East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 6) 6 WELL-PLANNED RESTORATION WILL PAY DIVIDENDS With a fiercely loyal population, East Aurora is Western New York’s proudest community. She is adorned with superlatives: most livable, most historic, most cultural, most walkable, most convenient. And what other village has its own typeface? At the turn of the 20th century, East Aurora’s famous Roycrofters forever influenced art and design. It was here that Elbert Hubbard — chief apostle of America’s Arts and Crafts movement — championed simplicity and self-sufficiency. Although the movement lost its tempo, the village forged ahead. FisherPrice, arguably the world’s most recognizable toy company, has anchored East Aurora since 1931. Defense and industry stalwart Moog, Inc. has generated thousands of jobs. With sustained economic vitality, the village has consistently supported an array of small shops and restaurants. Larger merchants like Tops Markets and Valu Home Center have quietly woven themselves into the local fabric. Sprawl, the bane of suburban life, is persona non grata. Just ask Wal-Mart, which was twice sent packing by a determined militia of village residents and business owners. East Aurora features moderate traffic, abundant parking and a walkable layout. Conventional wisdom says, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But this village is anything but conventional. Store-studded Main Street is undergoing a restoration that will keep East Aurora a marquee destination for decades to come. Several years ago, concerns with Main Street’s infrastructure got the ball rolling. Curbs and pavement were showing their age, drainage was insufficient and peculiar traffic patterns were creating some congestion. The situation wasn’t critical. But village Mayor David DiPietro rejects the “good enough” attitude that cripples other municipalities. He describes his hometown with yet another superlative: “We’re the most proactive community in New York. The state has been very amenable to our approach.” That approach has been unwaveringly democratic. Once East Aurora began a dialogue with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), public discussion took over. “We were adamant in what we wanted for the village,” says DiPietro. “We refused to accept an undesirable end product.” He facilitated the process by forming the Main Street Reconstruction Task Force (RTF), a coalition of East Aurora merchants, residents and officials. Through dozens of public meetings and seminars, the RTF listened intently to residents’ concerns. Its main objective Continued on page 8 Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 1) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 2) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 3) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 4) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 5) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 6) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 7) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 8) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 9) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 10) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 11) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 12) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 13) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 14) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 15) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 16) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 17) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 18) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 19) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 20) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 21) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 22) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 23) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 24) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 25) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 26) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 27) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 28) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 29) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 30) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 31) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 32) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 33) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 34) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 35) East Aurora and Beyond - 2007 Visitors Guide - (Page 36) http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com
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