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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Our VCB has been tremendously successful. We take a lot of pride and benefit from their success as I do personally as a member of their Board. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The VCB has a welcome center in our downtown. (</span><a href="http://www.visitbend.com/About-Us/Welcome-Center/">http://www.visitbend.com/About-Us/Welcome-Center/</a>)<span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In the last 4 years, the welcome center has really ramped up their retail sales expanding their offerings beyond t-shirts and pencils. They now have a dedicated retail area of a few hundred square feet that sees beyond $100,000/year in sales.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>While I am encouraged by the success, the welcome center is a nonprofit that now competes heavily with several of our retailers. There is overlap of product and though it’s only speculative, it would seem that it is affecting the market share of private sector business sales.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Has anyone run into this issue? Any advice?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>Chuck Arnold<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>Downtown Bend Business Association<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>A nonprofit working to keep Downtown Bend vibrant<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#2E74B5'><a href="http://www.DowntownBend.org"><span style='color:#2E74B5'>www.DowntownBend.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#2E74B5'><a href="https://www.facebook.com/downtownbend"><span style='color:#2E74B5'>https://www.facebook.com/downtownbend</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif";color:#538135'>(541) 788-3628<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Upcoming Events:<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>February 7-First Friday Art Walk<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Andalus","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>