The Genesis Of The Los Alamos Merchant Association
Jarrod Zinn
LOS ALAMOS, Calif. (KEYT) – The small town of Los Alamos is gearing up to put itself on the map in bold!
After a successful Halloween event this year called “Boo On Bell,” the owner of Los Alamos Coffee And Tea is taking the lead to bolster local businesses through collaboration.
“We are in a small town of about 1200, give or take, and we have kind of been a sleepy town for quite some time and we are seeing some growth,” says Alison Height, Los Alamos Coffee And Tea’s owner. “We just had 58 homes built in the area. And so that’s kind of bringing in more families, more young kids, more young adults. And I just feel like we needed more collaboration with all the businesses.”
The Los Alamos Merchants Association is approved by the state of California as a nonprofit organization. While they await the IRS’ final stamp on their 501(c)(6) status, they’re open for at least five additional business owner members.
“We’re still working on the bylaws, so that’s something we’re currently talking about,” says Height. “But I’d like to have as many merchants as possible be on the board. I want to be all inclusive.”
Some of the association’s potential annual and seasonal events include Snow In Ferrini Park, Summer Movies In The Park, a pumpkin patch, and corn maze experience.
Not to mention concerts, beautification projects, and yearly ‘Santa’s Village’ holiday merchant fairs.
“When the merchants collaborate allows for cross promotion and that increases foot traffic,” says Brittney Vanderleigh, Old Orcutt Merchants Association’s President. “It also allows for coordinated hours, which is a huge thing for us here in Los Alamos because there is quite a bit of a dark time, dark windows in this town. We want to avoid that as much as possible, especially during the summer months.”
In late December an announcement will invite locals and tourists to January’s stamp card challenge, in preparation for a Valentine’s Day raffle prize.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.