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'Shop Velva' campaign

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Four hundred $10 downtown certificates are available for purchase for $5 at the Farmers Union Oil Station in Velva. There is a purchase limit of three certificates per day and certificates must be used within 30 days of being purchased. Tickets will be sold through August 30 or while supplies last. Participating businesses include Velva Fresh Foods, Mint Bar, Bead Unique, Quilted Bean, Pioneer Bar and Steakhouse, Velva Drug, Main Street Diner and the Velva Area Voice.

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Travelers attempting to access the heart of Velva these days are met with a barrage of orange traffic cones, temporary stop lights and barricades as construction crews work to replace and repair the sewer system, road, street lights, curb and sidewalk on Main Street.

Since construction began in late April, businesses cut off by the construction along Main Street have suffered financially as regular and potential patrons are forced to detour one or more blocks around the construction site and then must locate mysterious back entrances that were seldom used or known about before the construction began.

"Business has dropped by 25 percent since it began," said Mardi Schock, owner of The Quilted Bean. "It (the construction) was a much needed project with the water mains breaking all the time but the timing is bad because of the horrible year we've had. Trying to survive through winter and now this, it's been difficult."

Schock said much of her morning coffee crowd has dissipated but her lunch crowd has remained strong, a fact she attributed to her great food and loyal customers.

Across the half rubble, half concrete street is Bead Unique.

"We are fortunate to still have a sidewalk, which helps, but the flow of foot traffic has been disrupted to the diner, the coffee shop or any other business," said owner Michele Feist. "Everyone is excited about the street improvement but there have been complaints about the delays between tearing it up and putting the sewer in. Watching them every day, the construction crews have diligently listened to us and are doing the best they can not to interrupt our business."

Anticipating the possible impact, Feist and her daughter Danielle, co-owner, stockpiled contacts in the preceding weeks and are now using the slower pace to work on orders that are up to three weeks out.

With construction not slated to be completed until October, the Velva Area Development Corporation recently launched the "Shop Velva" campaign which offers area residents the chance to buy special certificates at a savings to use at several downtown businesses throughout the summer.

"We have a lot of unique businesses along Main Street and we want to keep them healthy during the construction so we had to think of an incentive to make it worthwhile for people to make the extra effort," said Maria Effertz Herman, director of the McHenry County Job Development Authority.

The $10 downtown shopping certificates can be purchased for $5 through August 30 and are valid at eight downtown businesses.

Since the campaign launched on Monday, more than 60 tickets have been sold.

"Every day it (sales of tickets) gets a little better and we expect it to pick up as more people learn about," said Dean Beaudrie, an employee at Farmers Union Oil Station, the only location where tickets are sold. "Because there's a limit of three per day, many people come back every day to buy more."

Most of the businesses affected welcome the assistance.

"Its an excellent opportunity for new people to come in and see us," said Feist, "and for those who've been here before it's a great deal because it's like half-off."

"I give them (Development Corp.) an 'A' for effort for trying to promote business," said Schock. "They are behind us, but its going to be a 'wait and see' kind of thing."