The City of New Rochelle is partnering with Streetfaris.org for New Rochelle’s Second Annual Street Fair.
So who is in charge of promoting and advertising this second annual event? Most likely the same people that didn’t promote the first annual fair very well. Where are the signs, the banners, newspaper/media coverage, and the radio and TV ads?
What tipped me off was the small scroll on News12. From what I am told, Streetfaris.org runs the fair jointly with The City of New Rochelle and they have their own advertising plan. They are supposed to be dropping flyers around in the downtown and will be doing backpack flyers for the elementary school kids. These are the same kids that go back to school on September 3rd for a half day, only a few days before September 7th the date of the street fair. I have to ask, How many of you parents get the information that get put in an elementary students backpack the day it comes home? There are so many other ways and resources that can be used to promote a city run event, some that cost little or no money.
Why is New Rochelle always behind the eight-ball when it comes to these types of events? Why, because we can’t promote our city and its wonderful events properly, A Big Dis-Connect! How many of you have seen anything for the Second Annual Street Fair? How are we going to improve our Downtown and The City of New Rochelle if we can’t get the promotion of a street fair right?
You can see the News12 information at:
http://westchester.news12.com/events/new-rochelle-street-fair-1.9154202
New Rochelle’s second annual Street Fair
When:
Sun. 9/7 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where:
Main Street between Centre and North Avenues
New Rochelle, NY, United States
Price:
Free
Description:
Crafters, artists, vendors, games, live music, rides, great food, classic car show, local business & community showcase!
The only listing on The New Rochelle City Website was for more vendors. Where is the promotion and advertisements for the event? This is only a little more than a week away????
http://www.newrochelleny.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=807
Last call for vendors for 2nd Annual Street Fair
New Rochelle Street Fair Set for September 7
Vendor space still available on a first come, first served basis.
Vendor space is still available for New Rochelle’s second annual Street Fair, Sunday, September 7 from 11AM to 5PM on Main Street. Produced by StreetFairs.org in partnership with the City of New Rochelle, the fair will feature games, food, arts and crafts and live entertainment for all ages.
For New Rochelle-based crafters, artists, retailers, food vendors and businesses, the booth price is just $50 and for community groups its $25. Non-resident fees are available on request. The registration deadline has been extended to August 29.
“This fair is a day of fun for all ages, right in the heart of downtown New Rochelle,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Bill Zimmermann. “The huge success of last year’s inaugural event proves that it’s the perfect venue for our City businesses and organizations to showcase their services to thousands of residents and visitors.”
All space will be available on a first acceptance basis. To register for the fair, contact Darryl Walker of StreetFairs.org at info@streetfairs.org or visit www.streetfairs.org. Or the City website:
www.newrochelleny.com/streetfair2014.
Last call for vendors,
How about last call for The City of New Rochelle! It is a street fair people, it’s not that hard. Many other cities, towns, villages, schools, communities and every other Tom Dick or Harry has the ability to promote their events. Why is it that time and again The City of New Rochelle fails to promote the wonderful events we have available to the public?
I have not seen any signs or ads for the Street Fair to be held on September 7, 2014 in Downtown New Rochelle or anywhere else for that matter. Yesterday I saw a scroll on New 12 that said go to their link. The city web site only shows the need for vendors. Am I missing something?
This was one topic I had discussed a while back at Citizens to be Heard and with some City Staff. I also spoke at length with Bob Marrone the new Executive Director of the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce at a League of Women Voters event on May 16, 2014. He agreed with my points about the big disconnect and the need to bring all of the business and city groups together and coordinate events. Is The Street Fair a City of New Rochelle, BID or Chamber of Commerce event? Who cares, there needs to be some type of coordination to promote this event and The City of New Rochelle’s Downtown. The promotion must be much further in advance to create a stir, a conversation, a BUZZ.
It’s Labor Day Weekend, who will really be around and paying attention. I see more signs for tag sales and schools opening then anything that the city promotes. If we don’t start thinking about the small things, we will never be capable of handling the bigger picture of getting The City of New Rochelle back on its feet. We need to work on getting Downtown back up and running before any new development is looked at. Fix what we have before we get ourselves into any other bigger developments or problems. If we can’t run a street fair, how can we run a city?
Events like this are not big money makers, they are a way to create a buzz Downtown and in The City of New Rochelle. They are supposed to bring a community together and draw outsiders in. In this case, drawing people to The Downtown Area to see what wonderful stores, shops, restaurants and retail business we have. To the many Naysayers, we do have some wonderful things to see and do Downtown, it’s just nobody knows it, only the few that do venture Downtown. You know, word of mouth, free advertising, fun and games and seeing old friends having a few laughs with the kids. The things good friends and families do that actually bring a community together!
WOW! Community What a Concept!
New Rochelle, No signs, No Banners, No Idea!
Another week gone and only three days until the Street Fair on Sunday September 7th,
I am following up regarding my post and an e-mail I sent to The City Council. Since the original post of 8/28/14 and sending that e-mail back on 8/28/14 I have not seen or heard anything that is related to the Street Fair scheduled for this weekend. No signs, No Banners? Oh yes, I saw one when I was in City Hall yesterday. It is a shame that we waste such opportunities to change the image of New Rochelle’s Downtown and create a community feel within the city. All the groups from Downtown, BID, Chamber of Commerce and The City of New Rochelle should be working together as one to make this a show case for The City of New Rochelle. I don’t see that.
As an update, on the afternoon of 9/3/14. I was traveling through New Rochelle. I was going from The Home Depot on Weyman Avenue up Main Street to Stop and Shop on Palmer. After I left there, I was on my way home by way of North Avenue past City Hall up to Eastchester Road.
Needless to say over the last few days I covered most of the busiest parts of the city. We are now just four days from the September 7th date for the Street Fair. I was saddened to not see a single sign or poster advertising the Street Fair. During my travels on Main Street, I saw plenty of signs for the BID Side Walk Sale for September 3rd – 6th and one sign on the corner of North Avenue and Eastchester Road for the Fall Leaf Program.
We see banners and signs in and around Mamaroneck, Pelham, Eastchester, Larchmont, and all the surrounding cities and towns. It is not Rocket Science! Once again we see an example of missed opportunities. New Rochelle loses while the company running the Street Fair and the vendors make money and move on. Meanwhile, New Rochelle and the taxpayers get stuck with the bill for police and sanitation coverage for the day and the merchants that are hanging on Downtown get short changed. The merchants still have to pay their rent for the day and the vendors are charged no rent and no fees are paid to New Rochelle (New Rochelle Loves Fees) to use our streets and they take the profits made at the cost of New Rochelle Taxpayer and move on to the next town like the Carnival caravans of years ago. Well. We all know, New Rochelle Love History!
In response to what I saw, I will just repeat part of what I wrote before.
Why is New Rochelle always behind the eight-ball when it comes to these types of events? Why, because we can’t promote our city and its wonderful events properly, A Big Dis-Connect! How many of you have seen anything for the Second Annual Street Fair? How are we going to improve our Downtown and The City of New Rochelle if we can’t get the promotion of a street fair right?
You only get so many chances to get things right or people just write you off as a lost cause. Are we to that point? Is New Rochelle a Lost Cause? Don’t just think about it, Let’s Do Something!
New Rochelle, Who is to Blame?
It is not about the blame game. It’s about what is best for The City of New Rochelle, the Citizens of New Rochelle and the future of New Rochelle. Stop the games and politics. Stop taking credit when things are right and placing blame when things go wrong. You also have to be able to admit when things go wrong to correct them.
It’s about Accountability and Responsibility! The question needs to be, who is responsible for where The City of New Rochelle is today in 2014?
Mayor Bramson,The Strong Mayor, The Weak Mayor, The City Council, The Mayor and The City Council, The City Manager, The City Staff, The City Manager and Staff, Who? Who will step up for the future of The City of new Rochelle? Who will accept the responsibility for the future of New Rochelle and hold themselves and everyone else accountable. I say all the above along with The Citizens of New Rochelle that stand by and watch as Rome/New Rochelle Burns, inaction is the same as action!
The Twenty Million Dollar Question is, Who Will Step Up?
Flyer for Downtown NR
Found this today, perhaps this should be part of the flyer handed out downtown NR.
How to Panhandle
Choosing a Location Asking for Money Staying Safe
“It is a beggar’s pride that he is not a thief,” says an old Japanese proverb. A panhandler is a person who relies on the financial graces of strangers without providing goods or services in return, though it’s just as much work as a wage job. Whether you’re experiencing a short-term lack of cash and need a few quick bucks or you’re in long-term financial trouble, learning a few simple techniques to safely approach people and ask for money may make a huge difference in their response.
Choose an area with lots of foot traffic. If you’re going to maximize your earning-potential, you’ll need to go to a place in which you’ll encounter a lot of different approachable people. It helps if you’re both on foot at the same time. For this reason, by far the most popular locations are subway stations, metro stops, truck stops, urban campuses, or the areas around other commuter zones.
• Placing yourself directly outside of the entrance to a subway station is a high-yield opportunity. Different people will pass through every couple of minutes, so the turnover is high.
• Centralized downtown locations are a safer bet than malls or shopping centers, because commercial zones are typically worked by security staff who are typically unwelcoming of your endeavor.
Choose an area with lots of auto traffic. If you’ve got a sign or the materials to make one, posting up in a traffic median near an interstate on-ramp or a busy downtown street corner ensures that you’ll be seen by lots of people in lots of cars without having to move or even speak.
• This requires the least amount of effort on your part, but it’s also easier for people to ignore someone while in a car. This works best during spring or summer months when people drive with their windows down.
Avoid wealthy neighborhoods and expensive restaurant districts. While it may seem intuitive to go to where people have lots of money to give away, the wealthiest segments of the population are statistically the least likely to give to panhandlers.[1] People in these areas are also more likely to call police, even if you’re being courteous.
• Stick to downtown commercial districts and middle-class areas.
Keep moving. Posting up outside the same neighborhood coffee shop every day will likely get you into some heat with the staff and you’ll quickly wear out your welcome with the patrons, making the likelihood of an uncomfortable confrontation too great. Besides, at that point, you’ll have stopped making any money.
• Aim to hit up the same place no more than once a month.
• If you’re not tied to a location, you might develop a circuit or a route based on the weather. If you’re in New York in the summer, say, make your way to Boston for the early fall, Baltimore for the late fall, and get down to Florida for the winter and sleep on the beach. Keep track of the places you visit, the places you sleep, and friendly areas to work.
Choose a city friendly to panhandlers. Increasingly, when neighborhoods once commonly friendly to panhandlers become gentrified, the laws and population will change significantly, making it difficult to stay ahead of the game.
• Medium-to-large cities are typically friendlier to panhandlers than smaller towns. College towns, however, can be a good bet. They’re full of young idealistic students who are often flush with disposable cash and susceptible to a good story.
• Pick a place with good weather. If you’re going to be outside all day, rain or shine, pick a place where it’ll be shining at least.
Be polite. If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to fail and get you in lots of trouble, it’s demanding money from strangers in a rude or confrontational way. Smile, be courteous, and thank people whether or not they choose to give you anything.
• Thanking people will lay the groundwork for developing a reputation in your area. If you develop a good working relationship with the people in the areas you solicit, they’ll be more likely to give you money the next time. It’s not worth telling someone off in the long run, even though you might be feeling frustrated.
Be believable. Whatever your tactic in asking–if you choose to tell people the whole truth, or if you spin a yarn to get some change–you need to sound like you’re being honest. If you’re asking for money to get a bus ticket because you really need a bus ticket, it won’t matter if the person you’re asking thinks you’re going to buy booze.
• Tailor your story to your location. If you’re going to ask for a bus ticket, it helps if you’re right around the corner from a bus station and have a bag. Name a specific location you need to get to, somewhere faraway and strange, like “Ohio.”
• Make sure your appearance matches your story as best as it can. If you’re playing the lost traveler, it won’t help your story if it looks like you’ve been sleeping outside for the past couple months, even if you have been.
Be specific. Some panhandlers believe the key to success is in asking for a very particular amount of money for a very particular reason. “I need 40 cents to get a bus ticket, can you help me out?” tends to be a more effective approach than “I need to get a bus ticket.”
• If you ask for a very specific amount of money, it increases the believability of your question. If you ask for a dollar you may get some spare change, but if you ask for 40 cents, you may get a dollar.
Be clear and concise. To avoid intimidating people or making them frustrated and unlikely to give you anything, just come out and ask for what you’re looking for: “Excuse me sir, I’m sorry to bother you, but I need some change to get something to eat.”
• Ask for one thing and give one reason: “I need ____ for _____.”
• Using a sign can be the easiest way to panhandle. All you need is a piece of cardboard from a recycling or garbage dumpster and something to write with. Make the lettering bold and clear so it can be read quickly.
• Alternatively, depending on your verbal skills and your experience, being as evasive as possible can be a good way to confuse someone and make them want to get rid of you. This works especially well on “out-of-towners” or college students: “Excuse me sir, how you doing tonight? I’m sorry to bother you, but my cellphone’s dead and my girlfriend’s stuck up on 34th St. with our kid in the car and they got in a little accident right after they ran out of gas (you don’t have a cigarette do you?) and my mom would usually pick them up but she’s in the hospital with chronic fatigue syndrome and my battleship’s taking off tomorrow and I’m already in the doghouse about that (you know what I mean) so I was just wondering if you had change for a twenty or just had a couple dollars or something so I can get something to eat? You got three tens?”
Be sympathetic. Some people are more willing to donate if they recognize that you’re in a dire situation and are truly in need of help. Whether this is a lie or the truth, try appealing to their sense of empathy and morality. If they think it’s their obligation to help you, they’ll be more likely to do it.
• Saying that you’re a veteran or that you were injured in a construction accident and stuck with huge hospital bills are likely to appeal to a person’s sense of injustice and make them willing to help you. If you find a broken wheelchair in the trash, use it.
• Be very careful about elaborate lies intended to appeal to sympathy. If you claim to be a veteran and you’re not, running into real soldiers with a fake story could be problematic.
Be funny. Often, appealing to someone’s sense of humor rather than their sense of empathy is a more effective tactic. A sign that says, “I know where Bin Laden is. Need $ for a flamethrower and a ticket” or “Why lie? I want a beer” might make someone chuckle and donate who would normally be unsympathetic or unwilling.
• In a college town, humor can be particularly effective. Stay abreast of current events and local culture to get a sense of what might go over well. Singing “I’ll stop singing for a dollar” to the tune of a Lady Gaga song might help rake it in or it might get you arrested.
Remember the regulars. In the old film “Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” Humphrey Bogart plays a down-on-his-luck American in Mexico who accidentally asks the same American for money three times in the same day. “I never looked at your face,” Bogart says when the American becomes annoyed. Don’t make the same mistake.
• If you see the same people on their way to work every day, learn their names and greet them. If they know you’re there asking for money, you won’t have to ask and you know they’ll give it if they feel like it. They’ll also be more likely to give if you’re a friendly face on their commute each day and not an inconvenience.
Remember: It’s a numbers game. Don’t become irritated or rude to people if they choose not to give you anything. Thank them and let them move on. Someone else will be past in another couple seconds if you’re in a good location anyway. Moving quickly through your routine is a much more effective method than dwelling on lost opportunities. Be consistent and you’ll make some money.
Learn the laws in the area you’re planning to panhandle. Some, once popular with panhandlers, have outlawed begging in certain areas. Portland, OR, for example, no longer permits panhandling in traffic medians.[2] Some cities have likewise restricted panhandling to particular areas or at particular times, outlawing panhandling during public events like parades, street fairs, etc. You need to learn the rules governing panhandling, so you’re not arrested or ticketed.
Be a good neighbor. Your relations with nearby businesses and other panhandlers can make or break your efforts. Be courteous and cooperative to business owners and their customers. Show your appreciation for their tolerance by patronizing their shop if you can, and if you’re asked to leave or asked to stand a little further away, do so without argument.
• Always be friendly to other beggars, as well, and avoid territorial disputes. At the very least you’ll avoid dangerous and unsightly squabbles and you may even get some good money-making tips and make some friends.
• Watch for “No soliciting” or “No loitering” signs. Be cautious to avoid areas even informally labeled with these tags. You don’t want to draw the ire of anyone who’ll call the cops, confront you, or make for an uncomfortable scene. Keep moving and be courteous.
• If someone tells you to move, just move. Especially if you’re alone and vulnerable, avoid possibly-dangerous confrontations at all costs. Staying on the move is a good idea in general, so if someone becomes annoyed by your presence, it’s time to go elsewhere.
Stash your money frequently. Panhandlers are frequently the target of robbers. If you’ve been working all day, you might end up with a fair amount of spare change and cash on hand. It’s not a great idea to carry it around with you all the time and attract the attention of unsavory characters.
• Find a spot to stash your cash, or at least a hidden lock-box or instrument case in which you might keep your money.
• At the very least, keep your money in different places on your person. Some in your shoes, some in your pockets, etc.
Exhaust other options before relying upon panhandling to make a living. Local churches, non-profit organizations, soup kitchens, shelters, and related services that are designed to help you get back on your feet. Panhandling is at best an inconsistent source of income and at worst a difficult and dangerous profession. Make sure you investigate all the options available in your area.
Great Advice!
My second career has just presented itself.