As you may have already heard, the 2020 complete census will be starting over the next couple months.

Everyone will be getting an invitation to take the Census in the mail in March 2020.

This letter will have a link to a website where you can fill out your census via the internet.

If you don’t have access to the internet at home, please go to your local library to fill it out.

You may also call in to respond to the Census. If you have questions there is a hotline for the Census and the staff at the library has been trained to respond to most questions.

Reporting our population accurately is very important for things like governmental representation and government funding allocation - you can’t decide how big of a piece of pie you should cut until you know how many people will be eating!

The importance of responding to the census cannot be overstated.

The federal government uses these figures to determine things like how many US Representatives your state gets in Congress, as well as how many points your state is worth in the Electoral College. Nearly every part of governance is affected in some way by the results of the census.

There is no way to overstate the importance of the Census.

You can Make Perry Count by responding to the 2020 Census!!

-- PMSA thanks Jessica Pacciotti, Director, Perry Public Library for this article 

Have Census Questions?

Call the Perry Library at 237-2243 or email a member of the library team.

Remember: The importance of responding to the census cannot be overstated.

You may have noticed that the Perry Main Street Association is helping with fundraising effort to support the Perry Beach Project, including docks!

The Perry Beach project is an investment in free public access to Silver Lake, and a key location on the Silver Lake Trail.

Our efforts are multiplied by those of two local artists, James Reynolds and Esther Frank-Doyle, who created a collection of original artwork celebrating the Quaint Cottages of Silver Lake, with the idea that the art could help with fundraising for the Perry Beach project.

Spoiler alert: Proceeds from artwork go to the Perry Beach project.

How does the Perry Main Street Association fit in?

This type of collaboration is right up our alley for several reasons:

1. We love what James & Esther did for the beach project with their work.
2. The Perry Beach project fits our mission, and
3. Our non-profit status as an organization benefits donors!
   

Donations or contributions made through our organization may be tax deductible (consult a pro!). 

When we saw James and Esther's work, we offered to build an online "store" for the notecards, posters, and prints at iloveperryny.com/store to help spread the word, and to coordinate the production of the works. 

You can order them online, and pick up at Olive & Ink on Main St. in Perry - we'll let you know when they're ready (yes, we will ship depending on the items ordered; inquire via: questions@iloveperryny.com).

So, with all this in mind, we ask... 

• did you know that notecards are easy to wrap? fit inside stockings? 
• or put up a poster (small or large) in a favorite nook or cranny!
• better still, pick out a print or three, perhaps #2, the Post Office!

View the whole collection at: iloveperryny.com/store

and THANK YOU! and THANK YOU JAMES & ESTHER! 

 More information: Perry Beach Project

On Monday, October 21st, Letchworth Gateway Villages held a Food Industry Forum. The event brought together stakeholders of many types to highlight the talent and tastes of the region and engage the group in a day of conversation and experiences focused on growing food tourism. 

 This conversation builds on the work of many (for example, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Wyoming County Chamber and Tourism, and event hosts - the Genesee Country Village & Museum) and added the expertise of the Culinary Tourism Alliance and experience of Chef Eric Boynar of rural destination restaurant sixthirtynine in Ontario, Canada.

More information available online: 

Food Tourism Project: https://www.letchworthgatewayvillages.org/growfoodtourism
White paper: https://www.letchworthgatewayvillages.org/foodtourism

On October 4th, Letchworth Gateway Villages brought together collaborators in the REDI initiative from Wyoming, Livingston, Allegany, Genesee, and Monroe counties for a kickoff meeting and planning workshop.

The Perry Main Street Association is looking forward to the potential of this work, and impressed with the groundwork that is underway. 

For more information about the REDI Initiative, check out the project page on the LGV website and the FAQ! 

Get Strategies for Creating Stellar Stores and Storefronts!

Livingston County Economic Development invites area businesses to attend a Tuesday evening seminar on October 8th from 6pm-8pm at The Big Tree Inn in Geneseo. 

Frontdoor Back from Vancouver, WA will present, sharing retail expertise with attendees. See flier for additional information.

Questions? Contact Louise Wadsworth, Livingston County Downtown Coordinator. 

Fee: $30 (for Out-of-County Businesses); $10 (Livingston County Businesses)

Register online!

The Perry Main Street Association invites everyone to visit Silver Lake Brewing Project on Tuesday, August 27th, 2019 at 5pm for a reception to benefit the Perry Beach renovation project.

Come visit with neighbors and friends, see plans for the project and toast the work of James Reynolds & Esther Doyle, the artists behind the 'Quaint Cottages' series which features cottages from the Silver Lake Institute on posters, art prints, framed art, and notecards. Plans for the reception include light refreshments and artist remarks.

The Perry Beach renovation project is being supported by many groups, including Perry Rotary, a key contributor whose generous donation helped the project get out of the starting gates.

The project budget outlines a community fundraising goal of $35,000.00. All funds raised through this event, and the purchase of 'Quaint Cottages' artworks will go toward that goal.

The 'Quaint Cottages' exhibit will on view at the Silver Lake Brewing Project into September 2019. Donations for art prints, framed art and notecards may be made at Silver Lake Brewing Project on the night of the event, and after the event.

About the Perry Beach project

For more information about the Perry Beach Renovation project, visit: https://iloveperryny.com/perrybeach.

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For season eight, Shake on the Lake has brought Shakespeare's  'As You Like It' to life to the delight of audiences across the region. The show has been reviewed by Broadway World and PlayShakespeare.com.

Don't miss it! The schedule is available online — the season runs from July 25th through August 11th, 2019.  

Exciting news — Perry has been asked to make a presentation to support the application submitted for the NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative. Presentations will occur on June 20th, 2019 at MCC for the Finger Lakes Region!  

Letchworth Gateway Villages has announced that the application coordinated by the initiative was selected by the USDA for the program.

This is a technical assistance program that will bring planning resources to the region to help build long-term economic growth.  

We're super excited about Genesee Dance Theatre's performance of Peter and the Wolf featuring shadow puppetry by Josh Marcks on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 2pm. Check it out!