Main Street Arkansas Update - January 22, 2008

MSA Calendar January 22-25, 2008
Monday office closed in honor of MLK Day
Tuesday Greg, Jonesboro, MS presentation to Downtown Jonesboro, Cary, Texarkana, annual meeting
Wednesday Mark, Susan, Caroline & Nancy – Batesville, site visits with business owners
Thursday Mark & Susan – Russellville – window display workshop
Friday Caroline – Wynne, Delta Byways Banquet

Cary & Marian - New Orleans Wed - Sat - Main Street Executive Committee Meeting

IN THIS ISSUE
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LOTS OF MAIN STREET RELATED PRESS
HENRY AWARDS FINALISTS INCLUDE MANY MAIN STREET
PUBLISHER SEEKS SMALL MEETING FACILITIES FOR ARTICLE
ARKANSAS FARMERS MARKET CONFERENCE FEB 29 IN JONESBORO
NATIONAL URBAN INITIATIVES COMPETITION
CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITY
ADEC’S MY COMMUNITY PROJECT
YOUR TOWN DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEB 4
SOMA EVENTS
GRANT, POLICY & FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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Rogers Press
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/01/11/news/011108rzmsrawards.txt
http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/57763/

Good Main Street Batesville Marketing Press:
http://www.guardonline.com/?q=node/43361

Rector working on ADN application
http://www.claycountydemocrat.com/articles/2008/01/17/news/news1.txt

Texarkana Press
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/localnews/2008/01/18/barbecue-fest-gets-77.php

Forrest City Works on Downtown Revitalization
http://www.thnews.com/article.php?id=4461

Main Street Ozark Press
http://www.ozarkspectator.com/

MSA nominated for Arkansas Delta Byways Awards
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aid=102405.54928.114534&page=3

Delta Stories – nice RHDI mention
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Perspective/214354

Congratulations to the Main Street related finalists for the Henry Awards
http://www.arkindustryinsider.com/announcements/detail.asp?id=17 ">http://www.arkindustryinsider.com/announcements/detail.asp?id=17
Finalists in various categories include:
 Phillips County Museum, Helena-West Helena
 MusicFest, El Dorado
 Carriage Square, Helena-West Helena
 Harrison Convention & Visitors Bureau, Harrison
 Mayor’s Tourism Task Force, Eureka Springs
 Russellville Advertising & Promotion Commission, Russellville

The 2008 Henry Awards winners will be revealed at the 34th Annual Arkansas Governor’s
Conference on Tourism. The ceremony will take place during the Governor’s Banquet on the final night of the conference, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 beginning at 7:15 p.m. at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers
saw this one on P&T’s website
Publisher Seeks Fabulous Facilities for Upcoming Issue
New or Improved Meeting Facilities and Programs: Small Market Meetings, a national monthly newspaper for meeting planners, is seeking meeting-related news from small cities for its March 2008 issue. Please send news about new or improved meeting facilities, unusual off-site venues, out of the ordinary meeting themes and special offers aimed at meeting planners. Please note if photos are available. Email Vickie Mitchell at vmitchell@smallmarketmeetings.com Deadline: January 30.

Arkansas Farmers Market Conference February 29 in Jonesboro

Growers, vendors and market managers of Arkansas farmers’ markets will gather in Jonesboro Feb. 29 to learn about how they can better meet the increasing demand for locally-grown produce in their communities.

The “Come Grow With Us” conference is being conducted by the ASU Regional Farmers’ Market in partnership with the Arkansas Farmers’ Market Association (AFMA).

The 1-day conference will be in the Arkansas State University Convocation Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The $20 registration fee includes lunch. Advance registration is recommended, but walk-in registrations will be accepted.

The conference will feature a variety of speakers addressing issues relative to growing, marketing and consuming locally-grown crops. Topics will include the benefits of growing alternative crops; how to increase direct sales to local and commercial markets; exploring new market opportunities for food and agricultural products; techniques for showcasing farm products; specialty crops and production methods for extending the growing season; techniques for growing major vegetable crops, flowers and herbs; best practices in growing greenhouse vegetable and flower transplants; and good handling practices.

For more information or to access a registration form, log onto http://agri.astate.edu/Farmersmarket/farmersmarket.html or call Bob Young at (870) 972-4671


National Urban Initiatives Competition
Clark University is hosting the National Urban Initiatives Competition. They are seeking proposals that have practicality, creativity, and are well rooted in theory. Proposals should translate from theory to model or vice versa. Furthermore, it should be feasible to enact into legislation.
An award of $20,000 will be given to each winner of the three categories:
1. Affordable and sustainable housing.
2. Neighborhood based economic development.
3. Financial services to low income communities.
All applicants must be from an institution of higher education and must team with one or more of a local government entity and/or non-profit organization.
Submission of Step 1 proposals are due January 25, 2008.
For more information please click here.

I’m passing this along as I thought it might be appropriate for various partner organizations and/or those organizations working with Farmers Markets or Community Gardens
New American Farm Conference: Advancing the Frontier of Sustainable Agriculture
March 25-27, 2008, Kansas City, MO
SCHOLARSHIPS
A limited amount of funding is available for scholarships. Our priorities are to fund farmers/ranchers and nonprofits, particularly those from under-served/minority audiences and those who are new to SARE and/or sustainable agriculture: emerging leaders, beginning farmers and ranchers, and those who have never attended a SARE regional or national conference.
Scholarships will be awarded as free registration (including registration for a tour), plus up to $700 allowance that can be used for any of the following expenses: up to three nights’ lodging at the conference hotel, mileage to and from the conference reimbursed at a rate of $0.485 per mile, or air travel arranged and paid directly by SARE.
To apply for a scholarship, complete and return the Scholarship Application Form (Word | PDF), by February 15, 2008. For questions, contact SARE Associate Director Kim Kroll, kkroll@sare.org or 301-504-5199.


My Community Project
Deadline: April 1, 2008

Student filmmakers (K-College) are invited to submit digital videos (2-10 minutes in length) about their communities. Awards ceremonies will take place at the Governor’s Mansion on April 30. For more information contact ccrane@1800arkansas.com or call 501.682.7306

Your Town RFP
The deadline for proposals for the NEA’s Your Town workshops has been extended to February 4, 2008, and the RFP is available on the website. We hope to receive another excellent round. We’ll keep you posted on the sites selected via our web site www.yourtowndesign.org

Places, Spaces Chairs on Southside Main
Southside Main Street is accepting entries for its 2nd Annual “Places, Spaces, Chairs” public art project until Feb. 1, 2008. Southside is looking for artworks that combine sculpture with the idea of the chair as an object and reflects the SoMa (Southside Main) neighborhood experience. Each artist chosen to participate will be sponsored by a local business that will provide money to build the “chair.” Artist renderings are due March 1, 2008; the completed chair should be ready for installation April 1, 2008. For more information and project description go to www.southsidemain.org or call 537-9032, ext 11.

Mardi Gras Parade on South Main
The 2nd Annual SoMa Mardi Gras Parade will be on Saturday, February 2 at 3:00 p.m. from 17th Street to 12th Street.


NEA Challenge America Fast-Track Review Grants, FY2009

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=40421

This category supports focused, distinct projects that take place over limited periods of time and involve limited geographic areas. All projects must extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations that have limited access to the arts due to geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. The involvement of professionally trained, experienced artists and arts professionals is essential. Each applicant must present a simple, straightforward project that reflects only one of the project types below. Fast-Track Review Grants are available only for: An arts event that will feature one or more guest artists. The project (such as a festival, exhibit, recital, reading, performance, screening, broadcast, lecture) must include the participation of guest artist(s).

Institute of Museum and Library Services Invites 21st Century Museum Professionals Grant Applications

Deadline: March 15, 2008

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (http://imls.gov/ ) seeks grant applications from museums, museum service organizations, and universities for proposals that will enhance the professional development of museum staff. The 21st Century Museum Professionals grants are intended to have an impact on multiple institutions by reaching broad groups of museum professionals in cities, counties, states, regions, or the nation.

Funding will support projects involving core management skills such as planning, leadership, finance, program design, partnership, and evaluation. Project focus areas may also include collections care and management, interpretation, marketing and audience development, visitor services, governance, and other areas of museum operations. Proposals may also focus on projects that help museums attract and retain staff and improve the capacity of museums to address the rapidly changing demographics in many communities.

Applicants may request from $15,000 to $500,000 each for a grant period of up to three years.

Complete guidelines and application forms are available at the IMLS Web site.

Friskers' Project Orange Thumb Offers Grants to Support Community Gardening

Deadline: February 15, 2008

Fiskars Brands, Inc. (http://www.fiskars.com/ ) seeks to inspire and encourage creative expression through gardening with Project Orange Thumb. To promote sustainable agriculture, horticultural education, community involvement as well as neighborhood beautification, the program will offer ten grants in 2008.

Community organizations, schools, gardening clubs, senior centers, or other groups interested in fostering gardening within their community are invited to apply.

Awardees will each receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars garden tools and $800 for plant materials to cultivate their garden vision.

For grant application materials and additional information on Project Orange Thumb, visit the Fiskars Web site.

Kellogg Foundation Accepting Final Applications for Rural People, Rural Policy Initiative

Deadline: January 25, 2008

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (http://www.wkkf.org/ ) is now accepting request for participation proposals for 2008 grantees of the Rural People, Rural Policy Initiative. This is the last year new grantees will be invited to join Rural Policy Networks.

Rural People, Rural Policy is a multi-year national initiative based on the idea that rural America has many assets and that the brightest potential for rural America is possible when a critical mass of rural people are more organized as policy actors.
The grantees are a diverse group in terms of programs, locations, and strategies, but all share a common concern for building a stronger voice for public policies that help rural communities.

Through RPRP, participating organizations coordinate as networks to shape policy that improves the lives of rural people and the vitality of rural communities. Throughout 2006 and 2007, networks participated in dynamic peer-learning sessions, where they covered topics such as framing social issues to build public support and the policy change process. Organizations participating in 2008 will join existing networks and continue the learnings that aim to strengthen their abilities to advocate and act in the rural policy arena.

To apply for participation in the initiative, please visit the WKKF Web site and consider submitting a proposal/request for participation. Among other things, the Web site provides an overview of the initiative and its Rural Policy Networks component, an Online Participation Request Statement Grant Application form and a hard copy version of the grant application, and an FAQ. The foundation prefers applicants to apply online if possible.

Social Science Research Council and Van Alen Institute Announce New York Prize Fellowship in Sustainable Cities and the Social Sciences

Deadline: March 7, 2008

Organized by the Social Science Research Council ( http://www.ssrc.org/ ) in partnership with the Van Alen Institute ( http://www.vanalen.org/ ), the Sustainable Cities initiative is an effort to enable exchange and collaboration between the social sciences and architecture around critical issues of sustainability that are facing contemporary cities.

In 2008-09, SSRC and VAI, through the initiative, will support the New York Prize Fellowship in Sustainable Cities and the Social Sciences. SSRC and VAI seek proposals for programs in a range of formats that function to convene social scientists and spatial practitioners for debate and dialogue on the topic of sustainable cities, with a focus on New York City.

All candidates for the fellowship must apply through the Van Alen Institute. The institute welcomes proposals for public projects from emerging scholars and practitioners in the design and planning disciplines as well as other fields in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The institute will award up to five Van Alen Institute Resident Fellowships and one Partnered Fellowship with the Social Science Research Council for residency periods of three months in the fall, spring, or summer of 2008-09. Fellowship awards include project support, work and gallery space at the institute, publication in Public Practice, a stipend, and a range of project production, research, and programming resources.

See the VAI Web site for complete program information.