Parkville's Cruise Night a Roaring Success

Parkville, MO, 6 June 2009: The 2nd Parkville Cruise Night was, without a doubt, a roaring success. The comments were overwhelmingly positive and included many on how it could be made even better. It seems the event had a far reaching effect in the county with Riverside's Cruise Night being attended by only 4 or 5 cars and the Platte City event was called off. I had the personal pleasure of ferrying event attendees around the show as well as up to the shops in English Landing Centre.

My chauffeuring gave me a chance to promote Parkville and the excitement of our wonderful town. I had a great number of folks ride with me that had never been to town and an even greater number that had never shopped the downtown shops. The restaurants, of course, remain the greatest beneficiaries of this event, but Sunrise Soap Company, Rio Salon & Spa, H.M.S. Beagle, Florilegium, The Parkville Antique Mall, Subway, Bentley Guitar and Iron Horse Bistro all got very good exposure from lots of folks who did not previously know of these treasures. Tom at the Iron Horse said they were slammed, and Carol and I ate there that evening and enjoyed conversations on the deck with out-of-towners who had come for the event.

Personally, I enjoyed talking about our town to the folks who rode with me, and I enjoyed the comments and the opportunity to pass out brochures and coupons for the businesses. I was asked lots of questions about the town, our people and the university. I was often asked, "how is the town doing?" I was able to give a truthful, upbeat evaluation of the economy as it has impacted Parkville, and the vast majority said they would be back, soon.

On a sour note it was noted that many shops in downtown were closed too early (one even closed an hour early) and after the show, with the exception of English Landing shops, the cruise night participants had no where to spend their money after they ate at the downtown restaurants.

I had the pleasure to chauffeuring Kathy Dusenbury to English Landing Park for a picnic under a shelter. Finally, and certainly not least, I wish to thank Dale Brouk of the National Golf Club for the loan of a 4-passenger, electric golfcart, Additionally, I want to say how impressed and grateful I was for the assistance given to me by the staff at the Deuce and the National. The cart was festooned with banners stating that the "free ride" was courtesy of the National. The pick up and return of the cart was handled flawlessly by Tom Hutsler. This is just another example of the cooperation amoung several individuals and entities that makes this town so great.

==JFK==