ACHIEVEMENTS by the CMA TO DATE

• The CMA has acheived 501c6 status.  This is a Federal non-profit status that designates us as a non-profit commerce organization.

• The CMA By-Laws have been written and approved by the CMA Board of Directors.
  

•  Fifteen members of The Industrial Commercial Real Estate Women of New Jersey attended a dinner seminar event to learn about Caldwell's downtown.

• A Special Loan Program with Lakeland Bank, Caldwell Branch for Caldwell merchants only has been created.  This features a short application, quick turn around and below market rates for facade and interior improvements, or other business expenditures.
  

• We have negotiated a special advertising rate with The Progress.

• We have held 3 Sidewalk Sale Day Events, which have been supported by ads in The Progress and fliers to the public.
  

• We sponsored 2 Safe Halloween events, which drew over 1,000parents and their children to the Avenue for treats from the merchants.We coordinated with the Caldwell Police for extra patrols to be on-hand to help with crossing the avenue and general traffic control.
  

• Luminary Display in conjunction with 2007 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

• 1st Annual Pet Day featured reduced rates for testing, an appearance by Orphaned Pets, a pet artist, and a raffle for pet grooming.

• CMA members have attended Main St NJ training seminars to assist in the revitalitzation and preservation of Caldwell's downtown district.

• The CMA has offered to be a part of an historic commission which would help to write the historic preservation ordinance for the Borough of Caldwell.
  

• The CMA ran a very successful Scarecrow Decorating Contest and with the help of the Caldwell Fire Department, these creative decorations were hung on the lampposts up and down Bloomfield Ave.  A Fall Festival on the green was also held, which included free face painting and balloon artists, popcorn and hotdogs and other treats, and pony rides.  A band played on the green and many visitors attended and strolled Bloomfield Ave. to shop, dine and look at the varied and creative scarecrows.

• This winter saw monthly dinner and movie promotions, ending with the Black Maria Film Festival held in April, before a packed crowd,  at Caldwell Flowerland.

 Past CMA Community Events:

The 2nd Black Maria Film Festival

April 24, 2010  4:30PM  $10 tickets

Caldwell Flowerland

(More details on Black Maria page on this site.)

 _____________________________________________________

Art on the Avenue

is coming back to Caldwell!

May 15, 2010  10am - 5pm

Rain date: May 16th

Click here for a video on a very successful event!

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http://caldwells.patch.com/articles/picture-perfect-art-festival-cultivates-caldwell#video-409524

     Click here for an application to display your fine art, sculpture or photography work at the revival of Art on the Avenue

And back by popular demand this winter. . .

Past CMA Member Meetings: (Click on the date to see meeting minutes.)

CMA General Member Meeting

July 15, 2008 at 6PM

Our Host:          Ani Riggs, Creative Cottage

Guest Speaker: Scott Drucker, Montclair Magazine 

Food and Beverage Sponsors: Lovely Living Interiors and Front-Page Promotions, Inc.

June 11, 2008 at 6PM

Our Host: Ryan Dorchak, Cloverleaf Tavern

Guest Speaker: Jeff Tieger, Owner, Merchant Advocates.

Jeff will address how to save on merchant services charges; how to set-up a gift card for the CMA members in time for the holiday shopping season; and unique financing opportunities, using monthly receipts to pay back the loan.

May  14, 2008

Our Host: Dina McGowan, D'Marie Home

April 2, 2008 6PM

Our Host:  Ryan Dorchak, Cloverleaf

March 3, 2008 6PM

Our Host:  Ani Riggs, Creative Cottage

February 5, 2008

Our Host:  Nuo, Tasty CoCo

Featured Speakers:  Newly-appointed Police Chief Kurt                                       Dombrowksi

Mary Ann Luke, Lakeland Bank, spoke about a special loan package created just for Caldwell businesses.

January 10, 2008

Our Host: Caldwell Flowerland

Featured Speakers:  Peter Murray, Website Consultant

                              Caldwell Downtown Alliance Volunteers

Men's Shopping Night!

December 18, 2008

Holiday Shopping Event

December 4, 2008

10 am- 8pm!

We lit up the downtown with late shopping hours, restaurants offering tasty morsels, carolers and a chance to visit with Santa between 3pm and 7pm at Cloverleaf Tavern. 

 Safe Halloween 2008! 

Friday- October 31, 2008

Once again, the Caldwell Merchants Association sponsored a Safe Halloween in Caldwell's Business District.   Families dressed up and strolled the avenue and collected tasty morsels of candy and treats from the shops in Caldwell's downtown.  Caldwell Police department personnel were out in force to provide safe street crossings and traffic management.

Fall Festival on the Green!

-Caldwell's Town Green was a fun place for all!  Kids enjoyed pony rides, and face painting and balloon art  Adults shopped and sampled desserts from Calandra's Bakery. Other  Caldwell merchants were on hand with some of their fabulous merchandise, too!  The Caldwell Fire Department  gave tours of their new truck and many merchants up and down Bloomfield Ave. were handing out snacks and offering special promotions.

-Prizes were awarded for the most creatively decorated scarecrows.  All entries are on display on the avenue's lamp posts in the downtown area.

October, 2007:

Safe Halloween Trick or Treat on the Avenue

Children of all ages dressed up in costume and walked, safely, from shop to shop in Caldwell's downtown area and collected candy and treats from shop owners.  Caldwell's police were on hand to direct traffic and assist in crossing Bloomfield Ave and the side streets.  Many merchants reported giving out over 1,000 pieces of candy between 2PM and 6PM that day!  See fun photos from this event on the Photos and News Clips page.

A Safe Halloween for all in 2007!

Building on a tradition of recent years that saw children trick or treating on Bloomfield Ave., the Caldwell Merchants Association enlisted the help of Caldwell College students as candy dispensers and the Caldwell Police for traffic and crossing safety.  Over 1,000 children enjoyed this event with their parents and grand parents.

Luminaries on Bloomfield Ave. ring in holiday cheer!

CMA President, June Cowell (l) and board member, Marti Koestler, were instrumental in preparing and lighting over 500 luminaries bags that lined Bloomfield Ave. for people attending  the Holiday Tree Lighting and Bazaar.

Special Offers and Projects

• Coupon Booklet - Unlike many coupon books, this booklet contains coupons that are progressive.  The more you shop, the more you save.  Go into a shop once and save, for instance, 10%.  Go in a second time and save 25%, and so on.

• Power Point Presentation that features Caldwell's unique history, our demographics, the various business and civic organizations in town, and general information about our downtown shopping and dining experience.  This presentation can be used to attract investors, real estate agents, and retailers to Caldwell.