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Main
Street Day at the Capitol
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[APRIL 14, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD --
Today (Thursday), beginning at noon, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will
celebrate Illinois Main Street Day at the Capitol with
representatives from 58 Illinois Main Street communities. Quinn will
also drive home the program's message of preservation, growth and
tourism.
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"Main Street
communities are great examples of how hard work, volunteerism and
dedication can keep a strong community going," Quinn said.
The Illinois Main Street program
provides training on how to develop a vision for preservation and
growth, insight about creating a strong Main Street organization,
and feedback from Main Street architects. Since its inception, Main
Street communities have reported net gains of more than 1,500 new
downtown businesses and created more than 3,200 full-time jobs.
As part of Illinois Main Street Day
at the Capitol, community leaders will set up information booths and
displays, speak to legislators about the benefits of the Main Street
program, and have a group photo on the east steps of the Capitol.
"This is a great opportunity to
showcase how the program works and how it's bringing new ideas, jobs
and tourist dollars to towns all across the state," Quinn said.
One area Quinn wants communities to
explore is technology. "Being connected to the World Wide Web will
not only help introduce tourists to these areas but will also help
businesses branch out across the globe," he said.
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 The lieutenant governor's office
administers the Illinois Main Street program, which is based on a
national model that offers communities help with issues of historic
preservation, economic development and downtown improvements.
Illinois is one of 40 states that belong to the national Main Street
program, administered through the National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
"We inducted two new Main Street
communities this year, Bloomington and Momence," Quinn said. "The
excitement and energy in these communities are already catching on
to those who live, shop and visit there."
Senate Joint Resolution 10, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Halvorson,
D-Crete, would make the first Saturday in June of every year Main
Street Day in Illinois.
For more information on the Illinois
Main Street program, visit
www.illinoismainstreet.org.
[News release from the lieutenant
governor's office]
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