Community Highlights:

Food & Beverages

Accommodations

Historic Sites

Parks & Recreation

Youghiogheny River

Directions & Map

Our Region

2010 DWNI Officers:

President
Aaron Nelson

Vice President
Judy Harvey

Secretary
Marlene Yurkovich

Treasurer
Ben Markle

2010 Board of Directors:

Mark Bowers
Barb LaFace
Mikey Nohavicka
Connie Pollock
George Sam
Lois Van Kirk
Deanna Walker

Member
Mon Valley Initiative

DWNI 2009 Accomplishments

• Held Annual Meeting to elect board members/officers and to revise bylaws in January, board meetings in March, May, July, September and November and Executive Officers’ meetings in February, April, June, August, October and December.
  
  
• Maintained monthly financial records, reports and budgets, maintained organization strategy, work plans, agendas and minutes as required and submitted 2008 IRS (990), PA tax and PA Non-profit (BCO-10) documents and submitted closeout audit for DCED 2006-7 Main Street Program/Façade grants.
  
  
• Accepted part-time clerical support from the WCCC Lifelong Learning Program, maintained National Main Street, PA Downtown Center and Mon Valley Initiative (MVI) memberships and logged 1,711 volunteer hours valued at $33,553 ($19.61/hr. according to PA)
  
  
• Attended MVI's annual banquet, conferences/ workshops, committee meetings) and participated in the MVI Golf Outing on August 18.
  
  
• Held Annual Membership Drive in February gaining 77 contributing members and raised net contributions, memberships, activities and sales proceeds of over $25,000 in 2009.
  
  
• Sponsored Summer Jazz Night on July 25, Oktoberfest October 3 and Miracle on Main Street & Light-up Night on Nov. 28.
  
  
• Held Lasagna Dinner on April 4, Line Dancing in the spring, sold ads and designed eight pages for the 2009 Great Allegheny Passage Trailbook, sold sports team raffle tickets and awareness items at Community Festival and Light-up Night.
  
  
• Maintained DWNI Web site and submitted monthly news releases.
  
  
• Held Great PA Cleanup in the downtown on May 2, participated in National Riversweep on June 27 (cleaning/planting at Trailhead Park), maintained downtown ornamental planting urns, tree bases, flower boxes and planters and installed four West Newton gateway welcome signs at main entrances to community.
  
  
• Held Preserve America Workshop at WN Station on July 8, attended regional Preserve America Program with Trail Towns/Progress Fund in October and received Borough Resolution and submitted Preserve America application on September 1.
  
  
• Completed one façade rehab matching grant reimbursement for $5,000 with one pending and provided façade design assistance for several businesses.
  
  
• Managed/maintained Cornerstone Building (residential units 100% occupied; 1 commercial vacancy).
  
  
• Managed engineering for Bridge to Tomorrow Project's Simeral Square component and Bridge Enhancements component.
  
  
• Worked with MVI Real Estate Team to market/fill vacancies (web site, events, activities) and held Opportunity Expo with MVI on March 25 (13 properties for sale/rent; three vacancies filled).Developed two business prospect recruitment proposals.
  
  
• Held Business and Property Owners’ Workshop at WN Station on August 5, “Meet & Greet” with Borough Code Enforcement Officer on October 1 and assisted 3 existing, 2 expanding and 3 new businesses/ property owners with technical support.
  
  
• Submitted Quarterly Business Activity Reports: 6 business startups, 2 closings, 12 new jobs, 90 lost jobs (Bolttech) and completed business inventory with interns from Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority.
  
  
• Worked with Trail Towns Program/RTC to market downtown to trail users (web site, publications, activities, etc.)
  
  
• Designed and installed two business/properties marketing billboards on Rte 51 and designed Simeral Square kiosk panels.