Potential beautification projects were one of the main topics discussed during the regular meeting of Uptown Wadesboro, Inc., on April 14.

The board discussed adding string lights to the uptown area. While stringing them across the streets was discussed, the idea was dismissed since trucks travel on the roads. Instead, board members suggested asking business and property owners to use them to highlight the outline of the buildings. The board’s appearance committee will look into durable outdoor lights.

Anne Leary, chair of the appearance committee for Uptown Wadesboro, Inc., and her husband and fellow board member, Steve Leary, updated the board on options for the trees in the uptown area. Through improper pruning, the trees in the uptown area are much tinier than trees of that variety should be. The town tried to grow the trees out but didn’t succeed. “The type of tree we have was chosen because of its drought tolerance and sturdiness and because the roots grow straight down rather than out, so they don’t affect the sidewalks and streets,” Steve Leary said. “They’re usually very tolerable to cutting and shaping.”

Town manager and UWI board member Alex Sewell said the town will try one more time to grow the trees out and see if they get any bigger, and the board will reassess in six months. In the meantime, Anne and the appearance committee will look into options for replacements in case the trees fail to grow.

Plan of work

Don Altieri said the group’s plan of work is a “key part” of a larger file he has to submit to the N.C. Main Street Program, which is under the state Department of Commerce and helps community downtown areas achieve economic growth.

The plan contains several activities, from its annual Fall Festival and Summer Jam to beautifying the uptown area, in four different areas: organization, promotion/tourism, design, and economic restructuring. “These four categories line up with the four pillars of the Main Street Program,” Altieri said.

Some of the group’s organizational goals include forming committees, working with other local organizations, providing reports for the Wadesboro town council, and fundraising.

For promotion and tourism, the plan of work includes hosting the Fall Festival, Summer Jam, assisting the Anson County Arts Council with a 30th anniversary celebration of “The Color Purple,” and more. In the same category, UWI lists marketing Uptown businesses, keeping an updated business directory, participating in local events, and making the uptown area attractive to tourists as additional goals.

Plans for the third category, design, include providing local businesses with façade grants, sponsoring a clean-up day for uptown business and property owners, bringing in new businesses, and more.

In the final category, economic restructuring, UWI listed gathering information to help uptown businesses, hosting a breakfast for business owners, supporting the Historical Society, and more.

Calendar

Included in the overall plan of work is UWI’s calendar, which includes its own events, as well as ones it will participate in or promote. In May, Uptown plans to put purple flowers in its flower pots in front of local businesses for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of filming in Anson County of “The Color Purple” and to participate in Memorial Day.

Later this spring, the group plans to hold a breakfast for uptown property and business owners as a show of support. The breakfast is expected to be held in the James Holbook building, and a date will be determined soon.

In July, UWI will combine its normal three Summer Jams into one “supersized” Fourth of July Summer Jam, which will be held on July 3 at the Ray Shelton Ballfield. It will also work with the Anson County Arts Council (ACAC) for a celebration of the 30th anniversary of “The Color Purple” during the week of July 12. They plan to host the regional Main Street Program meeting on July 21 or 22.

Also on the calendar are helping to promote a Corvette show on Rutherford Street on Aug. 22. While Southern Medley will host a private event for car club members, the public will be welcome to attend the outdoor portion to view the cars. In September, UWI will put American flags on the courthouse lawn, its annual project to honor the victims of 9/11. On Oct. 10, the group hopes to fundraise or otherwise participate in the Taste of the Pee Dee Festival, and will hold its annual Fall Festival on Oct. 31.

In November, UWI will participate in the Veterans Day parade. The board is also planning to host the tentatively-named Country Fair on Nov. 7. While solid plans for that are still being made, the board plans to have a chili cook-off, a pie-baking contest, and live music on Rutherford Street. UWI also plans to participate in the ACAC’s Christmas in November on Nov. 14.

Later in the year, UWI may host a Christmas ball construction workshop, where participants would make ornaments from chicken wire and lights, though that project is still being discussed. The annual Christmastime Tour of Homes will not be held this December.

The board’s next regular meeting will be on May 12 at noon at the Chamber of Commerce.