Success for Centreville stimulus program

This week’s Centreville Downtown Development Authority’s stimulus program was declared a success.

A line of cars was waiting at Southern Michigan Bank & Trust’s Centreville branch as it opened for business Monday morning.

As a component of the program, the village’s DDA committed $5,000 to support non-franchise, non-chain retail businesses within its district. Four restaurants and two hair salons chose to participate.

For each $25 gift certificate bought at the bank starting Monday, buyers received a matching certificate from the DDA, providing a total of $50 to spend at the business of their choice.

Pattie Bender, DDA program manager, said the response was overwhelming and more gift certificates were printed for those that sold out quickly.