Monday, August 25, 2008

Main Street Arkansas Update - August 25, 2008

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS

Main Street Arkansas Calendar August 25 -29, 2008
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MONDAY Nancy, Susan & Mark – Sheridan (tech visit); Caroline, Batesville (pm)
TUESDAY Susan, Helena; Cary & Greg, El Dorado
WEDNESDAY Nancy & Cary – Pine Bluff
THURSDAY Susan, Searcy
FRIDAY Cary – off

MONDAY - LABOR DAY, office closed
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IN THIS ISSUE:

MSR LEADERSHIP CHANGE
8 COMMON VALUES OF SUCCESSFUL DOWNTOWNS
REAKONOMICS & SUBURBIA
12 LESSONS ON DOWNTOWN RETAILING
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
BICYCLE RACKS
COLLECTION OF HISTORIC BUSINESS SIGNS
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
BROWNFIELDS INFORMATION
TORUISM IN ARKANSAS
RETAIL PROMOTIONS THAT WORK WEBINAR
2 MORE GRANT OPPORTUNITES

It is with great sadness I share the news that Marge Wolf, executive director of Main Street Rogers, has accepted a new position with the NW Arkansas Food Bank. We will miss her greatly.

Rogers Seeks New Leader
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/234802/

8 Common Values All Successful Downtowns Embrace, per Alex Krieger, formerly of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design
http://www.businessreport.com/news/2008/jul/28/eight-enough-edvl1/

Freakonomics asks “What is the future of Suburbian?”

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/what-is-the-future-of-suburbia-a-freakonomics-quorum/?hp


12 Lessons on Downtown Retailing Today
http://www.lisc.org/content/publications/detail/7410/.

American Trails Education & Information Project Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42647

Creative Bicycle Racks (designed, in part, by David Byrne)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/arts/design/09bike.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=david%20byrne&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
- many of you have used DTR money for bike racks, I encourage those of you who are looking at doing that in the future to be creative in the bike rack’s design. For examples, see the photos of the racks designed by the former Talking Head

Great Collection of Historic Business Signs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/society_in_decline/sets/72157594323475636/detail/

Funding to Promote Food Retail Guide
http://www.healthyplanning.org/foodretailfunding.html

Brownfields Conference Call to Answer FAQs

In anticipation of the soon to be released FY09 Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup, and Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Proposal Guidelines, EPA Region 6 will host conference call sessions to answer grant proposal questions concerning threshold and ranking criteria.
Questions and responses can relate to Threshold Criteria, eligibility of proposed grant budget cost, Cleanup and RLF cost share eligibility, and clarifications on guidelines Ranking Criteria.

Link to FAQs:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/publications/fy2009faqs.pdf

The following conference call sessions have been scheduled:
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Grant Proposals:
Thursday, August 28, 9:30am - 10:30am Central Time
Cleanup Grant Proposals:
Thursday, August 28, 1:30pm - 2:30pm Central Time
Assessment (Coalition) Grant Proposals:
Tuesday, September 9, 9:30am - 10:30am Central Time
Join the conference with the following access number:
Conference Call Number: (866)299-3188
Participants Code: 2146657273

Please contact Dorothy Crawford (214-665-2771) or Karen Peycke
(214-665-7273) if you need additional information.

FYI. Just released publication concerning RLF grants:

The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization just posted, Unlocking Brownfields Redevelopment: Establishing a Local Revolving Loan Fund Program, EPA-560-F-08-280 (August 2008) on our website.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

Arkansas Working to Build Image as Tourist, Business Locale
http://arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=107235

Retail Promotions That Work Webinar
With Kathy LaPlante - National Trust Main Street Center (Read Bio)
Date & Time: Friday, September 26 - 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Sidewalk sales, moonlight madness, holiday open houses... are the “ho-hum” retail events boring even you? Learn from a marketing and promotions innovator about new, more effective retail sales and events that are producing increased revenue for merchants in Main Street communities around the country. Get the basics of how to plan and fund retail activities, and discover new techniques for getting merchants to participate.
If you sign-up for this webinar, we encourage you to invite your Promotions Committee Chair or a couple of leading merchants to join you in your office for the presentation. It's one more way of enlisting support and leadership to help jump start a future retail event in your commercial district.
Register today

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42673

Funds for Skateboard Parks in Low-Income Communities
Tony Hawk Foundation
The mission of the Tony Hawk Foundation is to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth. The principal focus of the Foundation's grant program is to facilitate the design, development, construction, and operation of new, quality skateboard parks located in low-income communities throughout the United States. The Foundation looks for projects that can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment, particularly in the form of fundraising by local skateboarders and other community groups. Priority is given to projects that are designed and built by qualified and experienced skateboard park contractors and include local skaters in the design process. Upcoming application deadlines are October 1, 2008, and March 2, 2009. Visit the website listed above to access the online application information.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Main Street Arkansas Update - August 18, 2008

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS

Main Street Arkansas Calendar August 18 - 22, 2008
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MONDAY Caroline, out
TUESDAY Susan, Mark & Nancy – Texarkana
WEDNESDAY Susan, Batesville
THURSDAY Greg & Nancy – Siloam Springs; Susan, Morrilton (window workshop) & Siloam Springs
FRIDAY Nancy – annual leave
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Help Flooded Programs in MS, WI & IA
Rescue Public Murals
Connecting to Collections Statewide Planning Grants
Unique Wayfinding for Parking Decks
House Passes SAT/PA Bill
Innovative Community News Ideas Funded
Foundation Center Cooperating Collection Training At the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation
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Dear Main Street Partners:

Many of you have seen the reporting on damage to Main Street communities in the Midwest, through Main Street News, and directly from some of the coordinators and communities. We have been working to develop a tool to assist those Main Streets in Iowa, Wisconsin , and Missouri, and are pleased to announce that we have a new way for peer Main Street communities to help, through on-line donation sites, managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

We have created three online donations pages, through PreservationNation.org, where 100% of the funds will go directly to state organizations, who will then distribute 100% of the funds to towns in the most need. If you would like to contribute to the rebuilding efforts in the flooded Main Street towns in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri, please visit these pages:

http://my.preservationnation.org/mmsc -- for Missouri
http://my.preservationnation.org/wmsa -- for Wisconsin
http://my.preservationnation.org/iowa -- for Iowa
In Iowa, for example, the donations will be divided equally for the five flood - impacted Main Street Iowa towns of Charles City, Waverly, Elkader, Waterloo, and Burlington... which were the most damaged Main Street program communities in the state. Wisconsin and Missouri sites will also identify specific communities that will receive assistance.
We know that many people have already helped the recovery efforts and are so proud to be part of a network that gives so much back, and so we are happy to provide this service as a small way that we can help. It is just this type of deep and strong connections that makes our network so powerful, effective, and successful.

Rescue Public Murals

Rescue Public Murals will soon launch a new page on its Web site with information on best practices for mural creation. This hub will provide muralists and mural programs with information on materials and techniques to consider when painting a mural to help extend the life and vibrancy of their artworks.
The Web resource will feature frequent updates on a current case study in action. Award-winning Philadelphia muralist and Rescue Public Murals Adviser, Megan Saligman, has just begun work on Fertile Ground in Omaha, Nebraska...
To read more about the Mural Best Practices Web Page CLICK HERE!
To read about the latest Rescue Public Mural Assessments CLICK HERE!

Unique Wayfinding for Parking Decks
(admittedly, not completely applicable to all of us, but this is pretty cool)
http://de-war.de/eurekacarpark.html

Connecting to Collections Statewide Planning Grants
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42592

House passes Preserve America/Save America's Treasures legislation

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation (H.R. 3981) authorizing the Preserve America and Save America's Treasures preservation grant programs. The bill authorizes $25 million annually from FY2009 through FY2013 for the Preserve America program, and $50 million annually for the Save America's Treasures program with no sunset year. The Senate bill (S. 2262) does not have the sunset provision for the Preserve America program. Its bill is expected to be voted on before Congress adjourns on September 26.

Regarding the budget, the House of Representatives Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Norm Dicks (D-WA), passed its FY 09 bill on June 10. The bill would provide $82.0 million for Historic Preservation Fund programs, a 14% increase over FY 08, and $9.2 million more than the President proposed. The State Historic Preservation Offices would be funded at $45 million, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices at $7 million, Save America's Treasures at $25 million, and Preserve America at $5 million. The full House Appropriations Committee and then the full House of Representatives still have to consider the bill. The Senate must draft its budget bill and follow the same process, but might not do so until after this year's elections.

The administration's budget for FY 09 proposes $66.6 million for Historic Preservation Fund programs, $4.2 million less than the FY 08 final appropriation. The proposal funds State Historic Preservation Offices at $35.7 million, a 9% decrease from FY 08. Tribal Historic Preservation Offices received a reduction to $3.9 million, a 39% decrease. Save America's Treasures would be funded at $15 million, a 40% decrease. The administration's budget adds $2 million for state resources inventories. It also funds the Preserve America program at $10 million, through the Historic Preservation Fund instead of the National Recreation and Parks account where it has

Innovative Community News Ideas Funded
Knight News Challenge
Through the Knight News Challenge, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will award $5 million for innovative ideas that develop platforms, tools, and services to transform community news, conversations, and information distribution and visualization. Grants will be provided for initiatives that will improve local online news, deepen community engagement, bring Web 2.0 tools to local neighborhoods, and develop publishing platforms and standards to support local conversations. Nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, and individuals worldwide are eligible to submit proposals that use digital news and information in a new way to create a sense of community for people in a given geographic area. This year's competition will set aside $500,000 specifically for people 25 and under. Applications will be accepted from September 2 to November 1, 2008, through the website listed above.

Foundation Center Cooperating Collection Training At the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation
The Charles A. Frueauff Foundation is Arkansas' newest Foundation Center Cooperating Collection, and will host three free workshops as overviews of the funding research process. Anna Kay Frueauff Williams, Vice President of Communications and Programs for CAFF, will lead the sessions, highlighting the electronic and print resources available for your free use at the CAFF Foundation Center Cooperating Collection site. Each of these free trainings will be held in the board room at the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation offices, 200 South Commerce St., Suite 100, Little Rock.
• Thursday, August 28th (1:00-3:00pm)
• Wednesday, September 24th (10:00am-12:00pm)
• Tuesday, October 14th (2:00-4:00pm)

Seating is limited to 20 people per session, and will be open on a first come/ first serve basis until filled. Please indicate your first and second choice in an email response to frueaufffdn@aol.com or by calling Alma Willett, CAFF Administrative Assistant at 501.324.2233

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Main Street Arkansas Update - August 11, 2008

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS

Main Street Arkansas Calendar August 11-15, 2008
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MONDAY Susan – annual; Caroline – Batesville, pm
TUESDAY Susan – annual; Cary – LR, pm
WEDNESDAY Susan – annual; Cary – LR, pm
THURSDAY Susan – annual; Greg & Caroline – LR, pm
FRIDAY Mark – Morrilton
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IN THIS ISSUE
Paragould Press
Batesville Press
Russellville Press
NLR Press
Rector Press
AmeriCorp Volunteer Recruitment Opportunity
Conference That Includes Track on Non-Profit Management
Community Colleges & Entrepreneurship
Rypkema Blogs
How Buildings Learn
3 Grant Opportunities
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Good Paragould Press:
http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2008/08/05/top_story/doc489888a984d8b927578886.txt

Good Main Street Batesville Press:
http://www.guardonline.com/?q=node/46901

Russellville Named Top 10 Affordable Homes
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0807/gallery.bplive_affhomes.moneymag/10.html

Good Downtown NLR Press:
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Business/233919/

Rector ADN Press
http://www.claycountydemocrat.com/story/1450841.html

Obtain a AmeriCorps Promise Fellow for Your Community to Aid in Non-Profit, other work

The Arkansas Service Commission and Division of Volunteerism will provide oversight to support the twelve (12) AmeriCorps Promise Fellows awarded to the state for the 2008-2009 program year.

Deadline – August 18

http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/rfp/DOV-Application%202009%20-%20AmeriCorps%20Promise%20Fellows.doc

Central Arkansas Development Council’s Annual Conference Features Tract on Nonprofit Management - September 10-11. Little Rock
http://www.cadc.com/images/stories/Conference/2008%20registration%20brochure.pdf

Select Arkansas community colleges plan to offer entrepreneurship curriculum beginning this fall with an eye toward fostering economic development
http://arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/07/25/News/347202.html
- those of you with Community College’s in your towns should investigate this for potential partnerships

Rypkema Blogs on Downtown Revitalization
http://www.placeeconomics.com/2008/08/museum-of-expensive-mistakes-in.html

How Buildings Learn
In 1997, the BBC aired a three-hour documentary based on Stewart Brand's book, How Buildings Learn. Brand has posted the whole program on Google Video in six 30-minute parts: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six.
If you're hesitant about whether to watch the series or not, check out this two-minute appetizer of perhaps the meatiest tidbit in the book: the oak beam replacement plan for the dining hall of New College, Oxford.

Hiking Society Seeks Applications for Trail Grants

Deadline: August 15, 2008

The American Hiking Society (http://www.americanhiking.org/ )
2009 National Trails Fund is open for applications. The National Trails Fund is the only privately funded, national grants program dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails. Now in its eighth year, the fund has awarded nearly $382,000 to 105 grassroots organizations all over the United States working to establish, protect, and maintain foot trails in America.

American Hiking will be awarding two different types of National Trail Fund grants in 2009: 1) American Hiking Society Trail Grants, which will range from $500-$4,999 each; and 2) Nature Valley Trail Grants, which will be for $5,000 each. Twenty applicant organizations for the Nature Valley Trail Grants will be selected as prospective grant recipients and will be featured on Nature Valley's Web site (http://www.wheresyours.com/ ).

Nature Valley Trail Grant award winners will be chosen by public vote from October 1 through 31, 2008. The top ten projects will each receive $5,000.

Applicants must be a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Projects that will be considered for the 2009 grants are as follows: projects that have hikers as the primary constituency, though multiple human-powered trail uses are eligible; projects that secure trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements; projects that result in visible and substantial ease of access, improved hiker safety, and/or avoidance of environmental damage; and projects that promote constituency building surrounding specific trail projects -- including volunteer recruitment and support.

Visit the American Hiking Society Web site for complete program guidelines and the online application system.

Home Depot Announces Housing Impact Grants Program

Deadline: September 15, 2008; and December 15, 2008

Home Depot (http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal/ ) has aligned its online grants program with the Home Depot Foundation's (http://homedepotfoundation.org/ ) Affordable Housing Built Responsibly program and will focus exclusively on housing.

The Home Depot Housing Impact Grants program supports affordable housing projects built or preserved with environmentally friendly, efficient, and durable materials that increase energy and water efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and reduce maintenance costs. The grant program supports 501(c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations in the United States and organizations with registered status in Canada.

Grants range between $500 and $3,000 each. Preference will be given to requests that engage community stakeholders and result in building or rebuilding houses and/or apartments that are affordable to individuals/families earning a modest income (typically 80 percent or less of the area median income).

Applicants who pass the program's online Eligibility Quiz must then complete and submit the entire application in order to be considered for a grant. The 2008 Housing Impact Grant Program will accept applications according to the following schedule:
August 1 to September 15, 2008; and November 1 to December 15, 2008. In order to be considered during a grant cycle, the application must be completed and submitted prior to the application deadline.

Visit the Home Depot Web site for complete program information and application procedures.

Support for Southern Grassroots Organizations
Southern Partners Fund

The Southern Partners Fund serves rural communities in the southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Through the Fund's Regular Grants Cycle, support is provided to grassroots organizations striving for progressive fundamental change in the areas of social, economic, and environmental justice. Applications for this program must be submitted by August 1, 2008. The Fund also accepts applications on a rolling basis for the Katrina relief, technical assistance, and travel grants programs. Visit the website listed above for details on all of the Fund's programs.

Bank of America is partnering with the Institute to provide grants to small museums, libraries, and archives. The grants will raise awareness and fund preservation of treasures held in small museums, libraries and archives.

Grants will help to preserve specific items, including works of art, artifacts and historical documents that are in need of conservation. Applicants will build on completed conservation assessments of their collections, to ensure that the Bank of America/IMLS grants are used in accordance with best practices in the field, and underscore the importance of assessment planning.

Deadline: September 15, 2008
For more information CLICK HERE!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Main Street Arkansas Update- Augus 4, 2008

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS

Main Street Arkansas Calendar August 4 – 8, 2008
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MONDAY Susan – Searcy
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY Cary – Reinventing Communities Conference – LR
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE
Photos from Hardy Training
Café Press Store
Eureka Network Press
WM properties on the NR
CDBG & HP
ADPT Calendar
The Demographic Inversion of the American City.
The End of White Flight?
Free Online Training for ADA
Obesity Linked to Newer, Less Walkable Neighborhoods

Photos from our Hardy Training:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29093188@N02/

Here’s our Café Press store I mentioned in Hardy, if you want a MSA t-shirt, mug or other trinket:
http://www.cafepress.com/MainStreetAR
- really, these are best for your local programs. There’s 0 set up cost.

Good Eureka Springs ADN Press:
http://www.lovelycitizen.com/story/1448787.html

Parts of Downtown West Memphis added to National Register of Historic Places
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/nrlist.htm

CDBG & Historic Preservation
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/library/historicpreservation/historicpreservation.pdf

Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism 2009 Spring/Summer Calendar of Events Submissions

The Arkansas Tourism Division is ready to put together the Spring/Summer Calendar for 2009. The submission page is now open. http://www.arkansas.com/calendar/update.aspx

The user name is: public and password is coe2009.

There are rules by which submitted events must follow, so please be sure to pay close attention to those when you login. If you have questions, please contact Donna Perrin at P&T.

The Demographic Inversion of the American City.
http://www.tnr.com/toc/story.html?id=264510ca-2170-49cd-bad5-a0be122ac1a9

This article is about the unexpected demographic changes taking place in many cities in the country. (Basically, affluent and mostly white people coming to the downtown areas, poorer and minority residents moving to the suburbs.) What’s ahead, Alan says, are metro areas nothing like what we’ve come to expect: More like Paris and Vienna (affluent core, impoverished suburbs) than what we associate with Chicago and Los Angeles (poor core, affluent suburbs).

And the Wall Street Journal proclaims:
The End of White Flight
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121642866373567057.html?mod=hps_us_mostpop_viewed

- there was a good article on this topic in the March issue of The Atlantic Monthly. What’s been called “white blight” has already begun to effect parts of Virginia, Dallas, etc. Here in LR, there’s a concern that post-Alltel/Verizon takeover West Little Rock may become one of these struggling suburbs.
Free, On-line Training for the Americans with Disabilities Act
If you’re confused or uncertain about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) , the U. S. Department of Justice offers a free, on-line training course at www.ada.gov/reachingout/intro1.htm. Through ten illustrated lessons, you’ll be introduced to basic policies, practices, and procedures that can be adopted by historic sites to better serve visitors with disabilities. You may also find it’s useful for training staff and volunteers and the lessons are organized by topic so can focus on specific issues. Best of all, you can follow the course at your own pace and there’s no test!

This Old Healthy House
Obesity linked to newer, less walkable neighborhoods
http://unews.utah.edu/p/?r=072808-1


OCTOBER 21-25 – NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, TULSA, OK

October 20-21 - Artlinks 2008: The Value of the Arts in the 21st-Century, Little Rock

NOVEMBER 15-18 NATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM, LITTLE ROCK more at www.americantrails.org (good place for Rails to Trails information)

Friday, August 1, 2008

Main Street Arkansas Update - July 28, 2008

JUST A REMINDER TO ALL WHO ARE COMING TO HARDY TO BE PREPARED TO SPEAK FOR 3-5 MINUTES ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR COMMUNITY & WITH YOUR PROGRAM AT OUR WEDNESDAY MORNING ROUNDTABLE

THIS WEEK - MSA QUARTERLY TRAINING: JULY 29-30, HARDY
TOPIC: MAIN TO MAIN (HOW CAN WE REPLICATE THIS IN AR?)
SPEAKER: LEON STEELE, MAIN TO MAIN COORDINATOR, LOUISIANA MAIN STREET

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS
OCTOBER 21-25 – NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, TULSA, OK

October 20-21 - Artlinks 2008: The Value of the Arts in the 21st-Century, Little Rock

NOVEMBER 15-18 NATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM, LITTLE ROCK more at www.americantrails.org (good place for Rails to Trails information)

Main Street Arkansas Calendar July 28 – 31, 2008
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MONDAY Cary, out; staff – travel to Hardy
TUESDAY all staff - Hardy
WEDNESDAY all staff – Hardy
THURSDAY Greg & Susan – Siloam Springs; Caroline - out
FRIDAY Greg & Susan – Siloam Springs
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IN THIS ISSUE
DOV Community Service Awards
Good MSA/SoMa Press
Good Searcy Press
Interesting Dumas Article
7% Cut in State Budgets Looked At
Distinctive Dozen Destinations
Major Gifts Training
Grant Opportunity

Many of you have great corporate partners & youth board/committee members. This looks like a great opportunity to provide them with some recognition.
DOV Community Service Awards
The Department of Volunteerism has only received individual nominations for their Community Service Awards. They are in need of youth and corporate nominees. If you know someone worthy of this award, please recognize them in this very special way! See www.arkansas.gov/dhs/adov for more information

Good MSA/SoMa/Downtown LR Press
http://mississippimainstreet.typepad.com/the_mississippi_main_stre/2008/07/jackson-progres.html

Good Main Street Searcy Press:
http://www.thedailycitizen.com/articles/2008/07/22/news/features/features05.txt

Ding Dong Daddy Dilemma
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/232281

Beebe Asks For Look at 7 Percent State Budget Cuts
http://arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=106488
“Beebe said earlier this year he would consider cutting state services to continue reducing Arkansas' sales tax on groceries, but said he won't touch education, human services or law enforcement.”

Dozen Distinctive Destinations Accepting Nominations
National Trust for Historic Preservation now accepting nominations for the 2009 list of Dozen Distinctive Destinations® Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has annually selected communities across the United States that offer cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination. From dynamic downtowns and stunning architecture to cultural diversity and commitments to historic preservation, the selected destinations boast a richness of character and exude an authentic sense of place. To date, there are 108 Distinctive Destinations located in 42 states throughout the country. Visit www.PreservationNation.org/ddd to view the online archive, distinctive destinations toolkit, etc.

Nominations are open to Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVB) and Chambers of Commerce (COC) across the country. Individuals, Main Street organizations, and others are encouraged to contact their local CVB or COC to encourage the CVB or COCs nomination for this annual heritage tourism program.

There is a $150 nomination fee. Visit http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/travel/dozen-distinctive-destinations/2009-dozen-distinctive.html to view the nomination guidelines and nomination form.

Completed nominations, including high-resolution jpeg images and letters of support, are due on Friday, August 29, 2008. The 2009 Dozen Distinctive Destinations will be announced in on Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

For more information, e-mail Special Projects Coordinator Carrie Johnson at Carrie_Johnson@nthp.org , or call 202-588-6177.

- LR & NLR were named a DDD in 2006. MSA wrote the DDD nomination.
Creating Sustainable Funding For Nonprofits

*Major Gifts: Finding the Perfect Donors*
*As a part of the Arkansas Excels training calendar, ACE strives to connect our members to information about training and capacity building for nonprofits in Arkansas
Presenter: Julie Goebl
Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Arkansas Community Foundation- Union Station 1400 W. Markham, Ste 206, Little Rock, AR 72201
Cost: No Fee to Attend
To register: RSVP Required! Space is Limited. Register here.
Questions? Contact Alaina Szlachta at 206.709.9400 ext. 132 or alaina.szlachta@benevon.com
Support for Social Change Efforts in the U.S. and Canada
Unitarian Universalist Association: Fund for a Just Society
The Fund for a Just Society, a program of the Unitarian Universalist Association, provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada that address issues of social and economic justice. The Fund supports organizations that use community organizing to bring about systemic change leading to a more just society and mobilize with those who have been disenfranchised and excluded from resources, power, and the right to self-determination. Consideration is given to projects that are less likely to receive conventional funding because of the innovative or challenging nature of the work or the economic and social status of the constituency. The maximum grant amount is $15,000; however, most grants range between $6,000 and $8,000. The next application deadline is September 15, 2008. Visit the website listed above to review the program guidelines.

Main Street Arkansas Update - July 21, 2008

NEXT WEEK - MSA QUARTERLY TRAINING: JULY 29-30, HARDY
TOPIC: MAIN TO MAIN (HOW CAN WE REPLICATE THIS IN AR?)
SPEAKER: LEON STEELE, MAIN TO MAIN COORDINATOR, LOUISIANA MAIN STREET

THIS WEEK - JULY 24-25 - ARKANSAS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION SUMMER MEETING, MT MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS
OCTOBER 21-25 – NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, TULSA, OK

October 20-21 - Artlinks 2008: The Value of the Arts in the 21st-Century, Little Rock

NOVEMBER 15-18 NATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM, LITTLE ROCK more at www.americantrails.org (good place for Rails to Trails information)

Main Street Arkansas Calendar July 21 – July 25, 2008
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MONDAY Mark, Caroline & Susan – Batesville
TUESDAY Cary – West Memphis; Greg, Susan – Crawfordsville
WEDNESDAY Cary – Helena, RHDI Quarterly Meeting
THURSDAY Cary – Paris, Arkansas Community Development Conference; Nancy & Mark – Helena
FRIDAY Nancy – annual leave, Susan – Searcy
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IN THIS ISSUE
Grant Announcement
Inquiry
Press In Various Communities
2 Grant Announcements
GreatNonProfits.org
Preserve America Info
Smart Growth Parking Publication
2 Good In State Workshops


We announced our Slipcover & Downtown Revitalization grants Thursday. Each of the recipient programs should have received their letter from Governor Beebe congratulating them by now. Press releases have been sent to your local newspaper. Congratulations to all.

If you have special zoning for ‘entertainment properties’ owned by a public or non-profit &/or have dealt with updating city regulations for banners, please contact me or Anita Parrett in Blytheville.

Paragould’s Own Gina Jarrett’s 1st in a Series of Columns for the Paragould Daily Press:
http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2008/07/05/opinion/doc486edf2d80629476960269.txt

Good Main Street Harrison Press:
http://www.harrisondailytimes.com/articles/2008/07/14/news/doc487b7de74bc81881850549.txt
http://www.harrisondailytimes.com/articles/2008/07/17/news/doc487f6e9e6d953704519261.txt

Good Main Street El Dorado Press:
http://www.eldoradonews.com/news/localnews/2008/07/18/main-street-receives-grant-90.php

Good Russellville Press:
http://www.couriernews.com/story.php?ID=18986

Good Main Street Rogers Press:
http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/63862/

American Heritage Preservation Grants
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42279

Bank of America is partnering with the Institute to provide grants to small museums, libraries, and archives. The grants will raise awareness and fund preservation of treasures held in small museums, libraries and archives. Grants will help to preserve specific items, including works of art, artifacts and historical documents that are in need of conservation. Applicants will build on completed conservation assessments of their collections, to ensure that the Bank of America/IMLS grants are used in accordance with best practices in the field, and underscore the importance of assessment planning.

Tourism Cares Accepting Letters of Inquiry for Worldwide Grant Program

Deadline: October 1, 2008 (Letters of Inquiry)

Tourism Cares' (http://www.tourismcares.org/ ) Worldwide Grant Program distributes charitable grants to worthy tourism-related nonprofit organizations worldwide for capital improvements or programs.

The program's primary consideration is to fund projects and programs whose goal is capital ("brick-and-mortar") improvements that serve to protect, restore, or conserve sites of exceptional cultural, historic, or natural significance; or the education of local host communities and the traveling public about the conservation and preservation of sites of exceptional cultural, historical, or natural significance.

Program grants average $10,000 each; however, based on availability of funds, grants of up to $100,000 each will be considered. The 2008 Worldwide Grant Program goals call for a balanced distribution of grants to U.S. and non-U.S. recipients.

U.S.-based applicant organizations must have nonprofit, tax- exempt, 501(c) (3) status; non-U.S.-based applicant organizations must have status equivalent to the 501(c) (3) designation.

Letter of Inquiry packets are available at the Tourism Cares website.


Check out www.greatnonprofits.org
GreatNonprofits is a place to find, review, and talk about great—and perhaps not so great—nonprofits.

If you have direct experience with a nonprofit, share your knowledge and help other people discover trustworthy nonprofits that are making a difference.

Preserve America Funding Passes House
http://www.preservationdirectory.com/PreservationBlogs/ArticleDetail.aspx?id=582&catid=14
- each Main Street & Network program needs to be PA communities. We’ll talk more about this in Hardy We have PA application templates for you.

Parking Matters Publication – “Designing, Operating & Financing Structured Parking in Smart Growth Communities
http://www.parking.org/parkingmatters070106.pdf

Two Upcoming Workshops

August 6: Reinventing Communities Seminar, Peabody Hotel, Little Rock.
James A. Richardson Jr., Executive Director of the National Rural Funders Collaborative will speak on regionalism and ways to “reinvent” communities following a systemic shock such as a natural disaster, loss of a major employer or a changing economy. The seminar is sponsored by the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve, and will take place at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock from 4 - 6 p.m.
To register, call Julie Kerr at 501-324-8296 or e-mail julie.a.kerr@stls.frb.org

October 28: Workshop: Jump-Starting a Brighter Future for Communities through Quality of Place, Mather Lodge, Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton.
Does your community strive to move beyond ordinary? Would you like to attract entrepreneurs back to their hometown to generate economic opportunities? Is your community struggling to recover in the wake of recent disasters? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, your community may benefit from strategies to improve its quality of place. Community leaders are invited to a workshop to be held October 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at historic Mather Lodge on Petit Jean Mountain. Registration - by July 25 - is required. There will be a charge of $35, to cover the cost of meals and educational materials.
Instructors Dr. Mark Peterson and Maureen Rose will lead an active learning session and provide grab-and-go tools to jump-start community development projects for communities, civic groups, youth organizations, boards and councils. Participants will receive a quality of place toolkit to identify community projects for innovation, entrepreneurship, beautification, heritage, and more. Learn to create extraordinary personal experiences leading to high quality of place.
Learn what attracts people to live, work and play in your community.
Create an action plan for a quality of place feature for your county or community. To register, call or email Maureen Rose at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Community and Economic Development program office: 501-671-2066; mrose@uaex.edu