Columbia Citizens

Dear Neighbors,

As we gear up for BeatWalk’s 13th season, there are some issues we need to look at and make decisions about. I would love to have your input, whether you’ve ever been to a BeatWalk or not. The survey is short, and I would really appreciate your taking a couple minutes to fill it out. The survey is only up from now until Sunday, and you can find it online at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=a6vnXjNqiB5bPyZLSlecfQ_3d_3d

When BeatWalk began in 1995 it was intended to help turn the neighborhood around from being a place where people were afraid to go out on a Friday night to a place that felt safe and there was lots of activity. Now that we have a business district that’s doing well, it’s a hardship for restaurants to host BeatWalk because they actually stand to lose money on those nights. Restaurants are busy on Friday nights without BeatWalk, but the influx of attendees who don’t eat or drink much means these businesses give up seats for customers who would otherwise order more, and it’s a lot more taxing for their staff. These businesses are strong supporters of the community and contribute in many other ways besides BeatWalk, and BeatWalk wants to find a solution that works for everyone – both venues and attendees.

So, the main decision that needs to be made soon is whether to keep BeatWalk on Friday nights and focus on non-restaurant venues (the bakery will still offer food and drink), or change BeatWalk to another night of the week (probably Thursday or Sunday) and include restaurant venues so people can have dinner and/or order drinks. As a neighborhood event, BeatWalk is eager to know what you want.

All in all, BeatWalk is doing really well. We’ve got a fairly steady pool of volunteers who come and work every month, and attendance is up and steady. We’ve booking bigger groups, and last year had a dedicated venue for dance bands.

Your input is greatly appreciated to keep BeatWalk going another 12 years. Thanks so much.

Joanne Lauterjung Kelly
BeatWalk Coordinator
www.columbiacitybeatwalk.org

Hi everyone,

I knew going into this process that there would be no way to please everyone, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s given me feedback and participated in the surveys. What helped me come to a decision was to stay focused on why BeatWalk was created in the first place:

• To make Columbia City a safe place to be on a Friday night;
• To raise awareness of businesses in the district; and
• To have a family-friendly event that brings people together.

The majority of attendees and neighbors surveyed would like BeatWalk to stay on Friday nights, and so, for this year it will remain on Friday nights. The second place choice was for Thursday evenings, but that doesn’t fit two of the above criteria. Friday and Saturday nights are the nights when crime is more of an issue, and having people out on the streets would be more of a deterrent. So to address the safety issue, it makes more sense to have an event that keeps the neighborhood active on one of those two nights. Moving BeatWalk to Thursdays would also rule out families who don’t want to go out on a school night. Since I currently have five businesses committed to being venues for 2008, I feel confident that we’ll be offering the same great experience we always have.

I will attempt to get sponsorships for BeatWalk this year so I don’t have to raise the price. The price has never changed in 13 years: always $5 and kids are free. This is an amazing deal, and it’s getting harder to pay musicians what they deserve and keep the price that low.

It comes down to attendance, so if you’ve never been to BeatWalk or haven’t been in a long time, please check it out this year. I think you’ll be surprised at the level of musicianship and variety of music.

Annual passes are now available for $35; that’s 8 months for the price of 7. Such a deal. And you’re supporting a great neighborhood event.

Thanks again to everyone who’s offered support, constructive feedback, and enthusiasm for BeatWalk. This neighborhood is what it is today, in part, because of BeatWalk and I hope we can continue to keep the great community spirit we’re fortunate to have.

I hope to see you Friday, May 2nd for the first BeatWalk of 2008.

Joanne Lauterjung Kelly
BeatWalk Coordinator
su.ogidniesum|klawtaeb#su.ogidniesum|klawtaeb