by Leah Justice
leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com
The Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) began its 2014-2015 with new president Judd Daniel.
Daniel was approved as new president, succeeding outgoing president Happy McLeod during TDDA’s annual meeting on Sept. 15.
For the year 2014-2015, vice president is Wanda May, with Christine Mariotti as secretary and Michael Baughman as treasurer.
Service awards for 2013-2014 went to Steve Cobb, Linda Byington, Cindy Viehman and Karen Killough during TDDA’s annual meeting.
“In coming to the end of my year as president, I want to thank all the people who made 2013-2014 so successful for TDDA,” said McLeod in an outgoing letter to members. “The events, festivals and projects took hours of work and commitment on the part of a ‘can do’ board and its volunteers.”
TDDA’s successes last year included the Halloween and Christmas strolls, the Beer Fest, the April Fools Festival and with the Polk County Community Foundation, a free community event on New Year’s Eve, among other sponsorships.
Volunteer hours for the Beer and April Fools festivals totaled 1,034 alone, according to McLeod.
The TDDA also last year responded to a request to sponsor a Harmon Field Music Festival.
“To promote local businesses, TDDA set up a booth at the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo and ran a full page ad in the Tryon Daily Bulletin at Thanksgiving supporting local small businesses,” said McLeod. “Our newly revised www.downtowntryon.org now features a business directory including available spaces to buy or lease.”
McLeod also said March 12 was spent as a day of vision casting, identifying downtown strengths and weaknesses and economic drivers as well as the TDDA joining a regional advertising effort, Our Carolina Foothills.
In August, the TDDA voted to support a Tryon Historical Museum, spinning it off to form its own 501(c)(3).
The TDDA also worked with the WNC Small Town Main Street Coordinator last year and initiated its newest project recently, Trees on Trade, to bring shade trees to North Trade Street.
The TDDA’s vision statement states, “Downtown Tryon Development Association strives to meet the retail, dining and entertainment needs of its diverse and multiage local population while attracting visitors to its unique shops, restaurants, events and cultural attractions.”