Fancy Lady makes move

The Fancy Lady made a move. But she didn’t go far, just a couple of blocks north and across the street.
The downtown Portland women’s clothing store has been open at its new location — 302 N. Meridian Street — for two weeks after spending four years on the east side of the 100 block of N. Meridian.
Owner Mary Robbins said her biggest concern when looking for a new location was parking.
“A lot of the ladies can’t walk more than two blocks,” she said. “They like to park right in front of the door. It’s that simple.
“I had to get somewhere where they could park.”
She noted that the success of many of the businesses around her old location put parking places at a premium. Sometimes her customers would call, saying they had traveled around the block several times and were unable to find a spot.
“There are five successful businesses and there are six parking places out front,” said Robbins. “And I have a corner here.”
The location — on the northwest corner of Meridian and High streets — also has a front window that is more visible from the street, something of which Robbins has tried to take advantage.
She changes her window displays several times a week and said often customers tell those items are what bring them in the store.
Robbins, who owns the shop along with her husband John, is in the store most days to help her customers. She owned Fashion Boutique in Fort Recovery for 10 years before retiring, but then opened The Fancy Lady four years ago after deciding retirement wasn’t for her.
This year, she’s increased the number of winter coats after selling out in 2012. She’s also added several new clothing lines to her selection, which she said has helped bring in a younger clientele.
Robbins opened her Portland store because she was nostalgic for her years growing up when the city had six ladies shops lining the downtown streets.
Business was starting to wane after doubling each year since the store opened, she said, but there has already been improvement since making the move.
“A whole bunch,” she said of how much more business the store has seen in the last two weeks. “It’s already helped.”

IURC OK’s agreement
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has approved an agreement between Indiana Michigan Power, Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor and a group representing I&M’s industrial customers to use a lower-cost technology to meet environmental standards at one of its plants.
The agreement will allow I&M comply with strict Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards through the use of dry sorbent injection technology at its Rockport Generation Plant.
The technology is estimated to cost $258 million dollars compared to $1.4 billion for the traditional dry scrubber.
Dry sorbent injection is a two-step process in which a powdered sorbent such as baking soda is injected into the flue gas as it exits the power plant and reacts with emissions.

Ivy Tech to offer enrollment workshop
INDIANAPOLIS — The Ivy Tech Anderson campus will be offering an enrollment express workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in room 502.
The workshop does not require an appointment and will aid prospective students as they complete the enrollment process.

Ivy Tech wins 20 regional awards
Ivy Tech Community College recently won 20 awards for marketing efforts at the regional conference of the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations Professionals.
The college received six gold medals, eight silver medals and six bronze medals. It has earned more than 100 awards for marketing in the last few years.

Anderson
satellite location
The Indiana Arts Commission announced it will host a statewide web café at 10 a.m. December 5 to enlist public input on the next phase of the agency’s strategic plan.
The Randolph County Community Foundation will host a satellite location at the Anderson Center for the Arts, located at 32 W. 10th St., Anderson.
People planning to attend should arrive 15 minutes before the session begins.
The session is free and open to the public.[[In-content Ad]]