Debbie Johnson, president of the Santa Paula Downtown Merchants Association, said she and Don are proud and happy to be located on Main Street. “Downtown merchants are working real hard to bring life back, remind people that they don’t have to get on the freeway and go out of town to shop.” Localized shopping, she added, also provides needed sales tax revenue to the city.The SPDMA is planning Hot Summer Jazz & Art Nites in July and August. “This is expensive for us, but we are able to earn our money through filming... if you see filming in the downtown and have to take a detour,” Johnson urged that people remember that it is a source of needed income.Film companies “shop in our downtown, they do things in the downtown” that benefit merchants and the city. Such filming, including a “low-impact photo shoot” for a national magazine that took place in the downtown in recent months, provides the funds for the SPDMA to continue to sponsor holiday and other downtown events free to the public.At Hot Summer Jazz & Art Nites, “We encourage people to eat downtown” at restaurants that package food to go, which enables them to sit outside - at tables with umbrellas funded by the SPDMA - and enjoy the music. Johnson said that various shops and salons are luring more people downtown, Cruise Nite and First Sunday at the Airport have provided the opportunity for joint marketing, and residents especially should learn to appreciate their own unique business district.Isbell Middle School Principal Raul Betancourt complimented the Johnsons on their support: “You’ve reached out to our students” and helped them create a newsletter, which “taught the kids so much, and you showed them a fantastic professional job.”The Isbell Times is an “interesting project,” said Don Johnson, who in turn complimented the students and the teacher on the “amazing job” they accomplished. The Johnsons have also shown strong support for the Chamber, said President/CEO John Blanchard, and they are an “amazing community asset.”
Community and community newspaper focus of April GMSP
April 30, 2008
Santa Paula News
The community and the community newspaper were the focus of discussion at the April Good Morning Santa Paula, where Debbie and Don Johnson - who have owned and published the Santa Paula Times since January 1993 - tackled various issues.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe community and the community newspaper were the focus of discussion at the April Good Morning Santa Paula, where Debbie and Don Johnson - who have owned and published the Santa Paula Times since January 1993 - tackled various issues. The Santa Paula Times and the Johnsons hosted the Chamber-sponsored event held at Logsdon’s at the Airport.“It’s going fine despite the economy,” and although Don Johnson said that advertising has slowed, supporting companies are “hanging in there and will hopefully turn around in a little bit.”He complimented the Armed Forces Banner Program recently launched by the city. “I know many of you have children and grandchildren in the military, and it’s extremely important for us,” including veterans such as himself, to show support for those who serve.Noting the Public Safety Officer of the Month award honoring Santa Paula Police Department Graffiti Abatement Officer Scott McKeen, Johnson said his position resulted from Group Against Graffiti: “I did my own share” of eradicating graffiti and chasing taggers. “There is a perception that graffiti is down in Santa Paula... that’s because of Scott, but it’s not down, it’s worse then ever,” and Johnson encouraged everyone to promptly report vandalism.Johnson said that McKeen once stopped him on the street and asked if it had been reported that the graffiti abatement officer was on vacation, noting there was a dramatic rise of graffiti. “Thanks to Wally (City Manager Bobkiewicz), they immediately dispatched some others to get it down.... Scott starts really early in the morning” to remove graffiti before others can view it. “If someone tags at 11 p.m. and it’s painted out by 6 a.m.,” Johnson said, the goal of the tagger has been destroyed.
