Main Street members Robert Bowen, Teri Picerno and Linda Goetz (right) present Kate Robinson-Zimmerman, owner of Perspicacity’s Whims, with a Main Street Business recognition plaque. (GAZETTE PHOTO / Theresa Davis)

The Kemmerer Main Street Committee held their monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 19, at the Fossil Country Museum.

The meetings are always open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend and voice their ideas about Main Street projects.

The Kemmerer Main Street Committee is an organization that receives federal funding from Main Street USA. The committee is comprised of members Bill Price, Robert Bowen, Teri Picerno, Linda Goetz and Judy Julian.

The committee’s latest projects have included giving flower tub arrangements to downtown businesses, the Main Street Market, presenting Kemmerer’s businesses with Main Street recognition plaques, and, most recently, painting the exterior of Main Street businesses.

Residents may have noticed committee members painting the building on Pine Ave. that houses Big Al’s Pet Stop. The building, owned by Larry Cook, was given a fresh coat of blue and yellow paint by committee volunteers and community members.

“Since we started painting Mr. Cook’s businesses, many people have come and want to know how their business can get involved,” Picerno said. “It’s long overdue in the community.”

Picerno discussed the committee’s efforts to “not play it safe” with their paint colors.

“Kemmerer has a colorful past, between bootlegging, mining, and cattle rustling,” Picerno said. “Why not embrace that colorful history?”

Linda Goetz discussed the committee’s unique mission to focus on Kemmerer’s buildings that weren’t primarily built during one specific time period.

“The tugboat-shaped area that is part of Kemmerer Main Street is more than just historic buildings,” Goetz said. “We’re working on older and modern buildings.”

Bill Price praised the committee’s projects.

“We’ve gotta start somewhere, and I think we’re making progress,” Price said. “Once people see we’re really doing something and not just talking about it, they become interested in helping.”

  The committee voted to present Kemmerer Main Street businesses with the option of purchasing 75 percent of the paint, with Main Street purchasing 25 percent, and the two parties working together to provide the labor to paint the exterior of the buildings.

“We’re not going to get all the buldings done this summer,” Picerno said. “But I think it’s really creating a working partnership between us and the businesses in the community.”

Goetz brought up the idea of a community workshop about what makes a building historically significant and what business owners can do to receive tax credits for restoring their historic businesses. The committee suggested that such a workshop should take place this fall.

The commitee also reviewed the flower project’s success so far this summer.

“I’ve been pleased to see businesses taking ownership of the flower pots and putting their own spin on them,” Price said. “We can really grow from there.”

The flower tubs were a change from previous years’ hanging baskets, which exceeded this year’s budget for the committee.

The committee also discussed ways to improve the weekly Main Street Market.

Ideas included more vendors, live music and more comprehensive advertising.

For more about the Kemmerer Main Street Committee’s projects, follow them on Facebook.

The Pine Ave. building, before the Kemmerer Main Street Committee began their painting project.(COURTESY PHOTO / Kemmerer Main Street)

Jen Endinger helps the Main Street Committee paint the Pine Ave. building as a volunteer. (GAZETTE PHOTO / Theresa Davis)

The committee gave flower tubs to Main Street businesses, and many have added their own flair. (GAZETTE PHOTO / Theresa Davis)