Friday, July 8, 2011

Coordinator Hired To Promote Pocomoke

Alot of Pocomoke citizens are looking forward to seeing what ideas Ms. Manos has for promoting Pocomoke!

Written by
Jennifer Shutt
POCOMOKE CITY -- During a recent municipal election, the question of how to revitalize downtown and attract new investment was a hot-button issue.

Now, for the fiscal year that started July 1, Pocomoke City has hired a downtown coordinator who will work part-time to promote what the city has to offer and hopefully attract new merchants.

Angela Manos, a government and public relations specialist with 20 years of experience, will work with downtown businesses, nonprofit organizations and property owners to enhance Pocomoke City, the city government announced.

"Her experience and interest make Angela a great fit for the private-public partnership Pocomoke City has been building upon," City Manager Russell W. Blake said.

Manos will work in a part-time capacity during the next year making $15 an hour, according to Blake.

Before coming to Pocomoke, Manos worked in the Transportation Security Administration following the Sept. 11 attacks. She worked as codirector of development for the agency's first public education campaign for federalization of the nation's airports.

Manos has also worked for the Department of Homeland Security and for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"In my previous experience I worked a lot with government relations and public relations," Manos said. "Now I'm promoting the Eastern Shore and Pocomoke City. It's a different subject matter, but still falls within my experience."

Manos has already expanded the Farmers and Flea Market to Fridays and Saturdays, instead of only Fridays. She said the growing number of people attending, as well as vendors and buyers voicing support for a two-day market, fostered the expansion.

During the next year, Manos plans to promote a family atmosphere within the community by creating and enhancing several events. She also hopes the opening of a restaurant next to the Delmarva Discovery Center, built on spec by the town government, can bring and keep people downtown.

"(The new restaurant) is going to be a major thing," said Mayor Bruce Morrison. "But in order for the restaurant to succeed we have to have other events and businesses downtown to attract people."

Although an opening date has not been set, Manos said she hopes the restaurant will be able to serve a variety of cuisine at varying prices.

"We do want to make it affordable to people in the area, while still offering nice cuisine," said Manos. "We are hoping to draw in some of the boaters, who can tie up and come in to get a sandwich during the day."

Manos is not the first downtown coordinator to work in Pocomoke. The position existed until three years ago, when it was eliminated by then-mayor Michael McDermott and the council at the time.

"We didn't have the money to put someone in that position until now," Morrison said . "We thought it was very important to add this position."

The job is expected to remain part-time for the foreseeable future. Morrison said if budgets allow it, he would like to eventually make the position full-time.

"We are going to wait it out and see how things go," Morrison said.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110708/NEWS01/107080307/Pocomoke-hires-downtown-booster

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:09:00 PM

    If the REAL objective is to draw people downtown (and that is debatable) there is a much simpler, cheaper and more cost effective way. Why don't we close the Discovery Center and forget the new restaurant and just have the Mayor stand on the corner of Clarke and Market and give out ten dollar bills to anyone who shows up? That would certainly draw more people than any of the other existing ideas. If the Mayor were to be on duty from 9 to 5 for five days a week with two weeks off for vacation, and if he drew 100 people a day (much more than the Discovery Center and the proposed restaurant combined) the total annual cost would be only $250,000. What a bargain! The proposed restaurant is $650,000 without any equipment and the Discovery Center doesn't generate enough revenue to even pay the electric bill. This proposal would draw more people at less cost than anything proposed so far. How's that for thinking outside of the box?

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  2. Anonymous6:29:00 PM

    Now that's funny!

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  3. Anonymous2:04:00 AM

    Oh but guess who benefits? Is it the secret group that comprises the Pocomoke Marketing Partnership? Ever wonder who is all on the Board?

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