#muletownexperience

The City of Columbia, Tennessee continues to enjoy a historic, declining jobless rates with the release of recent figures which show employment data through May 2017, among the most impressive declines statewide. Columbia’s unemployment rate for May 2017 has dropped to a low of 2.7%, down 0.6% from the previous month, April. The unemployment rate dropped an impressive 1.7% compared to May 2016, the rate one year ago which stood at 4.4% this time last year. The most recent labor report from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development includes a number of promising statistics showing continued improvements to unemployment and increased job growth in Columbia, TN. Columbia boasts 16,760 people currently employed according to the most recent May 2017 data. The drop is attributable to continued growth and expansion of new and existing businesses as the city continues to enjoy new business openings and expansions almost weekly. Middle Tennessee counties leading Tenneseee in the declining unemployment rate, the report revealed that Columbia continues to stand apart, along with Maury County as a leader with near historic declines comparing cities and counties statewide. Maury County also stood apart in the state ranking, with the 7th lowest unemployment rate among Tennessee counties. Economists generally consider 5% “full employment” - 5% the rate indicating normal unemployment levels in a typical, healthy economy. Mayor Dean Dickey notes that “the City is encouraged by continued economic growth trends in business and workforce development within Columbia and the Greater Columbia Area. We will continue to work with our private sector partners to attract and retain quality jobs for our people.” Go #Muletown! #GrowColumbia #ColumbiaTN #ColumbiaTNDevelopment #MuletownExperience #ColumbiaTNJobs #muletowncity (at City of Columbia, TN - Government)

Take a look at the most recent photo of the "Columbia Public Mural Project" currently underway by muralist/artist Michael Colley Fine Art. Once compete, the city's first public mural includes artistic remembrance and historic imagery of particular interest to the history of the Columbia Fire Department. Among the powerful images shown on Colley's developing mural, John Hackney is painted in action driving a horse drown, steam powered fire engine. A little known fact is that the Columbia Fire Department, Tennessee was an integrated department going back to the first decade in the 20th century. Hackney was the city's first African-American firefighter who, according to historic documents preserved and maintained by the department, served in the Columbia Fire Department for approximately three decades. According to records retained by the city, Hackney had been promoted to the position of driver, which like fire service today, drivers are promotion positions with an accompanying pay increase above the position of firefighter. An original photo taken in or around 1910 shows John Hackney photoed with the rest of the fire company at the time featuring a horse drawn engine inspiring the mural imagery telling the story of Hackney's service to the community over 100 years ago. #Art4Columbia #ColumbiaMural #ColumbiaPublicArt #ColumbiaFireMural #Muletown #MuletownExperience #ColumbiaTN (at City of Columbia Arts District)

Three (3) days of amazing progress by Michael Colley Fine Art who is currently painting the mural at the intersection of N. Garden/S. Garden St. and Carmack Boulevard. Painting the City of Columbia's first public mural, the mural will once complete stand as the city's first piece of public, transforming the gateway to the #ColumbiaArtsDistrict. Colley's painted mural is going up on a unique designed staging area, the serpentine wall varying in height vertically with changing curvature across 70 feet of wall length. Comments from Columbia residents in visitors continue to suggest heightening interest and a growing energy for #Arts4Columbia! #MuletownExperience #Muletown #ColumbiaTN #ColumbiaPublicArt (at City of Columbia Arts District)

The #ColumbiaArtsDistrict gets new signage! New signs have been installed throughout the Columbia Arts District neighborhood, using two different design styles. Two 12-ft banner signs feature the district logo and a map of the District, incorporating the the first phase of wayfinding for the District. Six 8 ft logo signs are scattered throughout the District. Like the banner signs, the District logo shown on both sign styles is intended to establish a strong sense of place for residents and visitors. Kim Hayes and Joel Friddell with West 7th Co. (www.W7thCo.com) designed the signs, the same marketing and graphic design firm that assisted the city in designing the new mural wall at the intersection of N. Garden St./South Garden Street and Carmike Boulevard. #Arts4Columbia #MuletownExperience #ColumbiaDayTrip #VisitColumbiaTN #getartsy #experiencemaury #ColumbiaArtsandCulture #TNDowntowns (at City of Columbia Arts District)

Getting the serpentine wall up...next comes artist Michael Colley this next week to paint the mural, the first public art commissioned by the @cityofcolumbiatn! #arts4columbia #muletownexperience #columbiaartsdistrict #ColumbiaPublicArt #getartsy #tennesseeartscommission #tnarts (at City of Columbia Arts District)

Great article in the May 2017 SET Magazine about art in Columbia, TN titled "the Secret Life of Art in Columbia" featuring the Columbia Arts Building, the largest business yet to open in the City of Columbia Arts District.

Check it out! This year's Easter Egg Hunt will be held tomorrow, Saturday, April 15th at the Rotary Shelter at Woodland Park in Columbia, Tennessee. This year's event will begin at 11:00 AM. Don't miss out on this fun holiday tradition. We will have over 3,000 eggs up for grabs! #ColumbiaTN #EasterEgg #muletownexperience (at Maury County Park)

First photo, left to right: Kristi Martin (Director, Main Street), Thad Jablonski (Assistant City Manager, Columbia), Laura Bento (Good Grit Editor), Mike Wolfe (American Pickers), and Columbia Mayor Dean Dickey. Good Grit magazine recently contacted Columbia Main Street Corp about a cover story the publication planned featuring the City of Columbia'a historic Town Square. A production work group including American Picker Mike Wolfe contacted and collaborated with the Columbia Main Street Crop and City of Columbia to organize a photo shoot for an issue cover on Monday, March 13, 2017. In cooperation with the magazine, Columbia Main Street Director Kristi Martin communicated with Downtown shop owners on the Columbia Town Square regarding the shoot time, the shoot started before business hours at sunrise and lasted until around 11:00 a.m. The city gladly provided support requested by Main Street Director Kristi Martin, who contacted the City Manager's Office so that the areas shown in the photo (see photo to the left) of the project area to be photographed during the morning cover shoot. Folks who ventured into Downtown Muletown had the opportunity to be photographed, meet the production crew and speak with Mike Wolfe as they went about their morning in Downtown Columbia. Good Grit is known as an “elegant and progressive reflection of Southern heritage, committed to taking you on a thought provoking journey from cover to cover.” As shown in the marketing material shown in the pages below, the high-end, boutique magazine boosts a growing circulation reaching a high-income demographic with notable disposable income from Texas to Virginia and Florida to Kentucky. The magazine reaches households across the Southeastern United States as well as high-end hotels (Marriott's, Hyatt Regency's, etc.) throughout the Southeast market. This is a unique opportunity to share the city’s unique charm, amazing Downtown and the Muletown Experience with travelers and prospective visitors from across the larger Southeastern region. We were pleased to work with Good Grit magazine, Mike Wolfe and Columbia Main Street Corp. on the project. Ultimately, the city and the Columbia Town Square will be featured in the May/June issue of the magazine, distributed throughout the Southeast. During the shoot, the Mayor and I stopped by the Columbia Town Square earlier today to say hello during the cover shoot. Taking the opportunity to speak to Mike and the production crew, we were pleased to hear the group's enthusiasm and most kind accolades regarding the Columbia Town Square and the larger Downtown area. Prior to our stop to meet with Good Grit production work group and photographers, City Manager Tony Massey stopped in early morning to see the progress underway during the beginning of the cover shoot. Speaking to Tony afterwards, he recounted expressing his thanks to Mike Wolfe for his work in advocating the unique marketing opportunity for the City of Columbia. According to the City Manager, Wolfe commented that he could not have thought of a better, more interesting downtown or unique place to host the shoot, referring to charm, history and a high-quality destination that he (Wolfe) had come to know during his recent time in Columbia as a Downtown Columbia property owner. Mike Wolfe is the owner of the building where the Wheel Bicycle Shop was previously located with plans to open the Trek Bicycle Shop soon. We appreciate Mike for his advocacy and support of Downtown Columbia and Columbia Main Street Director Kristi Martin for coordinating between stakeholders, including the magazine, shop owners and the City of Columbia. A special thanks to Mike Wolfe American Picker for bringing the magazine to Columbia, TN, Columbia Main Street Corp. Director Kristi Martin for coordinating with the city and downtown merchants, and to the City of Columbia Police and Public Works Departments, each helping to ensure that the magazine's editor and team had an amazing experience in completing their work in Downtown Columbia the morning of the shoot to capture the Muletown Experience and share the city's one of a kind downtown with readers throughout the Southeast. To learn more about Good Grit magazine, go to the magazine’s homepage at http://www.goodgritmag.com/.