M A WORD FROM
Spring Events Bring Energy To Statesville
ake no mistake, this really is my favorite time of the year. There aren’t too many vistas like driving into town on Broad Street in the spring. The towering hardwoods that have been barren for the preceding season are blooming into a canopy of shade. Spring floral displays provide their own welcome for travelers. The homes and neighborhoods seem to take on a greater sense of pride. Perhaps most important of all, you typically see people out and about; running, walking, playing with their dog or just talking. The energy of spring beckons a new sense of community. In many respects, our job at the Chamber is to help foster the sense and spirit of community. We thrive on energy – on creating a “buzz” in the community. As this new season begins to bloom, the community gets the opportunity to embrace some of those eclectic occasions that make us unique. I had the opportunity to go to the “first of the year” Farmer’s Market in Pecan Park last month. It’s funny how just a few months ago, I had allowed myself to take it for granted. This farmer’s market, as well as the other two in town, gives us an opportunity to do more than just shake the dirty hand of a local farmer as we purchase their home grown product. It’s more than just a bushel of beans and potatoes. This farmer’s market is about fresh herbs, handmade soaps, music and smiles.
David Bradley President and CEO Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce
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IREDELL IREDELL LIVING LIVING •• MAY MAY 2011 2011
Spring brings us the first Art Crawl of 2011. Coordinated by the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation, our Art Crawls began in 2008 with an eye popping 750 people participating. We thought we were in “high cotton” back then. Now,
it is not out of the ordinary to have a few thousand people roaming the streets of downtown Statesville on the evening of our Art Crawl. Let’s be clear, this is about artists and their expertise, but the overarching benefit is the energy for the community. We are thrilled to be a part, yet again, of Piedmont HealthCare Friday After Five. Oh yeah… our first event will be on May 6 with the high energy music of Billy Scott and the Party Prophets. This year we are planning eight concerts (the next would be May 20). We kid ourselves sometimes when we think it’s all about the music. It is important but this spring and summer staple is about friendship. Easily drawing nearly 2,000 people per event, Piedmont HealthCare Friday After Five is where you go if you just want to meet old, or new, friends. We are not living in Camelot. You can tell that by the construction underway on Center Street for the streetscape project. There is no question that the short-term headaches caused by this construction are real, but they can be tempered by the reality that what will take its place will bring a new spring, a new energy, of its own. The project was undertaken to expand the business and economic vitality in downtown. Even the energy created by bulldozers brings promise. We are blessed to live in this special place at this particular time. One of my character defects is that I move too quickly to appreciate my surroundings. My mind goes off in hundreds of directions. Today, though, I am grateful for this extraordinary opportunity to live in Statesville, Iredell County and North Carolina amidst the energy and beauty of spring.