Main Street Arkansas Update - December 27, 2010

Historic Downtown Rogers

We wish you the best for the coming year.

MSA Assistant Director job is posted until January 5
http://tinyurl.com/MSADAH


Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 27 - 31, 2010
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MONDAY
TUESDAY Susan – Rogers; Greg – out
WEDNESDAY Susan – Rogers; Nancy & Greg – out
THURSDAY Nancy & Greg – out
FRIDAY office closed
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Main Street Helena’s Paula Oliver Makes a Donation to the DCC
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=134441&catid=2

Main Street Batesville Press
http://www.guardonline.com/content/main-street-offers-gifts

The Giving Effect – connects donors of ‘things’ to non-profits
www.thegivingeffect.com/
Is your Main Street/Downtown organization signed up? You should be

The Placemaking Dividend
http://www.planetizen.com/node/47402

Main Street Arkansas Update - December 20, 2010

Downtown Sheridan

Has your program received USDA funding? If so, please let me know as the National Main Street Center is collecting that data.

Happy Holidays from the MSA staff

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 13 - 17, 2010
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MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY Greg – out
THURSDAY office closed
FRIDAY office closed
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Newsweek Covers the Main Street Program
Downtown Helena Gets a Business Incubator
Downtown Eureka Springs Coverage
Downtown Ft. Smith Growth
High Profile: Vanessa McKuin
Arkansas – Tourism as an Export
Study Shows 3 Qualities to Attach People to Place

Newsweek Covers the Main Street Program
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/16/how-to-save-main-street.print.html
- they get the name of the National Trust Main Street Center wrong (calling it Main Street America) but we’ll take national coverage of downtown revitalization everyday

Downtown Helena Gets a Business Incubator
http://www.helena-arkansas.com/newsnow/x1714281391/DBP-awards-an-186-000-grant-for-Phillips-County-business-incubator

Downtown Eureka Springs Coverage
http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2010/dec/12/christmas-cavalcade-20101212/

Downtown Ft. Smith Going Great Guns
http://www.swtimes.com/news/article_6e2ca51c-0864-11e0-a2af-001cc4c03286.html

High Profile: Vanessa McKuin & the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/dec/19/historic-alliance-chief-blass-site-typifi-20101219/
- subscriber only, sorry. But, there’s still time to buy tickets to the January 14 Preservation Awards at preservearkansas.org

Arkansas Tourism as an Export
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.aspx?aid=124679

Gallup-Knight Foundation Study Looks at Benefits of Loving Your Community
Gallup and the Knight Foundation partnered to look into the effects of attachment to place in 26 cities. The Knight Soul of the Community project found that people’s love and passion for their communities may be leading to economic growth. The project interviewed almost 43,000 people over three years and found three main qualities attach people to place. According to the study,
1)social offerings (entertainment venues and meeting places)
2) openness (how welcoming a place is), and the
3)area’s aesthetics (its physical beauty and green spaces)
are more important than people’s perceptions of the economy, jobs or basic services in creating an emotional bond.

“This study is important because its findings about emotional attachment to place point to a new perspective that we encourage leaders to consider; it is especially valuable as we aim to strengthen our communities during this tough economic time,” said Paula Ellis, Knight Foundation’s vice president for strategic initiatives.
Resource: http://www.soulofthecommunity.org/

Knox Heritage's Green House

Main Street Arkansas Update - December 13, 2010

Historic Downtown Ozark

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 13 - 17, 2010
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MONDAY Mark – Ozark (sm. biz consult), Greg – out
TUESDAY Susan, Mark, Nancy – Walnut Ridge (design & sm. biz site visits)
WEDNESDAY Cary – out a.m. (training)
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Greg – out
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Main Street El Dorado in the News
Your Story About a Nonprofit
A Small Bypassed Town Reclaims Its Identity
Using Internet Marketing to Promote Your Events

Good Main Street/Downtown El Dorado Press
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/dec/11/el-dorado-city-roll-20101211/
- Subscriber only, Sorry.

Your Story About A Nonprofit

This Season of Giving, help your favorite nonprofit gain visibility and attract donors and more volunteers. You can do that by writing a review about your experience with them.
Whether you're a volunteer, donor, client served or board member, you can give your favorite nonprofits the gift of a review. Tell others why you think they are great. You can write a review of any nonprofit at GreatNonprofits.org which lists over 1.2M nonprofits.

Nonprofits have few marketing resources, so you can help bring your favorite nonprofit some much needed visibility by writing a review. Won't you take 3 minutes to share your story?
Go to greatnonprofits.org

A Bypassed Small Nebraska Town Reclaims Its Identity
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/08land.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

Using Internet Marketing to Promote Your Events
http://ruraltourismmarketing.com/2010/12/online-events-marketing-for-your-small-town-five-easy-steps/

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 6 - 10, 2010

Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 6 - 10, 2010
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MONDAY Mark – out
TUESDAY Mark – out; Susan & Nancy – Paragould & Walnut Ridge
WEDNESDAY Mark – Texarkana; Greg – out
THURSDAY Greg – out
FRIDAY Greg – out
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Online Review Sites Can Threaten Businesses’ Reputations
Statewide Workshops on CDBG
Grant Opportunity
Online Training for Property Repair

As Internet Review Sites Grow, Business’ Reputations Can be Threatened
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.aspx?aid=124388
- This is a worthy piece to share with your local businesses. It’s worth your ER committee’s time to take a look at reviews & on the web to determine if they’re accurate.

Statewide workshops to focus on CDBG application procedures

AEDC’s Grants Management Division will host application workshops in five locations throughout Arkansas to inform the public on the procedures for applying for grants and loans from four different agencies and organizations. AEDC administers the state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, as well as several state-funded grant programs aimed at economic development. For more information regarding workshop locations, contact Dana Heatley at (501) 682-1211 or dheatley at arkansasedc.com.

Outreach Programs in Company Communities Supported
Ameriprise Financial Community Relations Program
The Ameriprise Financial Community Relations Program supports nonprofit organizations in company communities throughout the United States whose shared goal is to improve the lives of individuals from all walks of life. The company's community outreach focuses on Meeting Basic Needs and Supporting Community Vitality. (Requests from nonprofit organizations where company employees/advisors/retirees volunteer are also considered.) The application deadlines are February 1, May 1 and September 1, annually. Visit the company’s website to review the Community Relations guidelines and submit an online application.

Online Training Videos for Historic Property Repair
http://www.youtube.com/user/KansasSHPO