News

Owosso to set the lights aglow

By MICHAEL PETERSON, Argus-Press Staff Writer

Friday, November 20, 2009 10:33 PM EST

Argus-Press Photo by Anthony Cepak A worker from the City of Owosso department of public works strings holiday lights from the arch at the Washington Square Plaza in downtown Owosso.

OWOSSO - Downtown city merchants and the Main Street Board officials are hoping to brighten residents' holiday season with a new series of light-themed events aptly named “Glow Owosso.”

The events will be kicked off by the Owosso Glow Parade, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27.

“We are going to have bell-ringers, there is going to be free hot chocolate, we will be having glow bracelets and glow necklaces for parade watchers - it's going to be quite the event,” Main Street Manager Natalie Burg said.

Awards will also be given for floats and the “Windows Aglow” contest, where downtown businesses will be recognized for unique store-front displays.

But what really has the Owosso Main Street excited is the Glow Owosso lights display - which is where the Main Street Plaza, located at the corner of Washington and Main streets, will be adorned with Christmas lights that will pulsate or “dance,” synchronized to holiday music.

The display will be a nightly event, beginning after the parade and continuing throughout December.

Implementing a dancing lights display was the idea of the Main Street Board Chairman John Hankerd, who is also the owner of Hankerd Sportwear. He said he came up with the concept after seeing the lights display in Rochester.

“It draws a lot of people to Rochester,” Hankerd said. “It didn't overly impress me until I saw a couple houses that were done up where the lights are done as a light show - where it is set to music.”

He added he couldn't find any downtown that combined the two ideas, so he decided to give it a try.

“We have probably about 10,000 bulbs total. ... And they will all be run by a computer and a sound system,” Hankerd said. “My hope is that it will be a unique enough display that it will draw people to come down here.”

Burg added they are currently working on making it so the music the lights will be coordinated to can be heard on the radio.

“We are getting the technology sorted out where we will have a radio station, to which you could tune into while in your car or perhaps download it onto your iPod,” Burg said. “That will be cool, so you can hear the music wherever you are.”

Once the details are hammered out, Burg said the radio frequency needed to listen to the music will be released to the public.

There will also be a “Glow Shopping” event held on Dec. 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23 - where participating businesses will hold extended business hours, closing at 8 p.m.

The Glow Owosso was conceptualized soon after the city adopted a Main Street Board, replacing the Downtown Development Authority. Burg said the event is a way to celebrate the positive changes.

“We have a whole new identity and are organized and functioning in a whole new way. Our Board members have a lot more hands-on participation in our events than they ever had before, so they really wanted to make this year's Christmas celebration something really special,” Burg said. “They wanted to do something that hasn't been in downtown Owosso before and bring people outside of Owosso in.”

Burg also said at least 20 local businesses are sponsoring trees in front of their store-fronts, in which the proceeds will be donated to the Memorial Healthcare's Silver Star program - a cancer-screening campaign. One of the categories in the Windows Aglow contest is even “best Silver Stars display.” Other Windows Aglow awards are: “Best theme,” “best business-related theme” and “best overall.”

Burg said she and the Main Street Board are hoping the event will be a success and will continue and be expanded upon in the future.

“It could be that five years down the road we will have all downtown Owosso lit and dancing to music all winter long,” Burg said.

- Contact Michael Peterson at 725-5136 extension 223 or mpeterson@argus-press.com. Post comments about this story online at www.argus-press.com.

Comment on this Story

Proud Owosso Resident - wrote on Nov 27, 2009 11:22 AM:

" Ya know....The City of Owosso is darned if they do....and darned if the don't. There is JUST NO PLEASING SOME residents.

I myself am looking forward to enjoying some time with family and friends and seeing all the holiday lights. For FREE!!!!!! :-)

For those of you that are looking for a "Soup Kitchen" there are several organizations in our comunity that provide that type of assistance for those in need.

Merry Christimas - Owosso!!! "

Sandy wrote on Nov 27, 2009 5:27 AM:

" I have said it before, I do not live in Owosso, but. Their is no reason that this county can not have soup kitchen's. Will all the lion clubs, and other clubs through out this county, and being an x lion member, I know for a fact that they have plenty of money to open up soup kitchen's. After they donate what they put out to the blind and glasses and talking book. Their account's are still huge. The salvation army does all it can do, and is drained every year. I think it is the least these clubs can do, is to have a soup kitchen. We have church's in Durand that offer clothes, and help where they can. So why don't some of these clubs start stepping up. IF any of you know where Geeck Road park is in between Durand and Bancroft, go out there and take a look at it now. The AmVet's of Durand have done one heck of a job redoing that park, I am so proud of them for standing up and giving back to the County. It is a county park. If they can do that. Why can't these other clubs pitch in a put on a few soup kitchens. "

guy wrote on Nov 26, 2009 10:44 PM:

" sounds like the silver bells in the city that goes on every year in Lansing "

Deb wrote on Nov 26, 2009 8:42 AM:

" The way you get new customers in Owosso is for all the businesses to follow the same rules as the rest of us. In the short 100 block of N. Washington street there are 5 businesses that have as many as 13 of the employees that park downtown in the customers spaces. They need to walk their lazy butts a block and leave the parking spaces for the paying customers. Also find a lot for the gamers in the game entertainment store so they won't monopolize all the parking in the 100 block for N. Washington St. "

Derek wrote on Nov 26, 2009 5:30 AM:

" I lived in Owosso for a number of years. It's amazing to me how negative people still are. I read these comments and it is just crazy to me how people just want to slam everything. So the city had people put up lights. Let's slam everything that could make Owossatucky (and yes I mean that like the city is in the middle of nowhere because it is) a little nicer place. Get over the glass is half empty stuff Owosso!!! "

Teech me huw to spel wrote on Nov 25, 2009 8:49 AM:

" Nick needs to fire his spelling teacher, teecher, techer, or instructor, instructer. Is daht beter fur ya? "

Nick wrote on Nov 24, 2009 1:23 PM:

" Maybe, the lights will start a large fire. Then people can have jobs rebuilding the downtown paid for by insurence. I hope the lights are beutiful, but eventually they start a large fire that doesn't injure anyone. I don't live in Owosso, but if these light start a fire I will tour the damage and see about putting my bussiness there. "

keith wrote on Nov 23, 2009 2:49 PM:

" this county is in need of a full time soup kitchen. grinch i think you have a great idea main street plaza would be a wonderful spot for the kitchen "

Emily McCall wrote on Nov 23, 2009 10:31 AM:

" We love seeing downtown come alive! "

old timer wrote on Nov 23, 2009 8:54 AM:

" Will the banks, insurance offices, stock brokers, title offices, realtors, doctor offices be open in the downtown until 8pm? I don't think so. This Burg project is a pipe dream of the old days in the 1950's and 60's when almost every building in the downtown was a RETAIL store that really sold merchandise. These merchants were open until 9pm from Thanksgiving until Christmas. I was downtown last year on the 23rd of December and everyone was closed at 7pm. How times have changed. Mostly due to the fact that downtown Owosso, like most of main street America, is becoming a service center.....not retail. The real retail is out on M-21 by Walmart. This is another pipe dream the city had a few years ago....the "Gardening Community" idea and the "entertainment idea" with quaint pubs, etc. a few years ago. It didn't work. Mainly because these ideas have to come from the business sector itself, not city hall. Chesaning was active twenty years ago because of the Ebenhowes and other family businesses ......not the chamber of commerce or city hall. "

hmm taxes spent well wrote on Nov 22, 2009 1:01 PM:

" I just wonder how many other things could be done by our cities public works department, instead of putting up lights and garland instead of letting volunteers do it.

We cant walk down our sidewalks or streets without hitting a hole, but at least it looks pretty. "

Rick wrote on Nov 22, 2009 12:27 PM:

" Grinch, get a life!!! "

grinch wrote on Nov 21, 2009 4:36 PM:

" With all the delcining economy in the area, I hope more emphasis is put on jobs for the local unemployed. The Main Street plaza may become a great spot for a soup kitchen if things do not turn around. Hope this new city council can generate some new businesses into Owosso to help create some new jobs. "

Joe wrote on Nov 21, 2009 1:46 PM:

" Anything to bring business to downtown Owosso is greatly appreciated! "