Monday, December 21, 2009

Main Street Arkansas Update - December 21, 2009

Caroline – out all week

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 21-25, 2009
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MONDAY Susan, Nancy – out
TUESDAY Nancy, Greg - out
WEDNESDAY Mark, Greg – out; Cary – out, p.m.
THURSDAY office closed
FRIDAY office closed
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IN THIS ISSUE:

LEED Buildings Still Waste Energy
Ghosts of Shopping Malls Past
Does Shopping Local Really Matter
Free Shop Local Ads/Posters
Civil War Marker Program
Add Your Town to the Community Almanac – Free
7 Grant Opportunities


LEED-certified buildings are clean, innovative, and environmentally friendly. But why are they wasting so much energy?
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200911u/green-buildings
- I tried to ask a very similar question at Mr. Fredrizzi’s appearance at the Clinton School, but wasn’t lucky enough to get called on. You can watch Mr. Fredrizzi here:
http://www.clintonschoolspeakers.com/lecture/view/ceo-us-green-building-council/
It’s worth noting & the article points out that LEED-EB (for existing buildings) is addressing some of these issues.

Ghosts of Shopping Malls Past
http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/ghosts_of_shopping_past/

Does Shopping Local Really Matter?
http://philhardwick.blogspot.com/2009/12/does-shopping-locally-really-matter.html

Free Shop Local Ads/Posters
http://amiba.net/educational_comps.html

Civil War Marker Program
The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission invites groups and organizations around the state to sponsor a historical marker telling how the Civil War affected their area.

The Commission is urging local groups around the state to tell the stories of how the Civil War impacted their communities. The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Historical Marker Program is intended to provide a lasting record of the legacy of the war in Arkansas.

Through the program, which received initial funding from the federal Preserve America program, the ACWSC will contribute up to $1,000 toward the creation of historical markers. Commission historians will work with the local sponsors to ensure that all of the information on the markers is accurate.

Application forms are available by writing Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Historical Marker Program, 1500 Tower Building, 323 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 or sending an e-mail message to acwsc@arkansasheritage.org or shelle@arkansasheritage.org. They also can be downloaded at http://www.arkansascivilwar150.com/historical-markers/.

For more information on sesquicentennial plans, visit www.arkansascivilwar150.com or e-mail acwsc at arkansasheritage.org. We hope to work with you on this important commemoration.


Add Your Town to the Community Almanac
Community Almanac was designed to be accessible to people of all ages and technical abilities, from students in the classroom to officials on the local planning board. For those without easy access to a computer, there is even a simple way for one person to post another’s content. This makes for a broad body of material that is reflective of a town’s true character.

NEW! National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grants in United States History and Culture 02/03/10 Help institutions and organizations strengthen their ability to explore significant themes and events in American history Non-profit institutions (excluding public and private elementary and secondary schools) working wholly or in part with the humanities; award amount will vary depending on match available; cost sharing is required Successful applicants will be offered a matching grant. Recipients must raise three times the amount of federal funds offered
Office of Challenge Grants
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 420, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20506 202-606-8309
http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/CG_UShistory.html




NEW! Fiskar’s Project Orange Thumb Gardening Grant
02/19/10 neighborhood beautification and horticulture education Community garden groups, as well as schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities; up to $1,000 worth of Fiskar’s gardening tools and up to $1,000 worth of other gardening materials; number available is unknown Fiskars
Attn: Project Orange Thumb
780 Carolina Street
Sauk City, WI 53583
http://www.fiskars.com/content/garden_en_us/Garden/ProjectOrangeThumb


Arkansas Department of Rural Services Rural Community Grants Program 3/19/2010 Improvement of local fire protection & related emergency services and construction, development & improvement of local facilities Incorporated cities/towns & unincorporated communities in RURAL areas of less than 3,000 in population; cost sharing is 50/50 match; max award $15,000; number available will vary AR Dept. of Rural Services
101 East Capitol, Suite 202
Little Rock, AR 72201
www.arkansas.gov/drs




Entergy Corporation Open Grants Program OPEN Focuses on improving communities as a whole Non-profit organizations; number of awards available and amount of award will vary http://www.entergy.com/our_community/Grant_Guidelines.aspx



Kresge Foundation OPEN Building nonprofit sustainability through capital challenge grants 501c3 organizations; amount/number of awards available will vary 3215 W. Big Beaver Road
Troy, MI 48084 248-643-9630
www.kresge.org


Verizon Foundation OPEN To improve the quality of life in Verizon communities Non profit org., elementary/secondary schools; award amounts/# available vary http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/application.shtml




Tony Hawk Foundation Offers Grants for Skatepark Construction
Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to nonprofits, state and local government agencies, and public school systems working to create or develop high-quality public skateparks in low-income areas across the country....

Posted on December 10, 2009
Deadline: March 1, 2010

Monday, December 14, 2009

Main Street Arkansas Update - December 14, 2009

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 14 - 18, 2009
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MONDAY Caroline, Susan – Heber Springs (working with merchants, merchandising & marketing); Greg - out
TUESDAY Greg – out
WEDNESDAY Caroline, Susan, Mark & Nancy - Paragould, Rector (working with merchants); Greg – out
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Cary, Greg & Nancy – off
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IN THIS ISSUE:
WinterFest sponsored Main Street Rogers
Texarkana Earns Preserve America Designation
Downtown Rogers Best of NW AR 2009
Russellville Letter to the Editor
MS Helena Survey, Blues Fest
The Return of the Two-Way Street
Meet LR
LR-NLR 11th Fastest Recovering Area
3 Grant Opportunities



WinterFest sponsored by Rogers
http://bvwv.nwaonline.com/news/2009/dec/02/winterfest-promises-family-fun-20091202/

Texarkana Earns Preserve America Designation
http://www.underthedome.com/2009/12/texarkana-earns-preserve-america.html
- if you look closely, you’ll see Caroline in the background of this photo
- I videoed the announcement with my FlipCamera & embedded in our blog here:
http://mainstreetarkansas.blogspot.com/2009/12/texarkanas-main-street-in-black-white.html
I just bought a GorillaPod to help with the shakiness

Best of Northwest Arkansas 2009
Main Street Rogers is happy to announce that the Rogers Historic District was listed as one of the Top 5 Best Kept Secrets in NWA as voted by readers in CitiScapes Magazine’s Best of NWA 2009. The other four listed are: Arkansas World Trade Center, Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, Hobbs State Park, and Terra Studios.

Nice Main Street Russellville Letter to the Editor

http://www.newsdemocratleader.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Thanks+for+support-Dear+Editor-%20&id=4923101&instance=secondary_opinion_left_column

Main Street Helena Survey Reveals Interesting Facts About Blues Festival
http://southernbancorp.com/2009/12/02/survey-reveals-some-interesting-facts-about-blues-festival-attendees/

The Return of the Two-Way Street
http://www.governing.com/column/return-two-way-street

Meet Little Rock
http://spiritmag.com/city_profiles/article/meet_little_rock/

- thanks to Boyd Maher for this one
LR-NLR-Conway 11th Fastest Recovering MSA
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/19/cities-recovery-unemployment-lifestyle-real-estate-top-ten-chart.html

Grant Opportunities


National Endowment for the Humanities: America's Historical and Cultural Organizations Implementation Grants
This program provides funds for the final preparation of a project for presentation to the public in multiple formats. Projects that make innovative use of emerging technologies are encouraged.

National Endowment for the Humanities: America's Historical and Cultural Organizations Planning Grants
This program provides funds for pre-implementation planning which can include multiple projects.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CONSERVATION TRUST (OPEN)
The Trust supports conservation activities around the world as they fit within the mission of the National Geographic Society. It funds projects that contribute significantly to the preservation and sustainable use of the Earth’s biological, cultural, and historical resources. Preference is given to cutting edge programs that might be overlooked by other organizations, due to the risk involved in working with new investigators and in new fields. Applicants aren’t expected to have doctorates or advanced degrees, but must provide a record of prior research or conservation action as it pertains to the proposed project. Funding is not restricted to United States citizens. Researchers planning on working in foreign countries should include at least one local collaborator as part of their research teams. Applicants must submit a pre-application form online. Additional information including details on covered expenses can be found on the Web site. | Grant Range: $15,000 To $20,000 | Contact Info: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CONSERVATION TRUST, National Geographic Society, 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC, 20090, Send Email, Visit Website

Monday, December 7, 2009

Main Street Arkansas Update - December 7, 2009

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 7-11, 2009
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MONDAY Cary, Caroline, Susan, Mark, Nancy – Texarkana; Main Street in Black & White unveiling
TUESDAY Cary – Federal Reserve’s CRA course, LR
WEDNESDAY Nancy, Mark & Susan – Helena
THURSDAY Mark – Hardy
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Lots of Eureka Coverage
NR Layers for Google Earth
Arkansas’s Top Grant Making Foundations
OA Sings AR
Living Treasure Noms
Immigrants & the Suburbs
Delta Music CD



Eureka Springs Keeps Shops Open
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2009/nov/29/eureka-springs-keeping-shops-open-20091129/
- subscriber only, sorry

Eureka Coverage in the Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704112904574477360084334816.html

National Register Layer Available for Google Earth


The National Park Service has created downloadable Google Earth layers of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Used alongside the Google Earth program, the information will display listed properties on a map. The information is current through the beginning of 2007. It is provided for informational purposes only; some coordinates may not be entirely accurate. For detailed information and to download visit http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/Download.html.

Arkansas’s Top Grant Making Foundations
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=6bfc566b-92b2-4d27-8ccb-c70f72cf7c74

OA Sings Arkansas
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.aspx?aid=118633

Don't Miss Your Opportunity: Nominate a Craft Artist for Arkansas Living Treasure
The deadline for nominations for the 2010 Arkansas Living Treasure is quickly approaching. The postmarked deadline is Friday, Dec. 11.
The Arkansas Living Treasure designation is presented annually to recognize an Arkansan who is outstanding in the creation of a traditional craft and has significantly contributed to the preservation of the art form. Nominations of artists who work in traditional craft forms such as pottery, weaving, broom making, leatherworking, metalsmithing and wood carving are encouraged.
An independent panel of practicing craft artists will select the recipient based on the following criteria: quality of work, community outreach and total contribution to the field of traditional crafts. The recipient will be honored in May 2010 during Arkansas Heritage Month.
The nomination forms are available at http://www.arkansasarts.org/. For more information, contact Sally A. Williams, artist services manager, at (501) 324-9348 or email sally at arkansasheritage.org.

Immigrants & the Suburb Influx
http://www.governing.com/node/5195/

Delta CD Arrives
http://www.rexnelsonsouthernfried.com/?p=496
- a similar article was printed in Saturday’s D-G. It’s behind a pay wall, however.