By Andrea McCann
Washington Times-Herald
WASHINGTON — Businesses and individuals can sponsor maintenance and upgrades at the new Meredith Plaza at Main and Second streets downtown. The new downtown park area is still under development, according to Daviess County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Charles Selby, and funds raised from the sponsorships will help complete the landscaping and other finishing touches. The plaza already has a gazebo with wireless Internet, a lamppost from the old Meredith Hotel, a water fountain, picnic tables with umbrellas, and benches, but Selby said there are more features in the works. “We want to do landscaping, add trees, benches, hedges, flowers — that type of stuff,” Selby said. “We’d like to have everything finished up by the end of next summer. As we earn money, we’ll put it into the park and do upgrades.” He explained that DCCC is responsible for Meredith Plaza, and the chamber falls under the auspices of the Daviess County Economic Development Foundation, which is conducting the fund raiser. According to the foundation’s executive consultant Jennifer Henry-Webster, there are three sponsorship levels: Business Donor, $250; Individual Donor, $50; Picnic Table, Light or Tree Donor, $500. “Each sponsorship will include a beautiful plaque engraved with the donor’s name,” Henry-Webster said. Both Henry-Webster and Selby mentioned that there will be holiday celebrations and community activities planned at the plaza annually, and it’ll be available for weddings, local entertainment, business gatherings, picnics, and other uses. One such event already scheduled at Meredith Plaza this year is A Wine, Cheese and Art Festival on Sept. 3. “It’s a fantastic project,” Selby said about the plaza. “It’s helping stimulate downtown. With it and the new sidewalks, it should bring more foot traffic, and I hope it brings more businesses downtown.”
