Friday's weather may have forced the cancellation of the last regularly scheduled Friday Night Live, but Mike Coppinger is hoping the series won't fade with a rainout.
The Downtown Rutland Partnership's executive director said Saturday morning that he was already working on coordinating with businesses and city officials to make up the date this week.
"I don't want it to go out with a whimper, so I feel it's more important than ever that we try to hold it this upcoming week," Coppinger said when he was stopped on Center Street on Saturday, having just left breakfast at Clem & Co.
He and several downtown business owners also expressed hope that people wouldn't pity downtown for the flood damage it suffered — but instead would come out and support the region.
"These people down here are resilient," Coppinger said. "Come out and support them."
The other frequently repeated sentiment Saturday and Sunday from those affected by the flooding was appreciation for the city's fire and police departments.
"They were wonderful," said Bonnie Hawley of Hawley's Florist. "Friday night they came around and drained our basements, which was something they've never done before."
Summer Farmers' Market hopes to expand
Those who will miss the atmosphere of Friday Night Live — whether it's held this week or not — might take some solace in another idea kicking around.
Pat Carbonell, manager of the Vermont Farmers' Market's summer market, said Thursday that she and other fair organizers hope to approach the Board of Aldermen at their next full meeting Sept. 7, to propose a trial run of extending the Depot Park market into a closed-off portion of Evelyn Street.
Carbonell said that, if granted, she hopes the extension will show city officials that the market has the strength in vendors to grow, but needs space in the form of Evelyn Street. (Lest anyone wonder, there has been talk for a while that, if the market cannot expand, it will look to move elsewhere.) Carbonell said she also hopes the final Saturday of the outdoor market, Oct. 31, will culminate in a harvest and Halloween-themed festival including pumpkin painting and a kids' costume parade.
Library up for discussion tonight
Rutland Free Library Director Paula Baker is set to speak with the aldermen's community and economic development committee this evening about the future of the library's Court Street home.
A library-commissioned structural study of the city building has concluded that repairing all existing problems would cost nearly $1 million.
DPW picks engineering firms
Last week, the aldermen gave City Engineer Evan Pilachowski approval to award three Vermont engineering firms any outside engineering projects the Department of Public Works might need help with, as long as they fall within the department's $10,000 professional services budget.
Otter Creek Engineering will be the city's first choice; Forcier Aldrich & Associates, of Essex Junction, will be the second option should Otter Creek be unavailable; and Rutland-based Enman Engineering will be the city's third option.
The aldermen also gave DPW permission to move ahead with a grant agreement for a drinking water pilot study that will help the water treatment plant staff learn different technologies and methods to help marginally reduce some byproducts that at times have been problems for the city, according to Pilachowski.
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